Summarizing

Précis or abstract writing

•Producing a shortened version of a longer
body of information (1/3 of the original)

•Involves a careful analysis (keeping,

deleting, paraphrasing)
 Definition
•Buckley (2004), in her popular writing text
Fit to Print, defines summarizing as:
•Reducing text to one-third or one-
quarter its original size, clearly
articulating the author’s meaning, and
retaining main ideas
 Definition

•Diane Hacker (2008), in A Canadian Writer’s

Reference, explains that summarizing
involves:
•Stating a work’s thesis and main ideas
“simply, briefly, and accurately” (p. 62)
 Purpose
• Provide context for a paper’s thesis

• Support an argument

• Write literature reviews

• Annotate a bibliography
 What can be summarized?
1. Results of studies you are reporting on

2. Methods or approaches others have taken in

the scholarship you are describing

3. Various researchers’/authors’ viewpoints on

given issues
 What can be summarized?
4. Points you have made in an essay at any juncture
or in a conclusion
5. Contents of a text you are reviewing
6. Issues peripheral to your paper but necessary for
providing the context for your writing
7.Historical events leading to the
event/issue/philosophy you are discussing
 4 Main Requirements
1. Cover the original as a whole.

2. Present in a neutral fashion.

3. Shorten the material.

4. Use your own words.

 Preparing to Summarize
Thoroughly understand the material you are
working with.
1. Determine what type of text you are dealing with
(This can help you identify important information.).
2. Skim the text (noting subheadings); then scan it.
3. If there are no subheadings, try to divide the text
into sections.
4. Reread the text, highlighting important information
and taking notes.

5. In your own words, write down the main points of

each section (including support points but do not
include minor detail).

6. Review.
 Helpful Tips (Stand alone summaries)
• Introduce the author and the title of the text.
• Introduce where this text was presented (If it’s an
article, where was that article published?).
• Give context when necessary (Is this text
responding to a current event? Does this author
have specific qualifications that make them an
expert on this topic?).
 Helpful Tips (Stand alone summaries)
•Present supporting information or ideas based
on the appropriate pattern of development:
•Chronological
•Cause and effect
•Advantage-disadvantage format
•Problem-solution format
 You will probably find yourself
more frequently using summary as
just one component of work with
a wide range of goals (not just to
summarize perse).
 Tips: Integrated Summaries
• Name the author and the text being summarized.
• State just the relevant context (author’s credential
that makes their work on this topic carry more
weight, or maybe the study is now being used as a
benchmark for additional research).
• Use the author’s full name the first time, and each
time after that, use their last name only.
 Remember
1. Do not include anything that does not appear in
the original.

2. Do not include your own comments or

evaluation.

