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 of the study address the research questions?
• How convincing are the results? Are any of the results surprising?
• What does this study contribute toward answering the original question?
• What aspects of the original question remain unanswered?
Plagiarism. Plagiarism is always a risk when summarizing someone else’s work. To
avoid it:
• Take notes in your own words. Using short notes or summarizing key points in
your own words forces you to rewrite the ideas into your own words later.
• If you find yourself sticking closely to the original language and making only
minor changes to the wording, then you probably don't understand the study
