Guidelines for writing a SUMMARY with IN-TEXT CITATIONS The purpose of a summary is to give the reader, in a about 1/3

of the original length of an article/lecture, a clear, objective picture of the original lecture or text. Most importantly, the summary restates only the main points of a text or a lecture without giving examples or details, such as dates, numbers or statistics. Before writing the summary: 1. For a text, read, mark, and annotate the original. (For a lecture, work with the notes you took.) o highlight the topic sentence o highlight key points/key words/phrases o highlight the concluding sentence o outline each paragraph in the margin 2. Take notes on the following: o the source (author--first/last name, title, date of publication, volume number, place of publication, publisher, URL, etc.) o the main idea of the original (paraphrased) o the major supporting points (in outline form) o major supporting explanations (e.g. reasons/causes or effects) Writing your summary--Steps:

1. Organize your notes into an outline which includes main ideas and supporting points but no examples or details (dates, numbers, statistics). 2. Write an introductory paragraph that begins with a frame, including an in-text citation of the source and the author as well as a reporting verb to introduce the main idea.

ARTICLE:

In his/her article (or lecture) "________________________, _____________________ (year) (title, first letter capitalized) (author/lecturer's last name) argues/claims/reports/contends/maintains/sta tes that ____________________________. (main idea/argument; S + V + C) Example: In his article "Michael Dell turns the PC world inside out," Andrew E. Serwer (1997) describes how Michael Dell founded Dell Computers and claims that Dells low-cost, directsales strategy and high quality standards account for Dells enormous success.

BOOK:

In his book The Pearl, John Steinbeck (1945) illustrates the fight between good and evil in humankind.

INTERVIEW:

In my interview with him/her (date), __________________(first name, last name) stated that .... Reporting Verbs: STRONG ARGUMENT NEUTRAL COUNTERARGUMENT SUGGESTION CRITICISM

refute argue state the suggest criticize claim argue claim report recommend against contend explain maintain discuss insist illustrate posit Other examples of frames:

According to ___________________ (year), ____________________________________ ____. (author's last name) (main idea; S + V + C) ___________'s article on ______________ (year) discusses the ____________________. (author's last name) (topic) (main idea; Noun Phrase) __________________, in his/her article, "________________" argues that _______________________. (author's last name, year) (title of article) (main idea; S + V + C)

3. The main idea or argument needs to be included in this first sentence. Then mention the major aspects/factors/reasons that are discussed in the article/lecture. Give a full reference for this citation at the end of the summary (see #6. below). a. For a one-paragraph summary, discuss each supporting point in a separate sentence. Give 1-2 explanations for each supporting point, summarizing the information from the original.

b. For a multi-paragraph summary, discuss each supporting point in a separate paragraph. Introduce it in the first sentence (topic sentence). Example: The first major area in which women have become a powerful force is politics. 4. Support your topic sentence with the necessary reasons or arguments raised by the author/lecturer but omit all references to details, such as dates or statistics. 5. Use discourse markers that reflect the organization and controlling idea of the original, for example cause-effect, comparison-contrast, classification, process, chronological order, persuasive argument, etc. 6. In a longer summary, remind your reader that you are summarizing by using "summary reminder phrases," such as o The author goes on to say that ... o The article (author) further states that ... o (Author's last name) also states/maintains/argues that ... o (Author's last name) also believes that ... o (Author's last name) concludes that 7. Restate the articles/lecturers conclusion in one sentence.

8. Give a full reference for the citation (see the example below for the in-text citations in #2). For citing electronic sources, please see Citation of Electronic Resources. References Serwer, A. (1997, Sept. 8). Michael Dell Turns the PC World Inside out. Fortune, 76-86. Steinbeck, J. (1945). The Pearl. New York: Penguin Books. Sample summaries: A Summary of "National Security Justifies Censorship" by Roger S. Thomas Introduction The article "National Security Justifies Censorship" by Elmo R. Zumwalt and James G. Zumwalt, appears in Censorship, a book in the Opposing Viewpoints Series. The article asserts that information that is secret and vital to the security of the nation should not be released to the press. The arguments made by Zumwalt Senior and Junior are summarized below. Summary

Although many journalists contend that the First Amendment guarantees unrestricted printing freedom, the authors believe the press has gained more power than the framers of the Constitution foresaw and therefore neglected to install safe guards that would protect national security. According to the authors, the power of the media has gone far past what the constitutional framers expected; consequently, several acts since the writing of the Constitution have been implemented to deal with the lack of protection regarding national security. The authors continue to affirm that even though significant risk exists when confidential information is released to the press, this danger has remained unresolved by the courts. The authors cite an example to prove this point. The CIA during the Reagan administration recognized Muhamar Quadaffi as a known terrorist and a potential threat to national security in a classified document. The Washington Post somehow had the document disclosed to them, and they soon published the information. Several months after the operation had been abandoned, the CIA found Quadaffi responsible for the bombing of a West Berlin discotheque. Military action had to be taken because of the earlier release of the classified document. The operation incurred military casualties. The authors then offer a two-part solution: (1) make the publication of classified information a punishable

offense, and (2) incorporate a "code of ethics" into media guidelines that safeguards national security. The paper ends by discussing how ethics are the responsibility of good journalism. Conclusion Elmo R. Zumwalt and James G. Zumwalt assert that the media are overpowered and the national security is underprotected. They believe that the government and the media must take steps to assure a disaster does not occur. Sample 2: In the short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," author James Thurber humorously presents a character who fantasizes about himself as a hero enduring incredibly challenging circumstances. In his real life, Walter Mitty lives an ordinary, plain life; he is a husband under the control of an overbearing, critical wife. Thurber uses lively dialogue to give readers an understanding of Mitty's character. The story takes place over a period of about twenty minutes; during this brief time, Mitty drives his wife to the hairdresser and runs errands that his wife has given him while he waits for her. In between his worrying that he is not doing what she wants him to do, he daydreams about himself as a great surgeon, brilliant repair technician, expert marksman, and

brave military captain. This story shows that fantasy is often a good alternative to reality.