How To Summarize A Research Paper

Summarising a research paper is a skill that requires reading, thinking and condensing complex ideas into a clear and concise story which are all part of academic writing. This involves identifying the key bits of the paper – the main arguments, methodology, findings and conclusions – and leaving out the waffle. The aim is to get the essence of the research across in a way that is both accurate and easy to understand without losing the original work.

Before you summarise, read the research paper at least twice. The first time to get the general idea and the second time to get into the specifics – the purpose of the study, the research question, the methodology. Highlighting and taking notes during these reads will help you when summarising. A good summary shows you understand the material and gets across the main arguments and findings without distortion.

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What is a Research Paper?

A research paper summary is a short summary that gets across the gist of a research paper in a clear story. It aims to get across the findings and key points of the research to the audience. Unlike an abstract which is at the beginning of a research paper, a summary is written at the end. The purpose of a research paper summary is to provide an objective snapshot of the research without analysis or criticism. This requires you to understand the content of the paper and be able to get it across in a nutshell.

Before You Summarise a Research Paper

Before you start writing a research paper summary, read the whole research paper. This means not just glance through but understand the purpose, methodology, results and conclusions. Start by taking notes on the abstract, introduction and conclusion as these sections will guide your understanding of the research. Don’t miss out any part of the paper; every section is part of the story. Find the thesis statement, key findings and main points. This will help you write a tight summary that gets across the original work.

How to Summarise a Research Paper

To summarise a research paper:

1. Read the Whole Research Paper: Read the whole research paper to get the main points. Take notes as you go along to get the gist of each section.
2. Find the Key Bits: Find the thesis statement, key findings and main points. These are the bits you need to get across.
3. Write in Your Own Words: Write a short summary of the main points in your own words. No opinions and no plagiarism.
4. Get to the Point: Describe the key bits in brief. No waffle.
5. Start Writing: Start writing by stating the author’s thesis statement and main points. This sets up the rest of the summary.
6. Use Connectors: Use connectors to link the main points together.
7. Edit and Proof: Finally edit and proof to make sure it’s accurate, concise and error free. This is the most important step to preserve the original work.

By following these steps you can write a research paper summary that gets across the author’s work and the main points of the paper.

What to Capture in a Summary

A good summary should capture the essence of the research paper including the hypothesis, theoretical framework and the significance of the study. One of the hardest bits is to condense the methodology into a few sentences without making it sound too simplistic. The methods are the foundation of the research so you need to get them across clearly but briefly. Similarly the findings and conclusions must be accurate to preserve the original work. Include the author’s thesis statement and a brief statement of the conclusions to make sure the summary gets across the main purpose of the paper. Don’t use direct quotes and instead paraphrase the content while keeping the meaning.

Objectivity is also important when summarising a research paper. The purpose of a summary is not to critique or interpret the findings but to give a neutral and brief overview of the work. Knowing your audience is just as important. For example a summary for specialists in the field might include technical details while one for a general audience would focus on the bigger picture.

Practice is Key to Master Summarisation

Like any skill summarising research papers requires practice and time. Beginners struggle to know what to include and what to leave out. With time and consistent effort it becomes more automatic. One of the key skills to develop is to be able to identify and articulate the author’s thesis statement which is the base of summarising the main points. Reading different research papers across various fields can also help you to identify key elements and understand different writing styles. Practicing this skill not only improves your academic performance but also helps you to communicate complex ideas better.

And finally review your summaries for accuracy and clarity. Compare it with the original paper to make sure all the main points are covered and the research is intact. Summarising is a skill that goes beyond academics and is useful in professional and everyday life where brevity is key.