2.
4 Summary Writing
A summary is a statement or brief account that covers the main points of its subject matter.
Being able to summarise a source is an important communication skill that can help to persuade
the audience or direct their attention toward an important issue.
Types of Summaries
1. Executive Summary
This is a special type of summary that accompanies a lengthy report. The purpose is to provide
the mainq who may not have time to read the entire document. The executive summary is not a
separate deliverable or letter, but always accompanies, and is a part of, the longer report it
summarises.
2. Reading Summary (or abstract)
A reading summary condenses the main points of one article or text written by another
person(s). In business, the purpose is to give readers enough information to determine if they
want to read the entire article and to provide an overview. A reading summary usually does not
contain your evaluation or opinion of the article—only information from the article is included.
When writing a reading summary for a school assignment, your instructor will be looking for
your comprehension of the text, your skill at identifying the main points, and your ability to
write clearly and concisely.
3. Reading Summary with opinion (Analysis or Recommendation Report)
In some cases, you may be asked to summarise one or more texts and provide an opinion or
recommendation based on the information in the text(s). This is called an analysis or
recommendation report, rather than an abstract or reading summary (a plain reading summary
does not contain your opinion).
4. Research Findings Summary
This type of summary is a stand-alone report that summarises the findings of research you’ve
conducted, including information from multiple print documents, websites, interviews, surveys,
etc. This report includes your recommendation (if requested), as well as summaries of the main
points from your research that either led to your recommendation or, if a recommendation was
not requested, will allow someone else to make a decision. Depending on the type of research
conducted and your instructor’s requirements, you might include the background and/or reason
for the research, definitions of terms, pros and cons, benefits, drawbacks, costs, opinions from
experts, test results, etc. Include a bibliography of the sources you used. The audiences for this
type of summary are usually decision makers who have requested your expertise because they
do not have time to do the research themselves.
Summaries used in the workplace
Summaries can provide an effective method of communicating in the workplace. A useful
summary has a thesis and captures the main ideas of content in a way that's clear and concise to
coworkers and interested parties.
Summaries in the workplace can be used in these ways:
● Meeting minutes: Meeting minutes are notes that summarize the outcomes of a
meeting.
● Executive summaries: You can use these summaries in sales pitches, proposals and
project management documents.
● Email communication: Effective emails are brief and straightforward. Summarizing
content in email can help you keep your digital communication productive.
● Texting and other communication platforms: Sometimes, work occurs over text
messaging or another communication platform. In these cases, using a summary of
longer content can help you engage your readers.
● Board presentations: Successful presentations with interested parties rely on
presenters who can concisely summarise what's happening in business operations.
● Crisis management and resolution: When a crisis occurs, it's important to act fast to
resolve it. Sometimes that means refining lengthy communications to the most
important concepts to help a team resolve an issue.
How to write a summary
1. Read or listen to the source content
Go through the original source more than once, if you can access it. Going through the
source material multiple times can help you better understand the purpose and message
of the source. Take notes on the source to outline key points. The better you know the
source, the easier it may be to write a compelling summary of it.
2. Develop a thesis statement
A thesis statement is a sentence or two that explains the primary message of a work. To
find out the thesis of a source, think about what the author's main argument, goal or
theme is. Then, translate it into your own words. Use your thesis to describe the entirety
of the source material as briefly as possible.
3. Divide the content into main ideas
Break up your source material into sections. For example, you might divide the material
into different pieces of evidence that support the thesis statement. Try to understand the
main idea or topic of each section and how it relates to your thesis, and organize them so
there's a clear transition between each idea.
4. Write a draft of your summary from your notes
Using your thesis and your outline, write the first draft of your summary in a way that
logically connects each of your sections and main ideas. Try removing parts that don't
relate strongly to the thesis to keep your summary between 200 and 500 words. When
you write your draft, write it in your own language without referring back to the source
material.
5. Check your draft for accuracy
If you have access to your source material, compare it to your summary. Take notes on
the differences and ask yourself if the summary is a good representation of the source.
Check if it's missing anything important or if there are any unnecessary details.
6. Revise and edit your work for style and quality
Adjust your draft based on your notes on how your summary compared to the source.
During this step, you can also double-check that your work meets the elements of an
effective summary listed above and that it's free of grammatical and clerical errors.
Doing so can ensure you're delivering a summary that sounds professional.