3. Be sure to identify your source.

 Annotating a
Source Text Before
Summarizing
Ideal Summary of
an Article with
Lead in
 In his paper “Global Implications of Patent Law
Variation,” Koji Suzuki (1991) states that lack of
consistency in the world’s patent laws is a serious
problem. In most of the world, patent ownership is given to
the inventor that is first to file for a patent. However, the
United States maintains a first-to-invent policy. In view of this,
patent ownership can change depending on the country.
Multiple patent ownership can result in economic problems;
however, most striking is the international tension it causes.
The fact that the United States does not recognize patent
ownership in other countries, in violation of the Paris
Convention on Industrial Properties, has prompted the World
Intellectual Properties Organization (WIPO) to push the United
States to review its existing patent law principles.
Other Examples
 In his essay, “Why We Have a Moon,” David Levy answers the
question: “How did the Moon get there?” and explains the
commonly held theory about the Moon’s history and how it
changed by the 1970’s. In the past, scientists believed that 4.5 billion
years ago, a large planet, located close to the Earth, violently collided
with the Earth. However, in the 1970’s, Levy says this view changed.
Scientists learned that the Earth’s daily rotation is affected by the
Moon’s gravitational pull, and discovered the relationships between the
Earth, the Moon, and the Sun. The Earth’s tides are caused by the
gravitational pull of the Moon, as well as the Sun, when these two
planets align with one another. Furthermore, scientists attribute the
Moon’s rugged and gouged surface to its history of comet and meteor
collisions. Through close studies of the Moon, Levy states that scientists
have also learned that the Moon’s rugged surface reveals how the solar
system was formed—it is a result of a collision of the Earth and other
planets by comets and meteors.
 In his July 2017 article in The Atlantic, “Beyond
the Five Senses,” Matthew Hutson explores ways in
which potential technologies might expand our
sensory perception of the world. He notes that some
technologies, such as cochlear implants, are already
accomplishing a version of this for people who do not
have full access to one of the five senses. In much of the
article, though, he seems more interested in how
technology might expand the ways in which we sense
things. Some of these technologies are based in senses
that can be seen in nature, such as echolocation, and
others seem more deeply rooted in science fiction.
However, all of the examples he gives consider how
adding new senses to the ones we already experience
might change how we perceive the world around us.
 Read "Reducing Air Pollution"
then read the summaries that
follow. Comment on the
summaries in one to two
sentences.
 Reducing Air Pollution in Urban Areas: The
Role of Urban Planners by Yasufumi Iseki
Recently, increasingly significant problems
regarding energy use have emerged. Enormous
amounts of pollutants are being emitted from
power plants, factories, and automobiles, which
are worsening the condition of the earth. This
environmental degradation is a clear result of
acid rain, increased levels of carbon dioxide
(CO2) in the atmosphere, and other forms of air
pollution.
 Acid rain and air pollution, for instance, are
devastating forests, crops, and lakes over wide areas of
Europe and North America. In fact, in Europe nearly 50
million hectares have been identified as damaged,
representing 35% of the total forested area. In the United
States, approximately 1,000 acidified and 3,000 marginally
acidic lakes have been reported. Since the midcentury,
CO2 levels in the atmosphere have increased by 13%,
setting the stage for global warming. As atmospheric
temperatures rise, grain output may significantly decrease,
making it more difficult for farmers to keep pace with the
growth of population. In urban areas, air pollution is
taking a toll on buildings and human health.
 To reduce the amount of environmental damage
in cities specifically, developed countries have devised
technology to control the harmful emissions.
However, as these countries already have an
abundance of vehicles that continues to grow in
number, the efficacy of these measures is diminished.
Since cars and other vehicles create more air pollution
than any other human activity, the most effective
means to reduce pollution is to decrease the number
of vehicles. A major shift away from automobile usage
in urban areas may be possible with the aid of urban
planning.
1. According to Yasufumi Iseki, air pollution can be controlled
through effective urban planning.
2. Yasufumi Iseki in "Reducing the Air Pollution in Urban
Areas: The Role of Urban Planners" states that pollutants are
worsening the condition of the Earth as a result of acid rain,
increased levels of CO2, and other forms of pollution. In fact,
35% of the total forested area in Europe has been damaged,
and in the United States, approximately 1,000 acidified lakes
and 3,000 marginally acidic lakes have been reported. Since
the midcentury, CO2 levels have increased by 13%. Cars and
other vehicles create more pollution than any other activity;
thus, decreasing the number of vehicles is the most effective
way to reduce pollution. This may be possible with urban
planning.
3. Yasufumi Iseki states that because cars and other
vehicles are the greatest single source of air
pollution, a reduction in the number of vehicles in
urban areas would be an effective approach to
improving the urban environment. This reduction
could be achieved through urban planning.
4. Yasufumi Iseki claims that urban planning can
play a role in improving air quality in urban areas
by prompting a shift away from heavy vehicle use.
This will be difficult to achieve because of the
overabundance of vehicles in developed countries.
Paraphrasing
 Integrating Evidence in AW
•To support a claim or premise
•To acknowledge a counterpoint or argument
•To evaluate the arguments of others
•To justify an interpretation or decision
•To explain or define a process, method, or
experience
When should I quote
and when should I
paraphrase?
• It’s better to integrate sources by paraphrasing instead
of quoting.
• Demonstrates your understanding of the concept or
idea
• Allows you to communicate the idea in your own style
and voice
• More clearly connects evidence to your argument
• Reads more smoothly
• Keeps your own voice front and center
• From the Greek word para (beyond) and phrase
(tell)
• Translation from one register of language to
another in order to:
• Explain
• Simplify
• Modernize texts
•Can be longer than the original (anti-thesis of
summarizing)
•Involves penetrating the grasp of the piece:
•In its totality (main ideas and supporting
details)
•Its nuances (what’s behind the surface,
what’s said indirectly)
•As a verb, “to paraphrase”:

