SUMMARIZING SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES

SUMMARIZE A SCIENTIFIC PAPER

Abstracts usually contains four kinds of information

Four kinds of information in an Abstract

AN ABSTRACT SHOULD GIVE AN OVERVIEW[1] OF THE AUTHOR'S ARTICLE, AND ITS MAIN IDEAS.

GOOD NOTE-TAKING SAVES YOU AND HELPS CLARIFY YOUR THOUGHTS

READ THE ARTICLE

Read the article two or three times

Read the article two or three times to get it right. Read it slowly to make sure you absorb the information. If you have any questions, stop and write them in the margins. On your second reading, try to find the answers to your questions to improve your understanding of the text. Finally, read the article a third time so you can write notes or summaries.

If possible, read them aloud to help you process the information.

Remarque

By reading the article several times, you will help yourself gain a better understanding of the ideas being discussed. It is difficult to fully understand an article on first reading.

Write notes in the margins in your own words

Think about what the passage says or what you think the author means. Then write your thoughts and interpretation of the text in the margins of the article. Be sure to use your own words. Don't just rearrange the words of the text or paragraph. You can write short sentences or fragments instead of full sentences.

Conseil

By writing notes in your own words, you will avoid plagiarism when writing your summary

Write a one-sentence summary for each section of the article

Read each section of the article, then stop and think about what the author meant. Identify the main point and the points that support each section. Summarize them in one sentence.

WRITE A DRAFT

Start the introduction with an overview

Tell your reader who wrote the article, what their qualifications are, and what the title of the article is. Then quickly explain what the article is about and why it is important .

Summarize each main point in one sentence

The short one-line note you wrote in the margins of the article. Take the main point out of it, then write a sentence that summarizes what the author is saying. Do this for each section of article .

An abstract should be one page or less. For a short summary, you will write a long paragraph or an introduction, a main paragraph and a conclusion.

Give two or three examples

Give two or three examples that support each main point. The details that will support your thesis are examples that the author presents to support their ideas. Identify two or three of these examples for each main idea. Then write one or two sentences for a summary or two to four sentences for a longer summary

Explain the research methods

Research methods are steps that the author uses to conduct his study. Describe the structure of the research, the process and how the results are measured. If the research involves subjects, identify them and the activities they had to perform. Be specific about how the author obtained their data.

Describe the results and conclusions

The results include data or information that the author learned during his research, and the conclusions include the ideas he has drawn from his research. Explain the research results, the analysis provided by the author and the conclusions drawn. In addition, also explain the author's call to action, if there is one.

Conclude the summary

Conclude the summary by reaffirming the thesis and its meaning. Write a two to three sentence conclusion for your summary. In the first sentence, reaffirm the thesis you announced at the end of the introduction. Then, quickly state that the author's ideas are important in this area.

FINALIZE THE SUMMARY

Correct mistakes and improve your summary

Correct mistakes and improve your summary. Make changes based on the feedback you received and the directions given to you. Rewrite the passages you need to improve. In addition, correct any grammatical errors, typos, and spelling mistakes that you found during your proofreading.

Compare your abstract to the original article

Compare your abstract to the original article. Reread the article again, then reread your summary. Make sure the latter is an accurate reflection of what the author says in their article. In addition, check that your abstract covers the thesis, main points and ideas of the article. Finally, delete the sentences that reflect your own analysis or your personal opinions.

Conseil

Do not include your own ideas, analysis or opinions in the summary. Focus only on the author's ideas.

  1. OVERVIEW

    An overview is a general summary of something. An overview gives the big picture, while leaving out the minor details.

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