How To Make A Summary Of A Research Paper: A Quick Guide 

Summarizing a research paper is not as difficult as it may seem at first glance. Every research project consists of standard sections. Refer to every part consistently, create an outline on the basis of each of them, follow this outline, and you will definitely manage to make a clear and relevant summary. Take the following steps to be effective and not to miss important points.

  1. Rely on the abstract to build your summary.

    2. If the paper has an abstract, it simplifies the whole process. An abstract actually covers a whole project and concisely describes its key points. Rewrite the abstract in different wording and you will have a great summary.

  2. Create the introduction.

    3. If the abstract is missing for some reasons, start composing your summary on your own. Read the introduction carefully and refer to it to write introductory paragraph of your piece of writing. Explain what the purpose of the research is, share some aspects from background information on the issue, and be sure to include the thesis statement.

  3. Move on to the literature review section.

    4. Read the literature review and mention several arguments by other scholars for and against the author’s thesis.

  4. Analyze the methodology section.

    5. Specify the research methods (e.g. experiments, calculations, or the comparison of statistical data) and briefly explain why they were used.

  5. Go to the data analysis section.

    6. Concisely describe how the data were received and analyzed by the author.

  6. State the results.

    7. Mention all the results and findings (effects, the end products, or the experiment outcome) of the data analysis.

  7. Summarize the discussion section of the paper.

    8. Include the author’s information on how the research might be improved or how the scholars will benefit from it.

  8. Reword the author’s conclusion.

Remember to organize your summary in a proper style. Here are some tips on how to summarize the research paper smoothly and strongly:

  • Do not share your point of view on the paper. You should be objective and unbiased when transferring the meaning of the project into your own words.
  • Do not deviate from what was told in the paper. Stick to the point and avoid unnecessary comments. Write as brief as possible.
  • Use key words from the paper in your summary. Do not replace key notions with their synonyms.
  • Do not write in a first person when summarizing.
  • Write your summary in an academic tone that is similar to the style of the research project.