{"id":48367,"date":"2020-11-23T10:41:30","date_gmt":"2020-11-23T09:41:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.nl\/?p=48367"},"modified":"2022-07-14T14:30:09","modified_gmt":"2022-07-14T12:30:09","slug":"how-to-summarize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write a Summary | Guide &#038; Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Summarizing<\/strong>, or writing a summary,\u00a0means giving a concise overview of a text&#8217;s main points in your own words. A summary is always much shorter than the original text.<\/p>\n<p>There are five key steps that can help you to write a summary:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//working-with-sources//how-to-summarize//#step-1\">Read the text<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//working-with-sources//how-to-summarize//#step-2\">Break it down into sections<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//working-with-sources//how-to-summarize//#step-3\">Identify the key points in each section<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//working-with-sources//how-to-summarize//#step-4\">Write the summary<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//working-with-sources//how-to-summarize//#step-5\">Check the summary against the article<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Writing a summary does not involve critiquing or analyzing the source. You should simply provide an accurate account of the most important information and ideas (without copying any text from the original).<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"when\">When to write a summary<\/h2>\n<p>There are many situations in which you might have to summarize an article or other source:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>As a stand-alone assignment to show you\u2019ve understood the material<\/li>\n<li>To keep notes that will help you remember what you\u2019ve read<\/li>\n<li>To give an overview of other researchers\u2019 work in a<a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//dissertation//literature-review///"> literature review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When you\u2019re writing an academic text like an <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//category//academic-essay///">essay<\/a>, <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"//?cat_ID=14816\%22>research paper<\/a>, or <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//category//dissertation///">dissertation<\/a>, you\u2019ll <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//working-with-sources//integrating-sources///">integrate sources<\/a> in a variety of ways. You might use a brief <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//working-with-sources//how-to-quote///">quote<\/a> to support your point, or <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//working-with-sources//how-to-paraphrase///">paraphrase<\/a> a few sentences or paragraphs.<\/p>\n<p>But it&#8217;s often appropriate to summarize a whole article or chapter if it is especially relevant to your own research, or to provide an overview of a source before you analyze or critique it.<\/p>\n<p>In any case, the goal of summarizing is to give your reader a clear understanding of the original source. Follow the five steps outlined below to write a good summary.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"step-1\">Step 1: Read the text<\/h2>\n<p>You should read the article more than once to make sure you\u2019ve thoroughly understood it. It\u2019s often effective to read in three stages:<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Scan<\/strong> the article quickly to get a sense of its topic and overall shape.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Read<\/strong> the article carefully, highlighting important points and taking notes as you read.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Skim<\/strong> the article again to confirm you&#8217;ve understood the key points, and reread any particularly important or difficult passages.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<p>There are some tricks you can use to identify the key points as you read:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Start by reading the<strong> abstract<\/strong>. This already contains the author\u2019s own summary of their work, and it tells you what to expect from the article.<\/li>\n<li>Pay attention to <strong>headings and subheadings<\/strong>. These should give you a good sense of what each part is about.<\/li>\n<li>Read the<strong> introduction<\/strong> and the<strong> conclusion<\/strong> together and compare them: What did the author set out to do, and what was the outcome?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"step-2\">Step 2: Break the text down into sections<\/h2>\n<p>To make the text more manageable and understand its sub-points, break it down into smaller sections.<\/p>\n<p>If the text is a scientific paper that follows a standard empirical structure, it is probably already organized into clearly marked sections, usually including an introduction, methods, results, and discussion.<\/p>\n<p>Other types of articles may not be explicitly divided into sections. But most articles and essays will be structured around a series of sub-points or themes.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kb-textbox border-left yellow\"><strong>Tip: <\/strong>To see at a glance what each part of the text focuses on, try writing a word or phrase in the margin next to each paragraph that describes the paragraph\u2019s content. If several paragraphs cover similar topics, you may group them together.<\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"step-3\">Step 3: Identify the key points in each section<\/h2>\n<p>Now it&#8217;s time go through each section and pick out its most important points. What does your reader need to know to understand the overall argument or conclusion of the article?<\/p>\n<p>Keep in mind that a summary does not involve paraphrasing every single paragraph of the article. Your goal is to extract the essential points, leaving out anything that can be considered background information or supplementary detail.