See how to make a summary correctly by following our 9 tips!

Knowing how to make a summary is essential to simplify the original text, without compromising the understanding of the content. Next, see how to improve this technique!

Making a summary consists of synthesizing the most relevant information from a text in a few words. This may seem simple, but in practice it requires attention, organization and objectivity.

When done well, this can be an excellent tool for fixing important concepts, identifying gaps in your understanding, and preparing to answer questions more efficiently.

If you want to learn how to make a summary to apply it in your studies, just check out the information and tips we’ve gathered in this article. Good reading!

What is a summary?

A summary is a technique for condensing an original text, in which the most important ideas and information are extracted and presented in a clear and objective way, without the use of details or secondary information.

The objective of the summary is to present an overview of the content, so that the reader can understand what was covered in the text without having to read it in full.

Main characteristics of a summary

• objectivity: the summary must be concise and objective, presenting only the most relevant information from the original text;
• clarity: the language used must be clear and easy to understand so that the reader can understand the content without difficulty;
• syntheticity: the summary is a synthesis of the original text, presenting only the main ideas and avoiding unnecessary information;
• impartiality: it must not include the author’s personal opinions, and must be limited to presenting the information contained in the original text;
• fidelity: faithful to the content of the text, maintaining the original meaning and structure;
• cohesion: the summary must be cohesive, that is, present a logical and organized sequence of the main ideas of the text;
• precision: it must be precise, presenting correct and complete information from the text, without omitting important details.

What are the types of summary?

There are 3 main types of summary, get to know each one of them!

Indicative

It only presents the main points of the text, without going into details. Typically, it is used in academic works to indicate the content of a chapter or section.

Informative

It is a more complete type of summary, which presents the main ideas and information of the text, including data, conclusions and examples. It is most common in scientific and academic articles .

Critical

In addition to presenting the main information of the text, the critical summary also includes an evaluation of the content, with comments and opinions from the author. It is most used in critical reviews and literary analyses.

How to make a summary? Learn with our 9 tips

Below, we present some essential tips for you to make a summary efficiently and apply it to your study routine . Check out!

1. Set a clear objective

Defining a clear objective is essential to prepare an efficient summary that fulfills the purpose for which it was prepared.

By defining it, it is possible to select the most important and relevant information for the purpose, leaving aside information that is not essential.

Furthermore, having a clear objective helps to organize information in a logical and coherent way, ensuring that the summary has an objective structure and facilitating reading, understanding and reviewing the text.

2. Read the original text calmly and carefully

Reading the original text carefully is essential when making an efficient summary. This allows you to understand the context and structure of the content, as well as making it easier to identify keywords and main ideas and relevant information that should be included at this stage.

3. Map keywords

By mapping keywords, it is possible to identify the fundamental concepts of the text and highlight them in the summary, to ensure that the reader quickly understands what the content is about.

This also helps to organize the information in a logical and coherent way, allowing the summary to have a clear and objective structure.

Furthermore, keywords can be useful for carrying out subsequent searches, allowing the reader to quickly find information related to the original text.

4. Create associations

Creating associations is an important technique when making a summary, as it helps to relate the information and ideas presented in the text in a clear and concise way, better organizing the structure and facilitating the reader’s understanding.

Associations can be created through visual resources, such as mind maps , diagrams or flowcharts, which allow information to be represented in an intuitive way.

5. Start writing

When starting to write a summary, it is important to understand the objective of the text and a general idea of ​​the content to be summarized.

Ideally, you should make a draft with the most important information to summarize in a more practical way and develop writing consistent with the planning.

Keep in mind that the summary must be able to summarize the main ideas and information of the original text, allowing the reader to quickly understand the content.

6. The importance of cohesion and coherence

Cohesion refers to the connection between words, sentences and paragraphs, while coherence concerns the relationship between ideas and information present in the text.

Make sure your summary is cohesive and coherent, and re-read it as many times as necessary to make important changes that help optimize the text.

7. Don’t forget to review

It is not uncommon for people to finish writing a summary and hand it in or use it immediately without proofreading.

However, proofreading is a crucial step to ensure it is well written, clear and accurate, as well as being a good memorization technique .

Pay attention to the details of grammatical corrections, if applicable, and review the understanding and meaning of the summary you developed.

8. Cite the source

Citing the source is a fundamental practice when making a summary, as it guarantees the intellectual integrity of the text and recognizes the contribution of the original author.

In addition to giving more credibility to the content developed, you prove that the information presented in the summary is accurate and reliable

9. Only go into detail if necessary

When making a summary, only go into details if it is very necessary, that is, if they are essential to understanding the central idea of ​​the text.

The objective of the summary is to present an overview of the original content, in a more concise and objective format, without including irrelevant information.