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Writing Summaries
Handout #006

“When summarizing source material you must be accurate; objective; focus on main ideas only, avoid including details and examples; and strive to be concise. Also, as with quotations and paraphrasing, you must frame your summaries and document the source being summarized.”
    --Writing@CSU

When you write a summary of a book or article, your task is to capture the author’s main idea in your own words. Depending on the purpose of a summary, it could be as short as two words as in, “Harris (2002) agrees.” Or, it might be as long a paragraph.

In Using Sources Effectively, Robert A. Harris (2002) provides excellent examples of how to summarize, using summaries in your paper, and documenting summarized passages so as to avoid plagiarism. His book is available in the Learning Assistance Center as well as in the Schoolcraft College bookstore. Or it can be ordered directly from the publisher.

Additional information on how to write a summary is available on-line at

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Avoiding Plagiarism

Some people are under the mistaken notion that a summary does not require a citation. When you summarize another writer's thoughts or ideas, you are required to have an appropriate citation.


References and Resources

blue bullet used to denote item in a listHarris, Robert A. “Summarizing.” Using Sources Effectively: Strengthening Your Writing and Avoiding Plagiarism. Los Angeles: Pyrczak Publishing, 2002. p. 55-59. (A second edition of this book is now available, but we have not reviewed it yet.)

blue bullet used to denote item in a listWriters’ Workshop. “Writing Summaries nd. University of Illinois.

blue bullet used to denote item in a listWriting Center. “Summaries nd. University College of the Fraser Valley.

blue bullet used to denote item in a listWriting@CSU. How to Summarize Effectively nd. Colorado State University.


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This page was last updated on November 12, 2004.
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