Writing a Critical Summary of an Article or Paper
WHAT IS A CRITICAL SUMMARY?
A critical summary is a concise review of an article or paper that combines a summary and a critical
comment.
Writing a critical summary involves analysis and evaluation. You need to:
1. understand the main points in an article/paper
2. analyse the findings or argument of the article/paper
3. decide the appropriate criteria by which to evaluate the article/paper (consult ru
ic)
4. provide a critical evaluation of the article/paper based on the criteria selected
What steps should you take in critically summarizing an
article, paper or report?
ALLOW ENOUGH TIME
Plan to spend at least one half the time you devote to this assignment to reading and understanding the
material. Before you can write about the reading, you have to understand it, and this can take more time
than you anticipate. Does the article make sense to you in lay terms (could you explain this to someone
who knows nothing about the topic?) When you can clearly explain the material in your own words, you
are ready to write about it.
Scan the material
Read the headings or subheadings and note the overall organization of the paper.
1. Do the headings/subheadings make sense?
2. Why do you think the author organized the material in this way?
3. How do the headings and subheadings relate to the title of the paper?
Are there any photographs, charts, graphs, diagrams, maps, etc?
1. Read the captions for these illustrations.
2. How do these relate to the title of the paper?
READ THE “INTRODUCTION” OR “ABSTRACT” AND THE “DISCUSSION” OR
“CONCLUSION” SECTIONS
Read the first paragraph (or the section headed “Introduction” or “Abstract”).
1. Identify the reason for the article or paper.
Read the “Discussion” or “Conclusion” sections to identify how the author is interpreting the research
findings.
2. Note how the author summarizes the thesis presented in the body of the paper or what
ecommendations s/he makes based on the paper.
READ IN DETAIL
Once you’ve read the Introduction and Discussion or Conclusion sections:
1. Go back to the article and read each section in more detail.
2. Plan to read each section more than once.
3. Highlight or underline the main points and key phrases
4. Write one‐sentence summaries for each of the main points on a separate sheet of paper. Always
note definitions, key words and technical terms. Note any page numbers for direct quotes. Keep
direct quotes to a minimum and ensure they are copied exactly. In your writing, quotes are used to
support your argument, not to form the argument itself. You can use these one‐sentence
summaries later when you draft your critical summary.
5. Leave space after your one‐sentence summaries for later notes and comments – e.g., things that are
not clear; contradictions; points of agreement or disagreement with other readings on the same
topic; controversial statements or viewpoints presented; whether you agree with what is being said.
6. Expect not to fully understand the article the first time. You will have to read it more than once
efore you can talk about it in your own words.
READ ANALYTICALLY AND EVALUATE WHAT YOU READ
Reading analytically involves identifying the purpose, the main points, the methodology and findings or
conclusions. In addition, analysis for a critical summary involves
1. identifying unstated assumptions
2. steps in the argument that are not logical
3. any additional purposes of the article or paper that are not explicitly stated
Evaluating the material means making judgments about the value (both positive and negative) of the article
or paper against specific criteria. Here is a list of generic criteria which may be useful; however, not all of
them will be relevant for evaluating all materials (THESE ARE THINGS TO HAVE IN MIND WHEN YOU READ,
NOT TO ADRESS ONE BY ONE IN YOUR WRITING!):
1. the timeliness of the material
2. the degree to which the article or paper makes an original contribution
3. the logic of the view put forward
4. the validity of the evidence put forward
5. the theoretical framework used:
a. is the framework valid?
. has the framework been applied appropriately?
6. the methodology used:
a. is the methodology appropriate?
. is the methodological approach explained clearly?
c. does the methodological approach have any weaknesses?
d. is the study sufficiently comprehensive and thorough?
e. is anything important omitted in the research?
f. does the design of the study address the research questions?
7. the findings:
a. are the findings presented and described clearly and fully?
. do the findings seem sound?
c. could the data be interpreted in another way?
d. do/does the author(s) account for everything in the data or do they ignore something that
might be important?
e. the validity of the conclusions
f. the thoroughness with which the topic is treated
g. the extent to which it might satisfy the specific needs of a specific user
h. does this study contribute toward answering the original question?
i. do any aspects of the original question remain unanswered?
