32 Summarizing
Similar to a paraphrase, a summary is also a restatement of a text or passage in your own words. However, the summary only restates the main points of a text, and is therefore much shorter than the original. You can summarize a passage or even a whole article or book in just a few sentences.
Key Takeaways
Summarize
- to avoid too many quotes
- to present the ideas of others without interrupting your own writing style
- when you do not need to go into as much detail
Quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing: comparing all three
Here you can see all three ways of referring to a source in one place for comparison in APA style format. All three must include a citation. If you don’t include citations, you are committing an act of plagiarism.
Original Text
Why did the baby boom happen? A likely explanation is that during those 20 years, Canadians knew they could afford large families. The postwar economy was robust, the future seemed full of promise, and young couples wanted to share that bright future with a big family. A second reason was the high immigration levels that prevailed during the 1950s.
According to Foot and Stoffman (1996), one reason for the baby boom was “the high immigration levels that prevailed during the 1950s” (p. 20).
Paraphrase: YOUR OWN words AND new structure, DETAILED, about the same length
Foot and Stoffman (1996) theorize that there were two main reasons behind the baby boom, namely immigration that remained consistently high and a healthy economy that made young Canadians feel optimistic and gave them the confidence that they would have the means to support the large family they desired.
Summary: YOUR OWN words, MAIN POINTS only, short
According to Foot and Stoffman (1996) the baby boom was due to high immigration levels and healthy economic conditions.
AI-assisted Summarizing
Similar to paraphrasing, summarizing with AI assistance requires careful attention to academic integrity.
Appropriate AI use in summarizing:
- Having AI help you identify key points after you’ve read the material
- Using AI to check that your summary captures essential information
- Getting AI feedback on the clarity of your summary
Inappropriate AI use:
- Having AI generate summaries that you present as your own work
- Using AI summaries without reading the original sources
- Presenting AI analysis as your own understanding
Best practice example:
- Read the full source yourself
- Write your summary based on your understanding
- Use AI to verify you haven’t missed key points
- Revise as needed and note: “Summary reviewed for completeness using AI assistance”
