Summarizing

1
Summarizing

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Qualities of a Good Summary

• Accurate and fair to the piece summarized
• Clear to someone who hasnt read the piece
• Short and concise
• Unplagiarized (i.e., in your own words)
• Descriptive with attributive tags (e.g., In a
  1991 article in American Psychologist, Professor
  Stephanie Riger argues . She claims . Riger
  cites . says Riger .)

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The Process (Writing Arguments, pp. 30-35)

• Determine the main point of the piece.
• Write does and says statements for each
  paragraph.
• Determine major sections of the piece.
• Rewrite main points of the piece in your own
  words.
• Revise and edit.