How to Summarise Information

Read the Article/Information

When reading the article, make sure you:

Allow enough time. Before you can write about the research, you have to understand it. This can often take a lot longer than most people realize. Only when you can clearly explain the study in your own words to someone who hasn’t read the article are you ready to write about it.

Scan the article first. If you try to read a new article from start to finish, you'll get bogged down in detail. Instead, use your knowledge of APA format to find the main points. Briefly look at each section to identify:

• the research question and reason for the study (stated in the Introduction)
• the hypothesis or hypotheses tested (Introduction)
• how the hypothesis was tested (Method)
• the findings (Results, including tables and figures)
• how the findings were interpreted (Discussion)

Underline key sentences or write the key point (e.g. hypothesis, design) of each paragraph in the margin. Although the abstract can help you to identify the main points, you cannot rely on it exclusively, because it contains very condensed information. Remember to focus on the parts of the article that are most relevant.

Read for depth, read interactively. After you have highlighted the main points, read each section several times. As you read, ask yourself these questions:

• How does the design of the study address the research questions?
• How convincing are the results? Are any of the results surprising?
• What does this study contribute toward answering the original question?
• What aspects of the original question remain unanswered?

Plagiarism. Plagiarism is always a risk when summarizing someone else’s work. To avoid it:

• Take notes in your own words. Using short notes or summarizing key points in your own words forces you to rewrite the ideas into your own words later.
• If you find yourself sticking close to the original language and making only minor changes to the wording, then you probably don't understand the study.

Writing the Summary

Like an abstract in a published research article, the purpose of an article summary is to give the reader a brief overview of the study. To write a good summary, identify what information is important and condense that information for your reader. The better you understand a subject, the easier it is to explain it thoroughly and briefly.

Use the same order as in the article itself. Adjust the length accordingly depending on the content of your particular article and how you will be using the summary.

• State the research question and explain why it is interesting.
• State the hypotheses tested.
• Briefly describe the methods (design, participants, materials, procedure, what was manipulated [independent variables], what was measured [dependent variables], how data were analyzed.
• Describe the results. Were they significant?
• Explain the key implications of the results. Avoid overstating the importance of the findings.
• The results, and the interpretation of the results, should relate directly to the hypothesis.

Click here to view a video that explains how to summarise information.