Seminar in Natural Science

 BGS 391 / Spring 2002

Article Summary

In order for you to read and evaluate science news effectively, you first must be able to summarize items of science reporting accurately and efficiently.  In summarizing an article, you do two key things:  (1) put the ideas in your own words and (2) reduce the length of the original.  Summarizing the original makes it easier to work with (for further analysis) and forces you to identify the important information and essential structure of the piece.

Directions

Pick one of the lengthier feature articles from the Science section of the New York Times and summarize it in an essay of 400-500 words (approximately 2 double-spaced pages).  Use 1" margins and 12-point font size.  You may choose either an informational or argumentative article, but please do not summarize an interview, a letter to editor, or the shorter pieces from sub-sections such as Q&A, Observatory, Vital Signs, etc.  At the end of the summary, provide a full citation for the article in MLA format (see below).  Attach a copy of the article to your summary.

Hints for Writing an Effective Summary

  1. Read the article carefully 2 or 3 times, making marginal notes and identifying key points.
  2. Look up any unknown words; if highly technical or specialized terms crop up in the article, they'll probably be defined by the author and you should be able to figure them out from the context.
  3. Make a rough outline of the article's structure, main idea, key points, and most important examples.  Avoid quoting in the outline.
  4. Put your source away so you can't see it.  Now, working from your outline, summarize the article in your own words.  If you have to use some of the technical terms stated in the original, that's OK.  Just make sure that the vast majority of the word choices, the sentence structure, and the paragraph organization are yours.  Do not use quotations in your summary.
  5. Check your summary against the original for accuracy--make sure you represent the ideas of the article clearly and faithfully.
  6. Edit for length and clarity. 

Sample Citations in MLA Format

 

Hard-copy version of article

 

Duenwald, Mary.  "Body's Defender Goes on the Attack."  New York Times 22 January 2002, sec. D: 1+ 
Online version of article*

Duenwald, Mary.  "Body's Defender Goes on the Attack."  New York Times.  22 January 2002.  28 January 2002.  <http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/
22/health/anatomy/22INFL.html>.

*Here, the 1st date is the date published; the second is date accessed.

Mike Bryson
Associate Professor
University College
Roosevelt University

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ngeogmap.jpg (44878 bytes)

Map of Antarctica, where I did field work as part of a Woods Hole Oceangraphic Institute research group in 1991.

 

Last updated 01/28/02