•To express the meaning of the writer or

speaker (something written or spoken)
using different words, especially to
achieve greater clarity
•As a noun, “paraphrase”:

•A rewording of something written or

spoken by someone else
 Steps in Paraphrasing
1. Understand the Material.
• Read and review the source a few times until you have a
strong understanding of what it’s trying to convey.
2. Test Your Knowledge.
• Without looking at the text, write down what you
remember about the general message. Be careful not to
write down any parts of it that you memorized to avoid
plagiarizing when you’re trying to paraphrase.
3. Play with Words.
• Modify word usage, sentence structure, style, and overall
flow. Make it as unique as possible while staying true to the
original source’s intent.
4. Replace Mirrored Content.
• Compare your paraphrase with the source. Change any
words or phrases that you remembered and wrote down
that are too close to the original text and could be
interpreted as plagiarism.
5. Make It Original.
• Consult the text to add important details that you have
previously left out. Link your ideas to the paraphrased
information to support your arguments in a unique way.
 4 Rs of Paraphrasing
1. Reword
• Replace anything that is too similar in your
paraphrase.
2. Rearrange
• Try varying the location of clauses, such as testing
them at both the beginning and end of a sentence,
to see more ways to make your writing more
interesting and clear.
3. Realize
• If there’s specific, unchangeable information (such as a
field-specific vocab), you’ll need to work around that and
perhaps use quotations.
4. Recheck
• There’s no harm in doing a few more reviews or revisions
of your writing to mesh your ideas with those you’re
paraphrasing and citing.
 Helpful Tips:
•Ensure you understand the original! Until
you fully understand the idea that you are
interested in using, do not attempt to
incorporate it into your work.
•Concentrate on the overall meaning of the
original paragraph or section (Than the
individual words and sentences).
 Helpful Tips:
•Consider why it is important to your own
writing (What do you want your reader to
understand about the idea?).

•Put the original aside, and write down the

idea as a first step without worrying about
perfect grammar.
 Helpful Tips:
•Try telling someone else the idea or saying
it out loud to yourself (If you can verbalize
the idea, you can write it in your own words).

•Return to the original (Have you captured the

original author’s intended meaning?).
 Helpful Tips:
•Consider synonym use carefully (Not all
words retain the same meaning in all contexts).

•Not all words should be replaced with

synonyms (Retain discipline-specific
terminology or names).
 Common Pitfalls
• Misreading the original

• Including too much of the original

• Leaving out important information

• Adding your opinion

 Common Pitfalls
• Summarizing rather than paraphrasing

• Substituting inappropriate synonyms

• Expanding or narrowing the meaning

• Forgetting to acknowledge source or author

 1. “Like other marine animals living near heavily
populated coasts, horse conchs have lost considerable
habitat to development and pollution, including
favorite breeding grounds along mud flats and
seagrass beds. Their Gulf habitat is also warming due to
climate change, which scientists think further pressures
the animals, based on the negative effects extra heat
has on other big mollusks” (Barnett, 2022).