HOW CAN I STRUCTURE A CRITICAL SUMMARY?
A critical summary has an introduction, a body and a conclusion. But before you begin writing your summary,
make sure that you understand all the assignment directions including any specific guidelines about the
assignment structure, number of words or pages, etc. Consult Unit Outline and Ru
ic
In the Introduction (1 paragraph of 3‐4 sentences), you should:
1. provide a context for the article or paper (background information or shared knowledge)
2. give the title of the article or paper, author, source
3. describe the purpose or main idea of the material in a short paragraph that weaves together the
themes from the one‐sentence summaries you made while you read the material. Describe
iefly
what the author(s) expected to find (hypotheses)
In the Body (1‐2 paragraphs of 3‐4 sentences each), you should:
1. provide an analytical summary of the main findings/arguments/conclusions of the article or paper
2. discuss the strengths /usefulness of the material
3. discuss the weaknesses/limitations/problems with the material, especially for your purposes/context
4. make sufficient references to the authors of the material
In the Conclusion (1 paragraph of 3‐4 sentences), you should:
1. summarize what you have written in the Body
2. make a final judgment on the value of the article indicating the balance that you see existing
etween the strengths and limitations of the material
3. comment on the future of the issue/topic or implications of the view expressed
Other things to think about
For the first draft, focus on content, not length (it will probably be too long). Condense later as
needed. Try writing about the hypotheses, methods and results first, then about the introduction
and discussion last. If you have trouble on one section, leave it for a while and try another.
Edit for completeness and accuracy. Add information for completeness where necessary. More
commonly, if you understand the article, you will need to cut redundant or less important
information.
Edit for style. Write to an intelligent, interested, naive, and slightly lazy audience (e.g., yourself, your
classmates). Expect your readers to be interested, but don't make them struggle to understand you.
Include all the important details; don't assume that they are already understood.
• Eliminate wordiness, including most adve
s ("very", "clearly"). "The results clearly showed
that there was no difference between the groups” can be shortened to "There was no
significant difference between the groups".
• Use specific, concrete language. Use precise language and cite specific examples to support
assertions. Avoid vague references (e.g., "this illustrates" should be "this result illustrates").
• Use scientifically accurate language. For example, you cannot "prove" hypotheses (especially with
just one study). You "support" or "fail to find support for" them.
• Rely primarily on paraphrasing, not direct quotes. Direct quotes are seldom used in scientific
writing. Instead, paraphrase what you have read. To give due credit for information that you
paraphrase, cite the author's last name and the year of the study (Smith, 1982).
• Re-read what you have written. Ask others to read it to catch things that you’ve missed.
• Make sure your writing is in line with APA guidelines
• Proofread before submitting
Plagiarism. Plagiarism is always a risk when summarizing someone else’s work. To avoid it:
• Take notes in your own words. Using short notes or summarizing key points in your own
words forces you to rewrite the ideas into your own words later.
• If you find yourself sticking closely to the original language and making only minor
changes to the wording, then you probably don't understand the study.
Writing a Critical Summary of an Article or Pape
What is a critical summary?
What steps should you take in critically summarizing an article, paper or report?
Allow enough time
Read the “Introduction” or “Abstract” and the “Discussion” or “Conclusion” sections
Read in detail
Read analytically and evaluate what you read
How can I structure a critical summary?
Other things to think about
Reexamining the validity and reliability of the clinical version of the Iowa gambling task: evidence from a normal subject group
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
published: 29 May 2013
doi: XXXXXXXXXX/fpsyg XXXXXXXXXX
Reexamining the validity and reliability of the clinical
version of the Iowa gambling task: evidence from a
normal subject group
Ching-Hung Lin1,2,3,4,Tzu-Jiun Song1,Ying-Ying Chen1,5,We-Kang Lee1 andYao-Chu Chiu1*
1 Department of Psychology, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan
2 Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
3 Biomedical