BBI2424 ACADEMIC WRITING

SEMESTER 1, 2016/2017
LECTURE NOTES 4 (WEEK 7 WEEK 8)

Topics included are:

1. Criteria of a good summary
2. Techniques for identifying main ideas
3. Steps on writing a summary

SUMMARISING ACADEMIC TEXTS

An academic summary is a restatement of main ideas and points. It is a condensed

version of a text which can range from a couple of sentences to a couple of pages. A
summary is an important skill in referencing. You need to show that you have
understood the materials and that you can use the authors ideas and findings in
your own way to support your claims in writing. A summary must always be written in
your own words, or if not, should contain direct quotations. You must be careful not
to copy the exact wording of the original source. To ignore this rule is plagiarism.

FOUR CRITERIA OF A GOOD SUMMARY

In academic writing, a summary has four important criteria:

1. A good summary acknowledges the original author.

It refers to the writer and/or the title of the work in a formal way

It presents the writers idea objectively without your interpretation or

opinion

2. A good summary contains only the most important information.

The topic (the general subject of the article)

The main point that the author makes about that topic (the thesis)
The key ideas that support or explain the thesis

3. A good summary is much shorter than the original writing.

A one-sentence summary describes only the authors thesis or the

main idea

A fuller summary explains both the thesis and the main supporting
points

4. A good summary consists of paraphrases of any information taken from

the original writing.

A paraphrase shows that you understand what the author is saying

TWO TECHNIQUES FOR IDENTIFYING MAIN IDEAS FOR A SUMMARY

One of the challenges of summarising is that we must choose which information to
include, keeping in mind the principles of being complete and objective. You can
choose one of the two techniques that follow to help you identify the main ideas in an
article.

TECHNIQUE 1: UNDERLINING KEY IDEAS

1. Read the article completely several times to develop a basic understanding of
the main ideas presented.
2. With a highlighter, mark each idea in the article that you believe is important.

Often, although not always, you will find that each paragraph has a key
sentence. It is often the first or last sentence in a paragraph.

Look for key words that are repeated throughout the article. These repeated
words and phrases will help you identify main ideas.

If you find that you have highlighted most or all of the sentences in a paragraph,
you may be highlighting supporting details rather than main ideas.

If so, go back and underline only the main ideas in the sentences that you
highlighted.

3. When your highlighting is done, read each sentence again to make sure
you understand the ideas.
4. Then you can use the chunking method to paraphrase the highlighted sentences.
5. You can use these paraphrased ideas as your summary.

TECHNIQUE 2: SUMMARY GRID

Sometimes it is helpful to lay out your notes in a visual way. Using a grid is one
way to help organise the information in an article.
1. Use a grid to take notes on each paragraph or a section of a paragraph.

Writing main ideas and supporting details in separate columns is a good

way to help distinguish between the two

2. Use your notes to create a summary of your article.

Remember that a summary focuses on main ideas. Details are usually

excluded in the summaries. In some cases, a specific example from the article
might be included

3. Here is an example of a summary grid created by a student after reading an article

on the negative aspects of drinking bottled water.

Example of Summary Grid

Paragraph (s)
1

Main Idea
Bottled water may not be any safer
than tap water.

2-3

Bottled water manufacturers do not

have to disclose the source of their
water.

- Yosemite brand
comes from a Los
Angeles suburb
- Everest brand
comes from Texas

The EPA requires fewer contamination

tests for bottled water than city water.

- The FDA only tests

once a year or if
there is a complaint

Plastic bottles are a source of water

contamination.

- Bacteria develops
in bottles
- Chemicals leach
from plastic
material

Supporting Details

TWO STEPS FOR WRITING A SUMMARY

1. Write an introductory sentence or two that includes three pieces of information:

The name of the author(s)

The year which the information was published

The authors thesis or main idea

2. Describe the main ideas in your own words. This may be one or
more paragraphs, depending on the purpose of your summary.

INTRODUCING YOUR SUMMARY

You can choose how you want to arrange the information in your introduction. Below
are two possible styles of writing a summary:
Style 1: One sentence
Authors name (year of publication) claims (article thesis).

Example:
Pinker (2010) claims that both lab research and actual experience show that people
are incapable of doing several things at once; as an example of this fact, he
mentions the frequent sight of a person driving dangerously while using a cell phone.

Style 2: Two Sentences

(Name of author) writes about (article topic) in (his/her/their) article (name of article).
The second sentence of the summary introduction describes the thesis.