Like other sea creatures inhabiting the vicinity of highly

populated coasts, horse conchs have lost substantial territory to
advancement and contamination, including preferred breeding
grounds along mud flats and seagrass beds. Their Gulf home is also
heating up due to global warming, which scientists think further
puts pressure on the creatures, predicated upon the harmful effects
extra warmth has on other large mollusks (Barnett, 2022).
 1. “Like other marine animals living near heavily
populated coasts, horse conchs have lost considerable
habitat to development and pollution, including favorite
breeding grounds along mud flats and seagrass beds. Their
Gulf habitat is also warming due to climate change, which
scientists think further pressures the animals, based on the
negative effects extra heat has on other big mollusks”
(Barnett, 2022).

Scientists believe that temperature rises resulting

from climate change are negatively impacting horse
conchs living in the Gulf of Mexico. Development and
pollution have also deprived them of important
breeding grounds (Barnett, 2022).
 Exercises

Identify the words and

phrases in the paraphrase
that are plagiarized from
the source.
 1. “Color blindness is a visual defect resulting in
the inability to distinguish colors. About 8% of men
and 0.5% of women experience some difficulty in color
perception. Color blindness is usually an inherited sex-
linked characteristic, transmitted through, but recessive
in females” (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2000).
Color blindness is a visual impairment resulting in
the disability to distinguish colors. About 8 percent of
men and a half percent of women experience problems
in color viewing. Color blindness is usually a hereditary
sex-linked characteristic, transmitted through, but
usually recessive in, women.
 1. “Color blindness is a visual defect resulting in
the inability to distinguish colors. About 8% of men
and 0.5% of women experience some difficulty in color
perception. Color blindness is usually an inherited sex-
linked characteristic, transmitted through, but recessive
in females” (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2000).
Color blindness, affecting approximately 8%
of men and 0.5% of women, is a condition
characterized by difficulty in telling one color
from another, most often hereditary (Columbia
Encyclopedia, 2000).
 2. “We are repelled by the prospect of cloning
human beings not because of the strangeness or
novelty of the undertaking, but because we intuit
and feel, immediately and without argument, the
violation of things that we rightfully hold dear”
(Kass 3).
We are disgusted at the idea of cloning
humans not because the undertaking is strange
or novel, but because we feel intuitively and
instantly, without disagreement, the disruption of
what we justly treasure (Kass 3).
 2. “We are repelled by the prospect of cloning
human beings not because of the strangeness or
novelty of the undertaking, but because we intuit
and feel, immediately and without argument, the
violation of things that we rightfully hold dear”
(Kass 3).
While making a clone of a human would be no
small task, the thought is also an uncomfortable
one. Humans are almost instinctively repulsed by
the idea of copying, and potentially mutating,
something that is so sacred (Kass 3).
 References
• Buckley, J. (2004). Fit to Print: The Canadian Student’s Guide to Essay Writing. (6th ed.)
Toronto: Nelson. Hacker, D. (2008). A Canadian Writer’s Reference. (4th ed.) Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin’s
• Gahan, C. & Caulfield, J. (2023, June 01). How to Paraphrase | Step-by-Step Guide &
Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 18, 2023, from
https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/how-to-paraphrase/
• Harari, Yuval Noah. Sapiens. Penguin Random House, 2014.
• Kass, Leon. “Preventing a Brave New World.” 2001.
https://rintintin.colorado.edu/~vancecd/phil1100/Kass.pdf. Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.
• Horváth, Gábor, András Barta, István Pomozi, Bence Suhai, Ramón Hegedüs, Susanne
Åkesson, Benno Meyer-Rochow and Rüdiger Wehner. “On the Trail of Vikings with
Polarized Skylight: Experimental Study of the Atmospheric Optical Prerequisites Allowing
Polarimetric Navigation by Viking Seafarers.” Philosophical Transactions: Biological
Sciences, vol. 366, no. 1565, 2011, pp. 772–782. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41061780.
• Valerioti, J. (2021). Effective paraphrasing. Liberty University Online Writing Center