ANALYZE AND SUMMARIZE THIS VIDEO

SUMMARIZING ACADEMIC TEXTS

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES
ACADEMIC SUMMARY

An academic summary tells the main points of a source text in brief

form. As a condensed version of the source material, it can range
anywhere from a couple of sentences to a short summary article,
depending on the length of the source and your purposes for writing. In
writing a summary, you need to select the most important points of the
source text and report on (vs. react to) them using your own words. You
can combine several important points from the source into a brief
general statement, or go more in depth and relate minor points as well,
again depending on the purpose of your summary.
 Experts suggest, however, that a good rule of thumb to
follow is that a summary is never more than about one-
quarter the length of the original, though in most cases it
is much briefer. Also, keep in mind that a summary must
always be written in your own words, or if not, should
contain direct quotations. To ignore this rule is
plagiarism.
SOME PURPOSES AND USES OF SUMMARIES:

preparing for exams

taking notes on your readings
collecting and condensing information for research
papers
integrating sources into your writing
A GOOD ACADEMIC SUMMARY SUCCEEDS WHEN IT DOES THE
FOLLOWING:

It identifies the author and the source (book or article). A summary

typically contains this information in the first sentence. Expressions
you can use to introduce this information include: According to
[the author]. . . .; In his/her book [title], [the author] states that . . .
.
It gives credit to the author throughout. To make it clear that the
ideas presented are the authors and not your own, you should
frequently use signals like [The author] also states that . . . .
 It begins by offering a broad overview of the material (one or
two sentences), which is then developed in more detail in the
body of the summary.
It uses quotation marks and page references whenever a phrase,
a part of a sentence, or a complete sentence is taken directly
from the source text. But it also quotes selectively and
sparingly.
 It is brief, but thorough enough to accomplish its
purposes.
It is an accurate reflection of the authors
viewpoint throughout. Therefore, carefully reading
of the source is essential.
EXERCISES:

Read the following abstracts.

Find and explain the parts of a text.
Find and explain the topic sentence and sentences that support
the topic sentence.
Summarize the given text.
MARGARET C. ANDERSONS LITTLE REVIEW

This research looks at the work of Margaret C. Anderson, the editor of the Little
Review. The review published first works by Sherwood Anderson, James Joyce,
Wyndham Lewis, and Ezra Pound. This research draws upon mostly primary sources
including memoirs, published letters, and a complete collection of the Little Review.
Most prior research on Anderson focuses on her connection to the famous writers
and personalities that she published and associated with. This focus undermines her
role as the dominant creative force behind one of the most influential little magazines
published in the 20th Century. This case example shows how little magazine
publishing is arguably a literary art.
SUBTYPE OF AUTISM: DEVELOPMENTAL VERBAL
DYSPRAXIA

The purpose of this research is to identify a subtype of autism called Developmental

Verbal Dyspraxia (DVD). DVD is a motor-speech problem, disabling oral-motor
movements needed for speaking. The first phase of the project involves a screening
interview where we identify DVD and Non-DVD kids. We also use home videos to
validate answers on the screening interview. The final phase involves home visits
where we use several assessments to confirm the childs diagnosis and examine the
connection between manual and oral motor challenges. By identifying DVD as a
subtype of Autism, we will eliminate the assumption that all Autistics have the same
characteristics. This will allow for more individual consideration of Autistic people
and may direct future research on the genetic factors in autism.
THE TONY HAWK LEARNING PROJECT

The study is to show how even a sport video game can incorporate many types of
learning, to call attention to what might be overlooked as significant forms of
learning, and to understand and take advantage of the opportunities video games
afford as more deliberate learning environments. The aspects explored are the skills
and techniques required to be successful in the game, the environment that skaters
skate in, the personal vs. group identity that is shown through the general appearance
of the skater, and the values and icons that the game teaches players. We are finding
that sport video games support learning; we hope to find how one learns about
oneself as a learner from playing.