<\/p>\n<p>In a scientific article, there are some easy questions you can ask to identify the key points in each part.<\/p>\n<table class=\"kb-table bordered vertical-borders responsive-inline full-width\">\n<caption>Key points of a scientific article<\/caption>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Introduction<\/th>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>What <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//research-process//research-questions///">research question<\/a> or problem was addressed?<\/li>\n<li>Are any<a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.nl//methodology//hypotheses///"> hypotheses<\/a> formulated?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Methods<\/th>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>What type of research was done?<\/li>\n<li>How were data collected and analyzed?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Results<\/th>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>What were the most important findings?<\/li>\n<li>Were the hypotheses supported?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Discussion\/conclusion<\/th>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>What is the overall answer to the research question?<\/li>\n<li>How does the author explain these results?<\/li>\n<li>What are the implications of the results?<\/li>\n<li>Are there any important limitations?<\/li>\n<li>Are there any key recommendations?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>If the article takes a different form, you might have to think more carefully about what points are most important for the reader to understand its argument.<\/p>\n<p>In that case, pay particular attention to the <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//academic-essay//thesis-statement///">thesis statement<\/a>\u2014the central claim that the author wants us to accept, which usually appears in the introduction\u2014and the <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//research-paper//topic-sentences///">topic sentences<\/a> that signal the main idea of each paragraph.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"step-4\">Step 4: Write the summary<\/h2>\n<p>Now that you know the key points that the article aims to communicate, you need to put them in your own words.<\/p>\n<p>To <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//plagiarism//how-to-avoid-plagiarism///">avoid plagiarism<\/a> and show you\u2019ve understood the article, it\u2019s essential to properly<a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//working-with-sources//how-to-paraphrase///"> paraphrase<\/a> the author\u2019s ideas. <strong>Do not<\/strong> copy and paste parts of the article, not even just a sentence or two.<\/p>\n<p>The best way to do this is to put the article aside and write out your own understanding of the author\u2019s key points.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"examples\">Examples of article summaries<\/h3>\n<p>Let&#8217;s take a look at an example. Below, we summarize <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////jamanetwork.com//article.aspx?doi=10.1001\/jamainternmed.2014.5466\%22>this article<\/a>, which scientifically investigates the old saying \u201can apple a day keeps the doctor away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span><figure class=\"kb-textbox document annotatedExample expandable\" style=\"max-height:300px;\"><figcaption>Example of a full article summary<\/figcaption><div class=\"doc-wrap\"><p>Davis et al. (2015) set out to empirically test the popular saying \u201can apple a day keeps the doctor away.\u201d Apples are often used to represent a healthy lifestyle, and research has shown their nutritional properties could be beneficial for various aspects of health. The authors\u2019 unique approach is to take the saying literally and ask: do people who eat apples use healthcare services less frequently? If there is indeed such a relationship, they suggest, promoting apple consumption could help reduce healthcare costs.<\/p>\n<p>The study used publicly available cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants were categorized as either apple eaters or non-apple eaters based on their self-reported apple consumption in an average 24-hour period. They were also categorized as either avoiding or not avoiding the use of healthcare services in the past year. The data was statistically analyzed to test whether there was an association between apple consumption and several dependent variables: physician visits, hospital stays, use of mental health services, and use of prescription medication.<\/p>\n<p>Although apple eaters were slightly more likely to have avoided physician visits, this relationship was not statistically significant after adjusting for various relevant factors. No association was found between apple consumption and hospital stays or mental health service use. However, apple eaters were found to be slightly more likely to have avoided using prescription medication. Based on these results, the authors conclude that an apple a day does not keep the doctor away, but it may keep the pharmacist away. They suggest that this finding could have implications for reducing healthcare costs, considering the high annual costs of prescription medication and the inexpensiveness of apples.<\/p>\n<p>However, the authors also note several limitations of the study: most importantly, that apple eaters are likely to differ from non-apple eaters in ways that may have confounded the results (for example, apple eaters may be more likely to be health-conscious). To establish any causal relationship between apple consumption and avoidance of medication, they recommend experimental research.<\/p>\n<\/div><button class=\"expandExample text-center\">Click to expand<\/button><\/figure><\/span><\/p>\n<p>An article summary like the above would be appropriate for a stand-alone summary assignment. However, you&#8217;ll often want to give an even more concise summary of an article.