summary / response

Adapted from Academic Reading / Bolstad

Summary and Response Basics

In writing a summary and response essay, you are writing one unified short essay with two main elements. The first element is a brief summary of the article you have read. The second element is a response to an idea or theme presented in the article. Follow the instructions listed below to guide yourself in the writing process.

Step 1: Identify Main Ideas

Once you have completed an initial reading of the article, re-read it. Make note of only the main ideas. Note that you may need to find ways to represent long passages of text briefly. In other words, you may find that the article includes a five or six paragraph discussion of three examples. You could simply report “The author gives a few examples of this situation.” Remember that you do not want to include unnecessary details in your summary.

Step 2: Write a One-Paragraph Summary

Begin your summary with an introduction that includes the author’s full name, the year of publication of the article, and the thesis and or purpose of the piece. Since you will begin your assignment with an APA citation, do not include the title of the article in your summary paragraph. Be sure as you write that you are paraphrasing the original article, not copying directly.

Step 3: Write a One- or Two-Paragraph Response

Select an idea from the article that you find interesting, troubling, or otherwise notable. Begin your response by reporting on this idea as a direct quotation or a paraphrase. Use the template language from “How to Write a Personal Response” to guide your writing.

If you are having trouble creating this content, keep the following in mind:

· Be specific. Follow general statements with more information.

· Response is about connecting new information to existing knowledge. Connect what you have read to your own life, your home country, FEEE, a small group discussion you had in this class, something you read in a different class, etc.

Step 4: Format your Essay Heading

Your first and last name

FIRST or SECOND Summary / Response

Small Group Discussion on Month Date, Year

Discussion Leader: First and last name

Other Participants: First and last names of everyone else

 

APA citation of the article (You will be able to find this on the library database website.  Copy and paste to your own work.)

 

Example:

Mujtaba Almutawa

FIRST Summary/Response

Small Group Discussion on January 5, 2019

Discussion Leader: Chie Gu

Other Participants: Frank Cho, Fay Zhang, Roah Altaweel

 

Zimmerman, A. M. (2011). A Dream Detained: Undocumented Latino Youth and the DREAM Movement. NACLA Report on the Americas, 44(6), 14. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/10.1080/10714839.2011.11722133