Lpe2501 Lecture Notes 4 Week 9 10

LPE2501 ACADEMIC WRITING SEMESTER 1, 2020-2021
LECTURE NOTES 4
(WEEK 9 – WEEK 10)
Topics:
Summarising
1. Sources
Techniques
2. for Identifying Main Ideas Steps for Writing a Summ
3.
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1. SUMMARISING SOURCES
ow that you have understood the materials, and that you can use the author’s ideas and findings in your own way to suppor
FOUR CRITERIA OF A GOOD SUMMARY
In academic writing, a summary has four important criteria:
1. A good summary acknowledges the original author.
 It refers to the writer and/or the title of the work in a formal way
 It presents the writer’s idea objectively without your
interpretation or opinion
2. A good summary contains only the most important information.
 The topic (the general subject of the article)

 The main point that the author makes about that topic (the thesis)
 The key ideas that support or explain the thesis
3. A good summary is much shorter than the original writing.
 A one-sentence summary describes only the author’s thesis or

the main idea
 A fuller summary explains both the thesis and the main
supporting points
4. A good summary consists of paraphrases of any information taken from

the original writing.
 A paraphrase shows that you understand what the author is saying
2
2. TECHNIQUES FOR IDENTIFYING MAIN IDEAS
One of the challenges in summarising is that you must choose which information
to include, keeping in mind the principles of being complete and objective. You
can choose one of the two techniques that follow to help you identify the main
ideas in an article.
TECHNIQUE 1: UNDERLINING KEY IDEAS
1. Read the article completely several times to develop a basic understanding of

the main ideas presented.
2. With a highlighter, mark each idea in the article that you believe is important.
 Often, although not always, you will find that each paragraph has a key
sentence. It is often the first or last sentence in a paragraph.
 Look for key words that are repeated throughout the article. These repeated
words and phrases will help you identify main ideas.
 If you find that you have highlighted most or all of the sentences in a
paragraph, you may be highlighting supporting details rather than main
ideas.
 If so, go back and underline only the main ideas in the sentences that you
highlighted.
3. When your highlighting is done, read each sentence again to make sure
you understand the ideas.
4. Then you can use the chunking method to paraphrase the highlighted sentences.
5. You can use these paraphrased ideas as your summary.
TECHNIQUE 2: SUMMARY GRID
Sometimes it is helpful to lay out your notes in a visual way. Using a grid is one
way to help organise the information in an article.
1. Use a grid to take notes on each paragraph or a section of a paragraph.
 Writing main ideas and supporting details in separate columns is a good

way to help distinguish between the two
2. Use your notes to create a summary of your article.
 Remember that a summary focuses on main ideas. Details are usually

excluded in the summaries. In some cases, a specific example from the article
might be included
3. Here is an example of a summary grid created by a student after reading an article

on the negative aspects of drinking bottled water.
Example of Summary Grid
Paragraph (s) Main Idea Supporting Details

1 Bottled water may not be any safer
than tap water.
2-3 Bottled water manufacturers do not - Yosemite brand

have to disclose the source of their comes from a Los
water. Angeles suburb
- Everest brand
comes from Texas
4 The EPA requires fewer contamination - The FDA only tests

tests for bottled water than city water. once a year or if
there is a complaint
5 Plastic bottles are a source of water - Bacteria develops

contamination. in bottles
- Chemicals leak
from plastic
material
3. STEPS FOR WRITING A SUMMARY
1. Write an introductory sentence or two that includes three pieces of information:


The name of the author(s)
The year which
 the information was published The author’s thesis or main idea

be the main ideas in your own words. This may be one or more paragraphs, depending on the purpose of your summary.
INTRODUCING YOUR SUMMARY
You can choose how you want to arrange the information in your introduction.
Below are two possible styles of writing a summary:
Style 1: One sentence
Author’s name (year of publication) claims (summary).
ence show that people are incapable of doing several things at once; as an example of this fact, he mentions the frequent s
entences
e (year of publication) writes about (article topic) in (his/her/their) article (article title). The second sentence is the summary
says that both lab research and actual experience show that people are incapable of doing several things at once; as an exa
5
EXERCISE 1
Read the excerpt below and summarise Warner’s idea on Writing Successfully
in a University. Add an in-text citation according to the APA style.
Source : Article
Author : Morley Warner

Date of publication : February 2011
Title : Academic Writing: A Guide to Writing in a University
Context
To write successfully in a university, students need to have a sense of what the

final product should look and sound like. If possible read model assignments, or if
these are not available, study the way in which journal articles have been written
in their field of study. These articles maybe lengthy and some may be based on
research rather than discussion issues, but from them they will get a sense of how
academic writing ‘sounds’, that is, its tone and how respected writers in their field
assemble information. This will enable the students to build their writing skills.
Warner (2010) writes about Academic Writing: A Guide to Writing in a University

Context. She state that to write successfully in a university, students need to read
model assignments and journal articles and get the meaning of how academic
writing looks like such as its tone and how the writers assemble information.
EXERCISE 2
Read the excerpt below and write a summary on The Toxic Danger of New Cars.
Add an in-text citation according to the APA style.
Source : Online article

Author : The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation in Australia (CSIRO)
Date of publication : January 2010
Title : Toxic Danger of New Cars
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Australia

