Write a summary you can trace to the source

A summary is useful when someone can quickly recover the reasoning behind it. Start with the original document open and decide whether the reader needs the main argument, a decision brief or an explanation of a single section. Those are different outputs.

Work through it

1. Write a one-sentence purpose and a word limit. Identify the source title, author if supplied, and the sections being summarized.
2. Draft the main claim, then add the evidence supporting it. Attach page or section references as you go. Mark your interpretation explicitly instead of blending it into the source claim.
3. Reopen every cited passage. Check names, dates, quantities and exceptions, then remove claims that the source does not support.

Check your result

• References point to the right passages.
• Quotes are clearly distinguished from paraphrases.
• The summary retains exceptions that change the conclusion.