SUMMARIZING

As an important skill in critical reading, SUMMARIZING is often used to determine the essential ideas in a
book, article, book chapter, an article or parts of an article.
These essential ideas include the gist or main idea, useful information, or key words or phrases that
help you meet your reading purpose. SUMMARIZING is generally done after reading. However, it can
be done as well while reading a text.
SUMMARIZING…
- is an important skill because it helps you…
* deepen your understanding of the text;
* learn to identify relevant information or key ideas;
*combine details or examples that support the main idea/s;
* concentrate on the gist or main idea and key words presented in the text; and
* capture the key ideas in the text and put them together clearly and concisely.
What is not SUMMARIZING?
You are NOT summarizing when you…
*write down everything:
*write down ideas from the text word-for-word;
*write down incoherent and irrelevant ideas;
* write down ideas that are not stated in the text; or…
* write down a summary that has the same length or is longer than the original text.
GUIDELINES IN SUMMARIZING
1. Clarify your purpose before you read.
2. Read the text and understand the meaning.
Do not stop reading until you understand the message conveyed by the author. Locate the gist or
main idea of the text, which can usually be found either at the beginning, in the middle, or in the end.
3. Select and underline or circle the key ideas and phrases while reading; another strategy is to
annotate the text.
4. Write all the key ideas and phrases you identified on the margins on your notebook in a bullet or
outline form.
5. Without looking at the text, identify the connections of these key ideas and phrases using a concept
map.
6. List your ideas in sentence form in a concept map.
7. Combine the sentences into a paragraph.
Use appropriate transitional devices to improve cohesion.
8. Ensure that you do not copy a single sentence from the original text.
9. Refrain from adding comments about the text. Stick to the ideas it presents.
10. Edit the draft of your summary by eliminating redundant ideas.
11. Compare your output with the original text to ensure accuracy.
12. Record the details of the original source
(author’s name/s, date of publication, title, and publisher)
place of publishing, and URL(if online). It is necessary to indicate the page number/s of the original
text in citing sources in summaries.
13. Format your summary properly. When you combine your summaries in a paragraph, use different
formats to show variety in writing.
FORMATS IN SUMMARIZING
1. IDEA HEADING FORMAT – in this format, the summarized idea comes before the citation.
Example:
Benchmarking is a useful strategy that has the potential to help public officials improve the
performance of local service
(Folz,2004; Ammons,2001). Once the practice of a particular city is benchmarked, it can be a guidepost
and the basis for the other counterparts to improve its own.
2. AUTHOR HEADING FORMAT
In this format, the summarized idea comes after the citation. The author's name/s is/are connected by
an appropriate reporting verb.
The considerable number of users of FB has led educators to utilize FB for communicating with their
students (Grant, 2008, as cited in Danmus,2010). The study of Kabilan, Amad, and Abidin(2010)shows
that the students perceived FB as an outline environment to expedite language learning specifically
English.
3. DATE HEADING FORMAT
In this format, the summarized idea comes after the date when the material was published.
Example :
On the other hand active participation of the citizens in development contributes to a sound and
reasonable government decisions. In their 2004 study on the impact of participatory development
approach, Irvin and Stansbury argue that participation can be valuable to the participants and the
government in terms of the process and outcomes of decision making.
USING REPORTING VERBS WHEN SUMMARIZING
A REPORTING VERB is a word used to discuss another person’s writings or assertions. They are
generally used to incorporate the source to the discussion in the text.
In summarizing, you are highly encouraged to vary the verbs you use to make your writing more
interesting and to show importance to each of your sources. You can use either the past or the
present tense depending on your meaning.
Using the past tense usually indicates that you view the idea to be outdated and therefore want to
negate it. On the other hand, using the present tense generally indicates that you view the idea to be
relevant or agreeable.
Hyland (1999) list a frequency of reporting verbs used according to discipline.
Discipline Reporting verbs from left to right, most common to least common
BIOLOGY describe find report show suggest observe
MARKETING suggest argue Find demonstrate propose show
LINGUISTICS suggest argue show explain find point out
SOCIOLOGY argue suggest describe note analyze discuss
PHILOSOPH say suggest argue claim point out hold think
Y
OVERALL Suggest Argue find show describe propose report
WHEN TO USE SUMMARIZING:
1. Summarize a text that has long sections (e.g. a page or chapter of a book or the book itself; a
paragraph of an essay or the essay itself).
2. Summarize when you want to…
a. avoid or minimize direct quotation; or use the main idea of the text and write it in your own words.

PARAPHRASING
GUIDELINES IN PARAPHRASING
1. Read the text and understand its meaning. Do not stop reading until you understand the message
conveyed by the author.
2. Use a pen to underline or highlight the key words or main idea of the text.
3. Recall the key words or main idea of the text that you highlighted when you read it.
4. Write in your own words what you understood about the ideas in the text.
5. Get the original text and compare it with your paraphrase.
4. Write in your own words what you understood about the ideas in the text.
5. Get the original text and compare it with your paraphrase.
6. Check the meaning. Remember, your paraphrase should have the same meaning as the original
text.
7. Check the sentence structure. The sentence structure of your paraphrase should be different from
the original text.
8. Refrain from adding comments about the text. Stick to the ideas presented in the text.
9. Compare your output to the original text to ensure its accuracy and remove redundant ideas.
10. Record the details of the original source (author’s name/s, date of publication, title, publisher,
place of publishing, URL [if on-line].
11. Format your paraphrase properly. When you combine your paraphrases in a paragraph, use
different formats to show variety in writing just like in summarizing.
COMPARING SUMMARIZING AND PARAPHRASING
SUMMARIZING PARAPHRASING
 Does not match the source word for  Does not match the source word for
word word
 Involves putting the main idea(s) into  Involves putting a passage from a source
your own words, but including only the into your own words
main point(s)  Changes the words or phrasing of a
  Presents a broad overview, so is usually passage, but retains and fully
much shorter than the original text. communicates the original meaning
 Must be attributed to the original source  Must be attributed to the original source

EXAMPLE:
ORIGINAL PASSAGE:
What is plagiarism? In minor cases, it can be the quotation of a sentence or two, without quotation
marks and without citation (e.g. footnote) to the true author. In the most serious cases, a significant
fraction of the entire work was written by someone else but the plagiarist removed the author(s)
name(s) and substituted his/her name. Perhaps did some re-formatting of the text, then submitted
the work for credit in a class (e.g. term paper or essay), as part of the requirements for a degree (e.g.
thesis or dissertation), or as a part of a published article or book.
Reference Standler, R.B. (2012). Plagiarism in colleges in USA: Legal aspects of plagiarism, academic
policy. Retrieved from http:// www.rgs2.com/plag.pdf,p.5.
SUMMARY:
Plagiarism can be defined as using ideas, data, or any relevant information of another without giving
proper credit or acknowledgement (Standler, 2012).
PARAPHRASE:
According to Standler (2012), plagiarism can occur
in small cases, which happens when small parts of a passage are used without enclosing them in
quotation marks and citing the author. There are changes in the format, but the original author is not
attributed to and the work is claimed as the plagiarist’s own and submitted to comply with academic
requirements or as a part of a material for publication.
WHEN TO USE PARAPHRASING
PARAPHRASING
1. Paraphrase a short text with one or two sentences or a paragraph with a maximum of five
sentences.
2. Paraphrase when you want to…
a. Avoid or minimize direct quotation; or
b. rewrite the author’s words by not changing the message or use your own words to state the
author’s ideas.