(CSIRO) warned drivers and passengers of new cars that danger lies within their
brand new vehicles. It is not the soft fabric or leather, the shining new dashboard or
the designs of the sporty steering wheel that harbour the danger. It is the reassuring
smell of the new car that spells danger. The odour actually contains high levels of
toxic air emissions that can make the driver and passengers ill.
CSIRO conducted a comprehensive research on three cars. Drivers were asked to

keep logs on how they felt and reacted to the luxurious interiors of their cars. The
researchers also carried out observations on the reactions of the drivers and at the
same time interviewed them.
Evidence was therefore carefully gathered and analysed. The results revealed that
the very smell of a new car that captivates the new owner contains high levels of
toxic emissions. What is even more alarming is the fact that these toxic emissions
are present in cars even after 6 months or longer of leaving the showroom. The
study also revealed that drivers were becoming ill when they drove their new cars.
The toxic emissions contain many chemicals such as benzene that can cause
cancer and lung failure.
CSIRO (2010), has warned new car drivers and passengers that their brand new
vehicles pose a danger because of the odour contain high levels of contaminants of
toxic air that can make the driver and passengers sick. The findings revealed that
high levels of toxic emissions contain the very smell of a new car that captivates the
new owner. What is even more alarming is the fact that even after 6 months or longer
after leaving the showroom, these toxic emissions are present in cars. The pollution
include many chemicals such as benzene that can cause cancer and lung failure.
EXERCISE 3
Read the excerpt below and write a summary on The Impact of Cultural Diversity
in the Workplace. Add an in-text citation according to the APA style.
Source : Journal Article
Author : Gillian Coote Martin and Mary Robinson

Date of Publication : December 2014
Title : The Effects of Cultural Diversity In The Workplace
Cultural diversity in the workplace has grown as a trend over the passage of time
with the increase of globalisation in the world. A positive effect of cultural diversity in
the workplace is that employees belonging to different cultures usually have
different ways of thinking and can thus analyse a matter at hand from a variety of
perspectives. This is hard to achieve when employees belonging to the same
culture are asked to analyse the same matter. Employees coming from different
cultures have different experiences which can be beneficial by providing the
organisation with a sound and vast knowledge base. For example, a study
conducted on the impact and scope of cultural diversity in organisations in the UAE
showed that most of the workers agreed that group work with culturally diverse
people helps to overcome cultural differences through shared experiences when
working within a team.
Another positive effect of cultural diversity in the workplace is the increased

tendency of organisational personnel to overcome culture shock as the business
expands in other countries and becomes international. This is a very important
benefit derived from cultural diversity of the employees because many modern
companies have global expansion on their corporate agendas. With expansion into
other countries comes a range of obstacles including, but not limited to, gathering
information about local customs and laws in the foreign country, assessing risks and
designing strategies to overcome those risks. When an organisation has a culturally
diverse workforce, it can use the information and knowledge of the individual
workers to achieve these objectives and overcome the aforementioned obstacles.
For example, an American company trying to expand its business in India can draw
information about the Indian federal and provincial laws that apply to the business,
insurances required and applicable tax regulations from its workforce of Indian
nationality.
8
In addition, a culturally diverse working environment in organisations can drive
business growth and improve customer service by involving a diverse workforce.
This means making use of language skills, cultural information, knowledge of the
business networks and knowledge of the business market of the employees’ home
countries. With these key assets, organisations will have competitive advantages
in marketing goods and services to a growing migrant community as well as to the
global market. The Avon Company, for example, was able to turn around its
unprofitable inner city markets in the United States by putting African-American
and Hispanic managers in charge of marketing to these populations. Just as ethnic
minorities may prefer to work for employers who value diversity, they may also
prefer to buy from such organisations.
Martin and Robinson (2014) claim that a study that employees with diverse cultural
backgrounds offer different perspectives in handling given task. As the company
grows in other regions and becomes international, it overcomes culture shock.
Hence, it drive business development and enhance customer service.
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LPE2501 ACADEMIC WRITING SEMESTER 1, 2020-2021

FOUR CRITERIA OF A GOOD SUMMARY

In academic writing, a summary has four important criteria:

1. A good summary acknowledges the original author.

2. A good summary contains only the most important information.

 The topic (the general subject of the article)

3. A good summary is much shorter than the original writing.

 A one-sentence summary describes only the author’s thesis or

4. A good summary consists of paraphrases of any information taken from

 A paraphrase shows that you understand what the author is saying

TECHNIQUE 1: UNDERLINING KEY IDEAS

1. Read the article completely several times to develop a basic understanding of

5. You can use these paraphrased ideas as your summary.

1. Use a grid to take notes on each paragraph or a section of a paragraph.

 Writing main ideas and supporting details in separate columns is a good

2. Use your notes to create a summary of your article.

 Remember that a summary focuses on main ideas. Details are usually

3. Here is an example of a summary grid created by a student after reading an article

Example of Summary Grid

Paragraph (s) Main Idea Supporting Details

2-3 Bottled water manufacturers do not - Yosemite brand

4 The EPA requires fewer contamination - The FDA only tests

5 Plastic bottles are a source of water - Bacteria develops

1. Write an introductory sentence or two that includes three pieces of information:

INTRODUCING YOUR SUMMARY

Style 1: One sentence

Author’s name (year of publication) claims (summary).

Author : Morley Warner

To write successfully in a university, students need to have a sense of what the

Warner (2010) writes about Academic Writing: A Guide to Writing in a University

Source : Online article

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Australia

CSIRO conducted a comprehensive research on three cars. Drivers were asked to

Source : Journal Article

Author : Gillian Coote Martin and Mary Robinson

Another positive effect of cultural diversity in the workplace is the increased

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