What is a research summary: Definition, steps & tips

If you need to do academic research or take part in a research project, you most probably will need to make a research summary. It is a type of paper where you explain key findings in short. Doing this part correctly proves you clearly understand what the research is about, and also it is a good way to simplify complex research findings.

The best approach when starting your summary is to have a structured plan in mind. This will save you both energy and time. If you are new to this concept and want to know how to get started, this is the article for you. Here, we have gathered a step-by-step guide to creating your research survey, a research summary, and some useful tips. Let us get started!

What is a research summary?

A research summary is basically the summary of a research paper that is done in a structured way. A good research summary starts with proper style and organization. When you start writing a good research summary with the findings of the research study, you should read the article again and move on with a clear plan. 

The definition of research summary

Your summary must be a well-organized way of presenting the key points to future readers. This part of the research paper is one of the most important as it is the part people read first when they try to figure out your paper's outline.

How to write a research summary (step-by-step guide)

When you conclude your research and have concrete findings in your hand, the next step is to summarize the findings for future readers. It is one of the most vital sections of the papers and also the most viewed part by all. By having a guideline, the summary section can easily and successfully be completed. Now, let us see step by step how to write a summary for a research paper.

1 - Read the paper

In order to successfully summarize the whole research, you should understand it thoroughly. Read the paper carefully to understand its purpose, research design, methodology, results, and conclusions. You can also take a look at a research summary example to figure out what elements you should focus on while reading.

💡Tip #1 - Try a 3-stage reading method of Scan - Read - Skim.

First, scan the paper to get an understanding of the concept. Then, read the paper attentively by focusing on elements you will include in your summary. Lastly, skim one last time to study the various elements. 

2 - Identify the key points

Once you read the entirety of the paper, try to pinpoint the key findings and research questions. It would help you to work with a set of questions to ask yourself when analyzing the paper. The questions you can try to answer could be these:

3 - Make notes as you read

It can help you tremendously to make notes as you read the paper. You can put simple sentences in each or most paragraphs to capture to the most important part. Or, you can highlight various findings, elements, and sentences. This will help you figure out what is important and what is not in the end.

4 - Prepare a draft

Once you gathered all the key points and highlighted sections, you can start preparing your draft. You should use a structured plan for your summary. Also, try rewriting important elements in your own words to avoid plagiarism. When you are preparing the draft, always be mindful of the word count limit.

💡Tip #2 - Keep it 10% or shorter
One of the most crucial aspects of a research summary is the fact that it must be SHORT. Therefore, make sure the length of the summary is 10% or less of the original length of the parent paper.

5 - Finalize the summary

When you have the draft ready, proofread it to make sure everything is correct. And make sure the summary is objective, precise, and factually correct. You can also find additional literature to support your study and add that to the result section as well.

💡Tip #3 - Do not add anything new
Never add new information or opinions to the summary that is not mentioned in the parent paper.

Why do you need to summarize your research results?

The purpose of a research summary is to give a brief overview of the study to the readers. A reader who is trying to find appropriate research to go through can easily get through the central ideas. It is also a great way to elaborate on the significance of the findings, and it reminds the reader of the strengths of your main arguments.

Having a good summary is almost as important as writing a research paper.

Wrapping it up

Having a good summary is almost as important as writing a research paper. A research paper involves statistical analysis, factual findings, and theories. And the summary of the paper briefly explains the main concepts and ideas. A person reading the summary of a paper should clearly understand the discussion and conclusion of the research study.

In this article, we have gathered a step-by-step guide to writing a research summary and useful tips to keep in mind. Next time, make sure your summary is to the point and faithful to the original paper. If you are planning to write your own research summary, you can get started with useful and easy-to-use survey templates of forms.app!