The Role of Text Summarization in Academic Writing and Research

the role of text summarization in academic writing

Text summarization is an Achilles heel for many college students. It requires analytical as well as writing skills to showcase their talent. The summary of an essay is located at the end and provides the Acquiring competency to use the summary in your research and academic writing appropriately is key to success. Hiring the essay writing service is the best way forward when going through such a difficult task.

What is Text Summarization and Why Students Need to Learn this Technique?

Before we discuss the role of summarization, it’s important to know what it does and how students can benefit from it. Text summarization or a summary is a short and easy narration of a complex idea, topic, article or book. It breaks down an essay’s important points and gives the audience a general idea about the topic.

Writing a summary requires students to study and write down all the lengthy and complex details. Then they have to make it simpler and jargon-free so the audience gets to know it without going through the complications.

This process is so delicate and demands expertise that students need months and years to master. Since it’s an essential part of academic writing, students have to learn and master it by all means so they can be awarded top grades.

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Steps to Learning the Art and Science of Text Summarization

There are many steps to learn before you become an expert in writing text summaries of academic writings and research. These steps will provide you with a framework on which all the actions will be taken following the requirements of summarization. Let’s get to know the step-by-step approach when writing a summary.

Read the Text from an Article, Book, or a Chapter

The first step students must take is to read the text from the selected book, an article or a chapter to initiate the process. Each selection will present a unique challenge for you when you select them. For example, article summaries are short and less time-consuming because an article is short and will be based on just one point of discussion.

On the contrary, a book summary is extensive and lengthy for most parts. It requires you to read the entire context and then formulate the summary. You can read the context in many ways without going into lengthy reading sessions. These techniques are mentioned below.

Examples of Chapter Text Summarization

l.Chapter 7 Summary Lord of The Flies


Chapter 7 of lord of the Flies deals with a group of boys stranded on an island. They traveled towards the mountain, and Ralph looked at the ocean and thought they were all stranded there and couldn’t escape the island. Simon asks other boys to go to the height to look for a ship or help, but they return hopeless.


ll.Chapter 2 Summary Lord of The Flies


Chapter 2 is about boys wanting to keep order between them. They choose Ralph, and he tries to control and make them happy. Other boys discover other sources of food and fresh water that they can use. Jack develops an idea that a beast is living on the island, which terrifies the group. Eventually, they decided to build a fire signal that could be used for rescue purposes.

Example of Book Text Summarization

How it Feels to Float Summary


“How it Feels to Float” is written by novelist Helena Fox. The story focuses on a 17 years old girl named Biz. Her father left her, and she started developing mental health issues. The story provides a retrospective view of a girl suffering and surviving from anxiety, depression and loneliness.


  • Scan, Skim and Read

The best reading technique is to do it from multiple ways so there’s a minimum chance of deviation or failure. The first thing you should do is scan the text from the paragraph. It will give you a quick glimpse of how many sentences and headings are used in it. It will also help you to know how lengthy the paragraph or article is.

The second technique of effective reading is to skim the entire content. Skimming means reading the entire first sentence of a passage and the last one. It will show you what is the starting point and where the argument is ending. Skimming is the best method when you have a lengthy task and less time to complete it.

The other method is simply reading the content and evaluating an author’s approach toward its topic. After you complete the two ways mentioned above, reading will be easy and more understandable. After going through these methods, you’ve completed the first part of the summarizing process.

Divide the Entire Content in to Section

The second step of writing a text summary is to divide your content into different sections. Typically these sections or parts are already divided into such introduction, body paragraph and conclusion. If you are summarizing a paragraph, then you can divide the paragraph according to the context. The division of the content may entail the following sections ;

  • Problem

  • Consequences of the problem

  • Solution

Dividing the content makes it more understandable for you and helps in accurately summarizing its content. If your assignment is making a text summary on writing a research paper then you can divide the entire essay into meaningful short sections. This way, you can easily understand the contents and compose an impactful summarization.

Highlight the Important Parts and Findings of the Section

The third part of writing a valuable summary highlights the main parts of the section you chose for the assignment. Important parts are main points; your summary should be based on one. Students must note these points because they must present them in their assignments.

Similarly, it would help if you didn’t try to copy the same statements and findings in the article, paragraph or book. Always present the write-up in your own words and research. A unique summarized version of the topic ensures your work effectively fulfils requirements.

Write the Summary as First Draft

After you complete the initial steps, it’s time to write the first draft of the summarization. Write a short intro about the author, researcher and their background. Then you can mention the essay or research you’ve chosen for interpretation etc. Select each paragraph from the essay and answer them shortly in your summary.

Additionally, you need to write the full summary in your own words without copying anything from the paragraph of the essay. It will be your view of the writer’s words or narration and how you perceive it. Since it will be your first draft, you can add all your thoughts and edit them later.

You must also make your summary two to three times shorter than the original content or paragraph. Carry all the ideas in your text and refine them later when you completely write the summary. The organization of the essay should be identical to the essay you are making a summary about. This will help the audience understand both the original and summarized essays.

Compare the Draft with Original Writeup and Make a 2nd Draft

Completing the first draft of text summarization is the first step; now, you must compare it with the original essay. This step will ensure accuracy with the original content and provide you with general oversight of relevancy. 

Making a first draft aims to minimize deviation and mistakes probability. You can easily assess the quality of your work by double-checking and making a second draft. The comparison also provides a clear picture of what main points you have addressed or missed. This way, you can add new arguments in your text summarization assignments that you missed or want to improve on. 

By noticing all the major changes through the comparison, you can easily and promptly make a second draft, and your entire work will be completed in no time.

Proofread, Revise & Submit 

The last step of writing summarization is to proofread the content for typos or grammatical mistakes. These mistakes are common among students, so this process helps make things neat and tidy. 

The revision will organize your essay summary and help you keep cohesion throughout the text summarization process. This step will help you keep making audience-centric content with in-depth knowledge and expertise. After going through all the six steps of text summarization and its understanding, it’s time to submit the assignment. 

How Many Sentences in a Summary?

No set rules exist for composing a summary in an exact number of sentences. The length of the summary always depends on the topic and the scope it covers. If your topic is lengthy and comprises scientific research and findings, you can add as many sentences as possible to convey the message. 

The shortest summary can be up to 5 sentences long. If your assignment is writing a complete book summary, you might have to add more than a dozen sentences. 

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Conclusion

Text summarization is a critical skill that helps students present the longest and toughest essays in a summary. You can choose and write a summary on any topic of your choice by following the steps we provided you here. In case of difficulties and time-saving, you should opt for cheap essay writing service for superb results.

Writing assignment is a time taking and mind-boggling. Using an essay writing service helps students in top grades understand the basic requirements of their college assignments. Here are the advantages you will receive after hiring a professional essay writers.

  • 100% original and uncompromised work 

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  • Guaranteed top grade results

FAQs

If you want to write a summary of an article, you need to follow the steps mentioned below;

  • Select the article or its paragraph

  • Read the content by using techniques such as scanning and skimming

  • Divide content into section

  • Highlights main points for research

  • Write first draft

  • Compare first draft with original article

  • Make a second draft

  • Proofread, revise and submit your work

The novel “the way I Used to Be” by best-selling author Amber Smith tells the story of Eden McCrorey, a rape victim. Her brother’s best friend raped her when she was 14 years old. She suffers from anxiety and PTSD, and her life completely changes after this terrible incident.

All your perfects is a novel by author Coleen Hoover that discusses the story of a couple, Quinn and Graham. They have infertility, and their relationship is tested by years-long waning love and passion for each other. The book focuses on the lack of love after marriage and its consequences.

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