How to make a summary

How to make a good summary without failing?

Sometimes, it is difficult for us to understand a text when reading a scientific magazine, a book or an online article , due to the degree of complexity and how extensive it can be; however, there are learning tools that can help us analyze the information so that it can be easily processed and retained in our heads. It is a summary, which is nothing more than synthesizing the information without losing the general idea of the text .

What is a summary?

A summary is the collection of data and information from a text or document that, as we have already mentioned, must not lose its main meaning , it must be brief , precise and coherent . It is important to identify the main idea and not lose it when reading and minimize the texts . The length of the abstract may vary due to the writing, but generally the abstract should be 25% of the original.

How to make a good summary?

Sometimes the information covered within the selected topic is too much and it is very difficult to remember everything accurately. Therefore, here we explain how to make a summary without failing:

• Read carefully: To start making a summary , you first have to read it in detail; In addition, try to be focused to understand the development of the text, with this, you can quickly identify the most important data and information.

• Analyze information: During reading analyze the information and select the previously identified data, you can separate the paragraphs and underline or annotate them in a notebook or device so that you keep them in mind while reading and do not easily forget them.

• Make an outline and writing: This step is more detailed and meticulous, you can make an outline as a work tool to make it easier to understand the subject, use a conceptual chart, a mind map or some summary sheets. Since you already have the most important information selected, only use keywords in your outlines, this last point will be easier for you if you followed the previous steps.

Summary Types

Making a summary is not as easy as it seems, in addition to the fact that there are several types of them that have different uses and forms, but that have the same objective: to learn. We present the most important and most used summary types that can be of use to you in the future.

• Descriptive summary: can also be identified as indicative summary . This process is the most used to make a summary, mainly in the most extensive writings and it must necessarily be textual. The reader uses it to specifically describe the main idea of the text, it can be synthesized in a general way and not so specific; the most important thing is to maintain the essence and order of the original text.

• Informative summary: This type of summary cannot necessarily be textual, it is mainly used more in the media, where all the important events that have happened during the day or week are synthesized in a general but concise way. Generally these examples can be seen on the news.

• Executive summary : As the word says, the executive summary is merely in charge of the executive part of a company, its objective is to summarize a commercial project that is new and that also seeks to attract the attention of investors. Like the other types of briefs, it should be short and to the point, but it should make it clear why the project is innovative.