How to Summarize a Research Article

How to Summarize a Research Article

Research articles use a standard format to clearly communicate information about an

experiment. A research article usually has seven major sections: Title, Abstract,

Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, and References.

Determine your focus

The first thing you should do is to decide why you need to summarize the article. If the

purpose of the summary is to take notes to later remind yourself about the article you may

want to write a longer summary. However, if the purpose of summarizing the article is to

include it in a paper you are writing, the summary should focus on how the articles

relates specifically to your paper.

Reading the Article

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...