<\/p>\n<p>For example, in a <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//dissertation//literature-review///">literature review<\/a> or research paper, you may want to briefly summarize this study as part of a wider discussion of various sources. In this case, we can boil our summary down even further to include only the most relevant information.<\/p>\n<p><span><figure class=\"kb-textbox document annotatedExample\" ><figcaption>Example of a concise article summary<\/figcaption><div class=\"doc-wrap\"><p>Using national survey data, Davis et al. (2015) tested the assertion that \u201can apple a day keeps the doctor away\u201d and did not find statistically significant evidence to support this hypothesis. While people who consumed apples were slightly less likely to use prescription medications, the study was unable to demonstrate a causal relationship between these variables.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/figure><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"citing\">Citing the source you&#8217;re summarizing<\/h3>\n<p>When including a summary as part of a larger text, it&#8217;s essential to properly <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//category//citing-sources///">cite the source<\/a> you&#8217;re summarizing. The exact format depends on your<a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//citing-sources//citation-styles///"> citation style<\/a>, but it usually includes an<a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//citing-sources//in-text-citation-styles///"> in-text citation<\/a> and a full reference at the end of your paper.<\/p>\n<p>You can easily create your citations and references in APA or MLA using our free citation generators.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"btn btn--small btn--blue\" href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//citation//generator//apa///">APA Citation Generator<\/a> <a class=\"btn btn--small btn--green\" href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//citation//generator//mla///">MLA Citation Generator<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"step-5\">Step 5: Check the summary against the article<\/h2>\n<p>Finally, read through the article once more to ensure that:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You\u2019ve accurately represented the author\u2019s work<\/li>\n<li>You haven\u2019t missed any essential information<\/li>\n<li>The phrasing is not too similar to any sentences in the original.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you\u2019re summarizing many articles as part of your own work, it may be a good idea to use a plagiarism checker to double-check that your text is completely original and properly cited. Just be sure to use one that\u2019s safe and reliable.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kb-textbox border-left purple\">Read our comparison of the <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//plagiarism//best-plagiarism-checker///">best plagiarism checkers of 2022<\/a>, or check out the <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//plagiarism-checker///">Scribbr Plagiarism Checker<\/a> directly.<\/figure>\n    <h2>Frequently asked questions about summarizing<\/h2>\n<dl class=\"faq-list faq-list--arrows w-100 my-5\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\">\n            <div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\">\n            <dt id=\"what-is-a-summary\" class=\"faq-list__title\">\n                <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//frequently-asked-questions//what-is-a-summary///" class=\"faq-list__link qa-faq-anchor\">\n                    <span itemprop=\"name\">\n                        What is a summary?\n                    <\/span>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/dt>\n            <dd id=\"what-is-a-summary-answer\" class=\"faq-list__answer qa-faq-answer kb-article-styles\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\n                <div itemprop=\"text\">\n                                        <p>A<a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//working-with-sources//how-to-summarize///"> summary<\/a> is a short overview of the main points of an article or other source, written entirely in your own words.<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/dd>\n        <\/div>\n            <div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\">\n            <dt id=\"how-long-is-a-summary\" class=\"faq-list__title\">\n                <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//frequently-asked-questions//how-long-is-a-summary///" class=\"faq-list__link qa-faq-anchor\">\n                    <span itemprop=\"name\">\n                        How long is a summary?\n                    <\/span>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/dt>\n            <dd id=\"how-long-is-a-summary-answer\" class=\"faq-list__answer qa-faq-answer kb-article-styles\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\n                <div itemprop=\"text\">\n                                        <p>A summary is always much shorter than the original text. The length of a summary can range from just a few sentences to several paragraphs; it depends on the length of the article you&#8217;re summarizing, and on the purpose of the summary.<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/dd>\n        <\/div>\n            <div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\">\n            <dt id=\"assignments-writing-a-summary\" class=\"faq-list__title\">\n                <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//frequently-asked-questions//assignments-writing-a-summary///" class=\"faq-list__link qa-faq-anchor\">\n                    <span itemprop=\"name\">\n                        What kinds of assignments involve writing a summary?