How to writing an Journal Article Summary

1. Read the article.
   

2. Re-read the article. Underline important ideas. Circle key terms. Find the main point of the article. Divide the article into sections or stages of thought, and label each section or stage of thought in the margins. Note the main idea of each paragraph if the article is short.
   

3. Write brief summaries of each stage of thought or if appropriate each paragraph. Use a separate piece of paper for this step. This should be a
   brief outline of the article.
   

4. Write the main point of the article. Use your own words. This should be a sentence that expresses the central idea of the article as you have determined it the from steps above.
   

5. Write your rough draft of the summary. Combine the information from the first four steps into paragraphs.

   NOTE: Include all the important ideas. Use the author's key words. Follow the original organization where possible. Include any important data. Include any important conclusions.

6. Edit your version. Be concise. Eliminate needless words and repetitions.
   (Avoid using "the author says...," "the author argues...," etc.)
   

7. Compare your version to the original.

   	Do not use quotations, but if you use them be sure to quote correctly. Indicate quotations with quotation marks. Cite each quotation correctly (give the page number).
   	Do not plagiarize. Cite any paraphrases by citing the page number the information appears on. Avoid paraphrasing whenever possible. Use your own words to state the ideas presented in the article. (Adapted from Writing Across the Curriculum 4th edition, L. Behrens and L. Rosen, eds., 1991, Harper/Collins, pp. 6-7.)

In the summary, you should include only the information your readers need.

1. State the main point first.
   

2. Use a lower level of technicality than the authors of the original article use. Do not write a summary your readers cannot understand.
   

3. Make the summary clear and understandable to someone who has not read the original article. Your summary should stand on its own.
   

4. Write a summary rather than a table of contents.
   Wrong: This article covers point X. Then the article covers point Y.
   Right: Glacial advances have been rapid as shown by x, y, and z.
   (see sample)

5. Add no new data and none of your own ideas.
   

6. Use a simple organization:

   	main point
   	main results: give the main results See sample
   	conclusions/recommendations

7. Unless the examples in the article are essential, do not include the examples in your summary. If you include them, remember to explain them.

Here is an easy way to begin a summary: In "[name of article]" [author] states . . . . [State the main point of the article first.] For example: In "Computer Chess"* Hans Berliner states that the CYBER 170 series computer can perform well in a chess tournament.

Cite the source with correct bibliographic form.
*Berliner, H.J. (1981). Computer Chess. Nature, 274(567), 745-748.
[ author. article title. journal title. vol(number)/month: pages. ]

So when you write a summary:

1. State the main point first.
2. Emphasize the main stages of though.
3. State the article’s conclusion.
4. Summarize rather than give a table of contents.

   Example:
   Wrong:
   This article covers the topic of measuring the extent of global deforestation. The article discusses reasons for concern, the technique, the results, and the project’s current goal.
   Right:
   According to the author of “Seeing the Forest,” the extent of global deforestation was difficult to measure until satellite remote sensing techniques were applied. Measuring the extent of global deforestation is important because of concerns about global warming and species extinctions. The technique compares old infrared LANDSAT images with new images. The authors conclude the method is accurate and cost effective.
   

5. Keep summary short: 3 to 7 sentences.