Example:
Pinker (2010) writes about the fallacy of multitasking in his article Mind Over Mass
Media. He says that both lab research and actual experience show that people are
incapable of doing several things at once; as an example, he highlights the frequent
sight of a person driving dangerously while using a cell phone.
5

EXERCISE 1
Read the excerpt below and summarise Warners idea on writing successfully in a
university. Add an in-text citation.
Source

Article

Author

Morley Warner

Date of publication

2001

Title

Academic Writing: A Guide to Writing in a University

Context

To write successfully at university, you need a sense of what the final product should
look and sound like. If possible read model assignments, or if these are not
available, study the way in which journal articles have been written in your field of
study. These articles maybe lengthy and some may be based on research rather
than discussion issues but from them you will get a sense of how academic writing
sounds, that is, its tone and how respected writers in your field assemble
information. This will enable you to build your writing skills.
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EXERCISE 2
Read the excerpt below and write a summary of the toxic danger of new cars. Add
an in-text citation.
Source
Author

:
:

Online article
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation in Australia (CSIRO)

Date of publication
Title

:
:

January 2001
Toxic Danger of New Cars

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Australia

(CSIRO) warned drivers and passengers of new cars that danger lies within their
brand new vehicles. It is not the soft fabric or leather, the shining new dashboard or
the designs of the sporty steering wheel that harbour the danger. It is the reassuring
smell of the new car that spells danger. The odour actually contains high levels of
toxic air emissions that can make the driver and passengers ill.
CSIRO conducted a comprehensive research on three cars. Drivers were asked to
keep logs on how they felt and reacted to the luxurious interiors of their cars. The
researchers also carried out observations on the reactions of the drivers and at the
same time interviewed them.
Evidence was therefore carefully gathered and analysed. The results revealed that
the very smell of a new car that captivates the new owner contains high levels of
toxic emissions. What is even more alarming is the fact that these toxic emissions
are present in cars even after 6 months or longer of leaving the showroom. The
study also revealed that drivers were becoming ill when they drove their new cars.
The toxic emissions contain many chemicals such as benzene that can cause
cancer and lung failure.
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EXERCISE 3
You are writing an article on the Impact of Cultural Diversity in the Workplace.
Summarise the excerpt below which will be used as supporting detail for the topic.
Add in-text citation.

Source

Journal Article

Author

Gillian Coote Martin

Date of Publication

December 2014

Title

The Effects Of Cultural Diversity In The Workplace

Cultural diversity in the workplace has grown as a trend over the passage of time
with the increase of globalisation in the world. A positive effect of cultural diversity in
the workplace is that employees belonging to different cultures usually have
different ways of thinking and can thus analyse a matter at hand from a variety of
perspectives. This is hard to achieve when employees belonging to the same
culture are asked to analyse the same matter. Employees coming from different
cultures have different experiences which can be beneficial by providing the
organisation with a sound and vast knowledge base. For example, a study
conducted on the impact and scope of cultural diversity in organisations in the UAE
showed that most of the workers agreed that group work with culturally diverse
people helps to overcome cultural differences through shared experiences when
working within a team.
Another positive effect of cultural diversity in the workplace is the increased
tendency of organisational personnel to overcome culture shock as the business
expands in other countries and becomes international. This is a very important
benefit derived from cultural diversity of the employees because many modern
companies have global expansion on their corporate agendas. With expansion into
other countries comes a range of obstacles including, but not limited to, gathering
information about local customs and laws in the foreign country, assessing risks
and designing strategies to overcome those risks. When an organisation has a
culturally diverse workforce, it can use the information and knowledge of the
individual workers to achieve these objectives and overcome the aforementioned
obstacles. For example, an American company trying to expand its business in
India can draw information about the Indian federal and provincial laws that apply to
the business, insurances required and applicable tax regulations from its workforce
of Indian nationality.

In addition, a culturally diverse working environment in organisations can drive

business growth and improve customer service by involving a diverse workforce.
This means making use of language skills, cultural information, knowledge of the
business networks and knowledge of the business market of the employees home
countries. With these key assets, organisations will have competitive advantages in
marketing goods and services to a growing migrant community as well as to the
global market. The Avon Company, for example, was able to turn around its
unprofitable inner city markets in the United States by putting African-American and
Hispanic managers in charge of marketing to these populations. Just as ethnic
minorities may prefer to work for employers who value diversity, they may also
prefer to buy from such organisations.

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