Tips for effective summarising
Similar to the techniques used in paraphrasing, effective summarising can be achieved by:
- Reading and, if necessary, rereading the source until you have a full understanding of the writer's message
- Putting the source aside and writing the message in your own words, being careful to:
- preserve the meaning of the original
- avoid using similar words and phrases as the original (a good dictionary and thesaurus are very useful in paraphrasing - do not rely on the spell checker on your computer).
