Summarizing is the process of condensing a longer piece of text or a complex idea into a concise and coherent summary. It involves capturing the main points, key details, and essential information while omitting unnecessary details or examples. Summarizing is an important skill in academic and professional settings as it allows for the efficient communication of information and understanding of a text's central ideas without having to read or present the entire content.
2. Summarize - give a brief statement of the main points of (something).
Skimming - the action of reading something quickly so as to note only the important
points.
Scanning - look at all parts of (something) carefully in order to detect some feature.
Outline - a general description or plan giving the essential features of something but
not the detail.
Paraphrase - express the meaning of (the writer or speaker or something written or
spoken) using different words, especially to achieve greater clarity.
Terms to remember
4. Summarizing academic texts is an
important skill for students, scholars, and
professionals in many fields. Here are
some reasons why summarizing academic
texts is important:
5. Summarizing requires you to
understand and synthesize complex
information, which can help you better
comprehend the content of the original
text.
1.
COMPREHENSIO
N
6. Summarizing allows you to quickly and
efficiently identify the main points of a
text, which can save you time when you
need to review or refer back to the
information.
2. TIME-SAVING
7. Summarizing can help you
remember important information
by distilling it into its most
essential components.
3. RETENTIION
8. Summarizing is a useful tool for
communicating complex
information to others in a concise
and clear manner.
4.
COMMUNICATION
9. Summarizing is an important part
of the research process, as it
allows you to quickly evaluate
whether a text is relevant to your
research question or topic.
5. RESEARCH
10. Summarizing can help you
develop your own writing skills by
providing a model for effective
summarization, which can be
applied to your own writing.
6. WRITING
11. In summary, summarizing academic texts is
an important skill for many reasons, including
comprehension, time-saving, retention,
communication, research, and writing. By
mastering the art of summarization, you can
improve your academic and professional
performance in many areas.
13. Academic texts can be dense and complex,
and summarizing them effectively requires
careful reading, analysis, and synthesis of
information. Here are some techniques that
can be used to summarize a variety of
academic texts:
14. 1. Skim & Scan the Text
Before delving into the details of the text, it is
useful to skim and scan the text to get a
sense of its structure and main ideas.
15. 2. Identify the Thesis
Statement
The thesis statement is the central
argument of the text. Identifying it will help
you understand the main point of the text and
the arguments that support it.
16. 3. Highlight the Key Points
Identify and highlight the key points that
support the thesis statement. These may
include evidence, examples, and important
concepts.
17. 4. Create an Outline
Organize the key points into a logical outline.
This will help you to see how the different
pieces of information fit together and to
identify any gaps in your understanding.
18. 6. Paraphrase
Use your own words to restate the
information in a concise manner.
Paraphrasing helps to ensure that you have
understood the material and can
communicate it effectively.
19. 7. Use Bullet Points or Numbered
Lists
Use bullet points or numbered lists to present
key points in a clear and concise manner.
This format is useful for summarizing
information that is highly structured, such as a
series of steps or a list of characteristics.
20. 8. Check for Accuracy
Double-check your summary to make sure
that you have accurately represented the
author's ideas and arguments. Make sure that
you have not omitted any important details or
misrepresented any of the author's
arguments.
22. Read the text carefully:
"The article examines the relationship between employee
engagement and organizational performance. The study found
that there is a positive correlation between employee
engagement and organizational performance. Engaged
employees tend to have higher job satisfaction and are more
committed to their organization, which leads to higher
productivity, customer satisfaction, and profitability. The article
concludes that organizations should focus on improving
employee engagement to enhance their overall performance."
23. 1. Skim & Scan the
Text:
The thesis statement of the text is that there is a positive
correlation between employee engagement and
organizational performance.
2. Identify the thesis statement
Quickly read through the text to get a sense of its structure
and main ideas.
24. 3. Highlight the Key
Points
The key points that support the thesis
statement are:
• Engaged employees have higher job
satisfaction
• Engaged employees are more
committed to their organization
• Employee engagement leads to higher
productivity, customer satisfaction,
and profitability
25. 4. Create an Outline
Organize the key points into a logical outline, such as:
I. Introduction
Overview of the relationship between employee engagement and
organizational performance
•Thesis statement: Positive correlation between employee engagement and
organizational performance
II. Benefits of employee engagement
•Higher job satisfaction
•Higher commitment to the organization
•Higher productivity, customer satisfaction, and profitability
III. Conclusion - Importance of improving employee engagement for
enhancing organizational performance
26. 5. Condense Information
Condense the information into shorter, more manageable sentences
or paragraphs. For example:
"The article examines the relationship between employee
engagement and organizational performance. It found that engaged
employees tend to have higher job satisfaction and are more
committed to their organization, which leads to higher productivity,
customer satisfaction, and profitability. The article concludes that
organizations should focus on improving employee engagement to
enhance their overall performance."
27. 6. Paraphrase
Use your own words to restate the information in a concise
manner. For example:
"According to the article, there is a positive correlation between
employee engagement and organizational performance.
Engaged employees tend to be happier and more committed to
their organization, which can lead to increased productivity,
customer satisfaction, and profitability. Therefore,
organizations should prioritize improving employee
engagement to improve their overall performance."
28. 7. Use bullet points or numbered lists:
Use bullet points or numbered lists to present key points in a clear
and concise manner . For example:
• The article found a positive correlation between employee
engagement and organizational performance.
• Engaged employees have higher job satisfaction and are more
committed to their organization.
• Employee engagement leads to higher productivity, customer
satisfaction, and profitability.
• Organizations should focus on improving employee engagement to
enhance their overall performance.
29. 8. Check for Accuracy:
Double-check your summary to make sure that you have accurately
represented the author's ideas and arguments. Make sure that you
have not omitted any important details or misrepresented any of the
author's arguments.
31. "The study found that there was a
significant correlation between smoking
and lung cancer. The correlation was
stronger in men than in women and
increased with the number of cigarettes
smoked per day. The study also found
that quitting smoking can significantly
reduce the risk of lung cancer."
32. Summary
Thesis Statement
The study found a
significant correlation
between smoking and
lung cancer.
Paraphrase
The study showed that smoking is
strongly correlated with lung cancer,
particularly in men and those who smoke
more cigarettes per day. However,
quitting smoking can significantly reduce
the risk of lung cancer.
Key points
• Correlation stronger in men
than women
• Correlation increased with
number of cigarettes
smoked per day
• Quitting smoking can
reduce the risk of lung
cancer.
33. In the example above, we have identified the
thesis statement of the original text and
highlighted the key points that support it. We
have then paraphrased the information in a
concise manner to create a summary that
accurately captures the main ideas of the text.