If you have any questions, ask your instructor to get clarification.
Highlight or underline the thesis, research question, or purpose. Mark the supporting points. Highlight the section headings. Note the method of study, if there is one. Highlight the findings, conclusions, or results.
If possible, read it aloud to help you process the information. Reading the article several times will help you get a better understanding of the ideas. It’s difficult to fully understand an article on a first reading.
It’s okay to write short phrases and fragments rather than full sentences.
You might write, “Lopez asserts that homework helps students retain more knowledge based on exam scores and self-reporting. ”
You might say, “Inez Lopez is a former high school educator who now teaches curriculum planning as a researching professor. Her article entitled “Homework Smarts: Why Kids Need Homework” discusses why students benefit from regular homework assignments. Lopez also differentiates between effective homework and busywork, which helps educators change their lessons for the better. ”
For instance, you’d write, “Lopez argues homework is necessary to support in-class instruction because students retain more information, the class covers more curriculum, and students get more one-on-one attention in class. ”
A short summary is 1 page or shorter. For a short summary, you’ll write either 1 long paragraph or an introduction, a body paragraph, and a conclusion. Write, “According to Lopez, students who complete homework assignments for their core classes perform better academically. ”
If your summary is longer than 1 page, it’s considered a longer summary. You might write, “In her study, Lopez compared 2 different classrooms at the same high school, one that had homework and one that didn’t. Lopez asserts that students who completed homework assignments performed better academically. ”
You might write, “To support her claims, Lopez explains that students who did their homework scored 40% higher on exams, participated in class at a higher rate than students who weren’t assigned homework, and completed academic units 30% faster than classes that didn’t do homework. ”
For instance, you’d write, “In her research, Lopez studied two classes at the same high school. Both classes had a similar demographic and socioeconomic makeup and were provided the same academic supports. The control classroom did not receive homework, while the experimental classroom did. Lopez tracked the students’ homework completion rate, assignment scores, class participation, and progress through the curricula. Additionally, she conducted short student surveys after each exam. ”
You could write, “Lopez collected data such as student scores, number of incidences of class participation, and rate of lesson progression. Additionally, she asked students to rate their confidence, understanding of the material, and readiness to move on to the next unit on a survey after each exam. Based on her data, Lopez concluded that students progress as much as 30% faster if they complete daily homework assignments. To improve academic performance, Lopez recommends that teachers in core subjects assign homework every night. ”
Write something like, “According to Lopez, students are able to retain information and progress rapidly if they’re required to do homework. Her work provides teachers with a tool to promote academic success and advice on how to use homework effectively to help students. ”
Your summary doesn’t need to be exact in length. As long as it’s about 1/3 of the article’s length, it should be sufficient.
You’d write, “Lopez believes,” “Lopez finds that,” and “Lopez argues. " It’s also okay to use pronouns. You might write, “She goes on to say,” “She further asserts,” or “She refutes this idea. ”
For instance, ask your classmate, a writing tutor, or your teacher to give you feedback.
You may want to do several rounds of revisions depending on the purpose of your assignment. If you’re writing this summary for a grade, make sure your final product is your best work.
Ask someone else to proofread your paper for you if you can. Then, make changes if they spot any errors.
Don’t include any of your own ideas, analysis, or opinions in a summary. Focus solely on the original author’s ideas.