\n                    <\/span>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/dt>\n            <dd id=\"assignments-writing-a-summary-answer\" class=\"faq-list__answer qa-faq-answer kb-article-styles\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\n                <div itemprop=\"text\">\n                                        <p>You might have to <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//working-with-sources//how-to-summarize///">write a summary<\/a> of a source:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">As a stand-alone assignment to prove you understand the material<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">For your own use, to keep notes on your reading<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">To provide an overview of other researchers\u2019 work in a <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//dissertation//literature-review///">literature review<\/a><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">In a <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//category//research-paper///">paper<\/a>, to summarize or introduce a relevant study<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/dd>\n        <\/div>\n            <div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\">\n            <dt id=\"how-to-summarize-without-plagiarizing\" class=\"faq-list__title\">\n                <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//frequently-asked-questions//how-to-summarize-without-plagiarizing///" class=\"faq-list__link qa-faq-anchor\">\n                    <span itemprop=\"name\">\n                        How can I summarize a source without plagiarizing?\n                    <\/span>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/dt>\n            <dd id=\"how-to-summarize-without-plagiarizing-answer\" class=\"faq-list__answer qa-faq-answer kb-article-styles\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\n                <div itemprop=\"text\">\n                                        <p>To <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//plagiarism//how-to-avoid-plagiarism///">avoid plagiarism<\/a> when summarizing an article or other source, follow these two rules:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Write the summary entirely in your own words by <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//working-with-sources//how-to-paraphrase///">paraphrasing<\/a> the author&#8217;s ideas.<\/li>\n<li><a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//category//citing-sources///">Cite the source<\/a> with an in-text citation and a full reference so your reader can easily find the original text.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/dd>\n        <\/div>\n            <div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\">\n            <dt id=\"abstract-vs-summary\" class=\"faq-list__title\">\n                <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//frequently-asked-questions//abstract-vs-summary///" class=\"faq-list__link qa-faq-anchor\">\n                    <span itemprop=\"name\">\n                        What&#8217;s the difference between an abstract and a summary?\n                    <\/span>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/dt>\n            <dd id=\"abstract-vs-summary-answer\" class=\"faq-list__answer qa-faq-answer kb-article-styles\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\n                <div itemprop=\"text\">\n                                        <p>An <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//dissertation//abstract///">abstract<\/a> concisely explains all the key points of an academic text such as a <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//dissertation//thesis///">thesis<\/a>, <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//category//dissertation///">dissertation<\/a> or journal article. It should summarize the whole text, not just introduce it.<\/p>\n<p>An abstract is a type of <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//working-with-sources//how-to-summarize///">summary<\/a>, but summaries are also written elsewhere in <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//category//academic-writing///">academic writing<\/a>. For example, you might summarize a source in a <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//category//research-paper///">paper<\/a>, in a <a href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//dissertation//literature-review///">literature review<\/a>, or as a standalone assignment.<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/dd>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/dl>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summarizing, or writing a summary,\u00a0means giving a concise overview of a text&#8217;s main points in your own words. A summary is always much shorter than the original text. There are five key steps that can help you to write a summary: Read the text Break it down into sections Identify the key points in each [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":""},"categories":[50208],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<title>How to Write a Summary | Guide &amp; Examples<\/title>\n<!-- Added by HTTrack --><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" /><!-- /Added by HTTrack -->
<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Summarizing means giving a short overview of a source\u2019s main points in your own words. There are five key steps to writing a summary.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=https://www.scribbr.com/"https:////www.scribbr.com//working-with-sources//how-to-summarize///" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Write a Summary | Guide &amp; Examples\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Summarizing, or writing a summary,\u00a0means giving a concise overview of a text&#039;s main points in your own words. A summary is always much shorter than the\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Scribbr\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-11-23T09:41:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-07-14T12:30:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/open-graph-scribbrcom.