To make the text more manageable and understand its sub-points, break it down into smaller parts. If the text is a scientific paper that follows a standard empirical structure, it is probably already organized into clearly marked sections, usually including an introduction, methods, results, and discussion. Other types of articles may not be explicitly divided into sections.
#A long way down book summary series#īut most articles and essays will be structured around a series of sub-points or themes.
Try writing a word or phrase in the margin next to each paragraph that describes the paragraph’s content. Then you can see at a glance what each part of the article focuses on.
Step 3: Identify the key points in each section If several paragraphs cover similar or related topics, you may group them together in sections. What does your reader need to know to understand the overall argument or conclusion of the article? Now it’s time go through each part and pick out its most important points.
Keep in mind that a summary does not involve paraphrasing every single paragraph of the article.