Definition, Purpose, Rules, and Techniques inSummarizing Academic Texts

1. Definition, Purpose, Rules
and Techniques in
Summarizing Academic
Texts
Prepared by:
Ana Mae F. dela Torre

2. Definition of Summarizing
• Buckley (2004)
Summarizing is reducing text to one-third or one-quarter
its original size, clearly articulating the author’s meaning,
and retaining main ideas.
• Diane Hacker(2008)
Summarizing involves stating a work’s thesis and main
ideas “simply, briefly, and accurately”

3. Basic Rules:
1. Erase things that don’t matter.
2. Only write down important points.
3. Erase things that repeat.
4. Trade, general terms for specific names.
5. Use your own words to write the summary.

4. Erase things that don’t matter.
DO NOT INCLUDE TRIVIAL THINGS.

5. Only write down important points.
If you had to pay money for every word
you write down, which words would you
choose to include in your notes?

6. Erase things that repeat.
Delete redundant material.

7. Trade, general terms for specific
names.
Focus on the big picture.
Example:
daisies

8. Use your own words to write the
summary.
1. Do not just copy the sentences
from the original text.
2. Do not inject your opinion in your
summary.

9. Techniques in Summarizing

10. Outlining
I. Main Idea
A. Supporting Details
B. Supporting Details
II. Main Idea
A. Supporting Details
B. Supporting Details

11. Somebody Wanted But So Then.
• Somebody—Who is the text about?
• Wanted—What did the main character want?
• But—What was the problem encountered?
• So—How was the problem solved?
• Then—How did it end?

12. SAAC Method.
•State the name of the article, book, movie
•Assign the name of the author
•Action—what the author is doing (ex. Tells, explains)
•Complete the sentence or summary with keywords and
important details.

13. .5W’s, 1 H
• Who is the text about?
• What did he/she do?
• When/Where did it happen?
• Why did he/she do it?
• How did he/she do what he/she did?

14. First Then Finally
• First– What happened first?
• Then– What key details took place during the
event/action?
• Finally– What were the results of the event/action?

15. First Then Finally
• First– What happened first?
• Then– What key details took place during the
event/action?
• Finally– What were the results of the event/action?

16. Assessment

17. Use own words to write the
summary.

18. Include trivial details in the
summary.

19. A summary should be a
word or two.

20. One’s summary may contain
one’s opinion of the text.

21. Cover main points and key
ideas.

22. Erase repetitive ideas.

23. Use specific names instead
of general terms.

24. A summary should be a
paragraph long.

25. Examples should be written
in a summary.

26. Vagueness is acceptable in
a summary.