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"627\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Shona McCombes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Shona McCombes\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Shona McCombes\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#\/schema\/person\/228f911c4cee81b6e504b214268ce318\"},\"headline\":\"How to Write a Summary | Guide &#038; Examples\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-11-23T09:41:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-07-14T12:30:09+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/\"},\"wordCount\":1156,\"commentCount\":6,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Working with sources\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/\",\"name\":\"How to Write a Summary | Guide & Examples\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-11-23T09:41:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-07-14T12:30:09+00:00\",\"description\":\"Summarizing means giving a short overview of a source\u2019s main points in your own words. There are five key steps to writing a summary.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to Write a Summary | Guide &#038; Examples\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/\",\"name\":\"Scribbr\",\"description\":\"The checkpoint for your thesis\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Scribbr\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/scribbr_\",\"http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/scribbr\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/Scribbr-us\/\"],\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/scribbr-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/scribbr-logo.png\",\"width\":902,\"height\":212,\"caption\":\"Scribbr\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#\/schema\/person\/228f911c4cee81b6e504b214268ce318\",\"name\":\"Shona McCombes\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/860eb20c3a944a56f62f48c7022198f4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/860eb20c3a944a56f62f48c7022198f4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Shona McCombes\"},\"description\":\"Shona has a bachelor's and two master's degrees, so she's an expert at writing a great thesis. She has also worked as an editor and teacher, working with students at all different levels to improve their academic writing.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/author\/shona\/\"}]}<\/script>","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Write a Summary | Guide & Examples","description":"Summarizing means giving a short overview of a source\u2019s main points in your own words. There are five key steps to writing a summary.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Write a Summary | Guide & Examples","og_description":"Summarizing, or writing a summary,\u00a0means giving a concise overview of a text's main points in your own words. A summary is always much shorter than the","og_url":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/","og_site_name":"Scribbr","article_published_time":"2020-11-23T09:41:30+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-07-14T12:30:09+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":627,"url":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/open-graph-scribbrcom.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Shona McCombes","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Shona McCombes","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/"},"author":{"name":"Shona McCombes","@id":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#\/schema\/person\/228f911c4cee81b6e504b214268ce318"},"headline":"How to Write a Summary | Guide &#038; Examples","datePublished":"2020-11-23T09:41:30+00:00","dateModified":"2022-07-14T12:30:09+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/"},"wordCount":1156,"commentCount":6,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Working with sources"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/","url":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/","name":"How to Write a Summary | Guide & Examples","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2020-11-23T09:41:30+00:00","dateModified":"2022-07-14T12:30:09+00:00","description":"Summarizing means giving a short overview of a source\u2019s main points in your own words. There are five key steps to writing a summary.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/working-with-sources\/how-to-summarize\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Write a Summary | Guide &#038; Examples"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/","name":"Scribbr","description":"The checkpoint for your thesis","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#organization","name":"Scribbr","url":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/scribbr_","http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/scribbr","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/Scribbr-us\/"],"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/scribbr-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/scribbr-logo.png","width":902,"height":212,"caption":"Scribbr"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#\/schema\/person\/228f911c4cee81b6e504b214268ce318","name":"Shona McCombes","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/860eb20c3a944a56f62f48c7022198f4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/860eb20c3a944a56f62f48c7022198f4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Shona McCombes"},"description":"Shona has a bachelor's and two master's degrees, so she's an expert at writing a great thesis. She has also worked as an editor and teacher, working with students at all different levels to improve their academic writing.","url":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/author\/shona\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48367"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48367"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48367\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":398086,"href":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48367\/revisions\/398086"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}