Key Takeaways:
- Do not copy words or sentences straight. Even when you’re summarising, put everything back in your own words.
- Even if you just summarise something, give credit to the original source. Use the right type of citation (APA, MLA, or Chicago).
- Write down the important points and arguments, but don’t add your own thoughts or change the meaning.
- Paraphrase effectively and use varied sentence structures to avoid plagiarism and make your summary engaging.
An important skill for academic writing is knowing how to summarize an article without plagiarizing it. Researchers, students, and writers all need to be able to summarise the main points of an original piece without changing its quality.
In this article, we will explore effective strategies to summarise articles ethically and accurately.
By mastering these techniques, you can produce original, well-crafted summaries that showcase your understanding of the content while respecting the work of the original author.
What to Avoid During Summarising?
- Copying Verbatim: Don’t copy sentences or phrases from the source article without giving credit where credit is due. It’s still plagiarism if you copy just a few words without giving credit.
- Overuse of Quotations: While it’s acceptable to include direct quotes in a summary, relying too heavily on them can lead to an unoriginal summary. Use quotations sparingly and ensure they are properly integrated into your own writing.
- Missing Key Points: A summary should capture the central ideas and arguments of the original article. Avoid omitting crucial information that contributes to the overall understanding of the text.
- Adding Personal Opinion: While it’s essential to understand and engage with the article’s content, avoid injecting personal opinions or biases into the summary. Stick to objectively summarizing the author’s original ideas.
- Changing the Meaning: Be careful not to distort or alter the meaning of the original text in your summary. Maintain the author’s intended message while condensing it into your own words.
- Inadequate Attribution: Always credit the original author when summarizing their work. Failure to provide proper attribution can lead to accusations of plagiarism and undermine the credibility of your summary.
- Lack of Structure: A well-structured summary should flow logically and clearly convey the main points of the article. Avoid jumbling fundamental ideas or presenting them in a disorganised manner.
- Using the Same Sentence Structure: Vary your sentence structures to maintain reader engagement and avoid monotony. Repetitive sentence structures can make the summary dull and less effective.
- Ignoring Citation Guidelines: If you include direct quotes or specific information from the original article, ensure that you follow the appropriate citation style guidelines. Proper citations demonstrate academic integrity and give proper credit to the original author.
How to Summarize an Article Without Plagiarizing?
To summarize an article without plagiarizing, it’s crucial to understand the main points and then express them in your own words.
Engage with the Article: Reading and Note-taking
To begin summarizing an article effectively, it’s essential to immerse yourself in its content. This involves thoroughly reading the article, paying close attention to key ideas, arguments, and supporting evidence.
As you read, jot down these essential points and concepts in your own words. This process helps you grasp the main message of the article and ensures that you have a clear understanding of its content.
Translate into Your Own Words
Once you’ve identified the main points of the article, the next step is to express them using your own language. Avoid simply copying sentences from the original text; instead, rephrase the information using different sentence structures and vocabulary.
By doing so, you not only avoid plagiarism but also demonstrate your comprehension of the material. Remember to maintain the integrity of the original message while presenting it in a fresh and personalised manner.
Infuse with Personal Insights: Adding Depth and Perspective
To elevate your summary beyond a mere reiteration of facts, consider incorporating your own insights and reflections on the topic. This personal touch adds depth and perspective to your summary, making it more engaging and meaningful.
Reflect on how the article relates to your own experiences, beliefs, or observations.
Additionally, analyse the implications of the article’s findings or arguments, and offer your perspective on their significance. By adding your unique viewpoint, you not only enrich the summary but also demonstrate critical thinking and engagement with the material.
Why Use Online Tools for Plagiarism Checking?
Efficiency: Online plagiarism checker tools offer a quick and convenient way to assess the originality of written work. With just a few clicks, users can scan documents for plagiarism within minutes, saving valuable time compared to manual detection methods.
Accuracy: These tools use sophisticated algorithms to compare submitted content against vast databases of academic papers, articles, websites, and other kinds of sources.
This comprehensive approach ensures a thorough examination of the text, resulting in more accurate plagiarism detection.
Comprehensiveness: Online plagiarism checkers can identify various forms of plagiarism, including verbatim copying, paraphrasing without proper attribution, and mosaic plagiarism (patchwriting).
They provide detailed reports highlighting matched text and indicating the original sources, enabling users to address instances of plagiarism effectively.
Educational Tool: Plagiarism checking tools serve as educational resources by raising awareness about the importance of academic integrity and proper citation practices.
Students and writers can learn from their mistakes and improve their writing skills through the feedback provided by these tools.
Deterrent Against Plagiarism: The availability of plagiarism detection tools acts as a deterrent against academic dishonesty. Knowing that their work will be scrutinised for originality encourages individuals to uphold ethical standards and produce original content.
Cross-Check Against Multiple Sources: Online plagiarism checkers compare submitted content not only against their own databases but also across the vast expanse of the internet.
This cross-referencing capability enhances the thoroughness of the plagiarism detection process, minimising the chances of undetected plagiarism.
Accessibility: Many online plagiarism checking tools are accessible from any internet-enabled device, allowing users to scan documents anytime, anywhere.
This accessibility makes it easier for students, educators, researchers, and writers to integrate plagiarism checking into their workflow seamlessly.
Support for Multiple File Formats: These tools support a wide range of file formats, including Microsoft Word documents, PDFs, text files, and more.
Users can upload documents in their preferred format, ensuring compatibility with various writing and publishing platforms.
What’s Next?
By incorporating proper citation practices and using quotation marks for direct quotes, writers can effectively condense complex ideas while maintaining originality.
Using tools like the Bytescare plagiarism checker adds another level of security, making sure that the final piece of writing is truly original.
It is essential to give ethical writing practices top priority because of the widespread use of search engines and the possible legal repercussions of copying.
Using these methods not only keeps you from plagiarising, but it also encourages academic honesty and ethics. To experience how Bytescare enhances original content creation, book a demo today.
FAQs
Is summarizing plagiarism?
No, summarising is not plagiarism as long as you don’t claim the thoughts of the original author as your own. A good summary puts the main points of a source into your own words and gives credit to the original work where credit is due.
What is the easiest way to summarise an article?
Here’s a simple approach:
a. Read the article thoroughly, taking notes on key points.
b. Identify the main argument or thesis.
c. Rephrase the main points in your own words, omitting unnecessary details.
d. Cite the original source properly.
How do you write an article without plagiarising?
Using citations to correctly credit any borrowed ideas or material to their original sources will help you produce an article without being accused of plagiarising. Also, try to put your thoughts into your own words instead of taking someone else’s words exactly or paraphrasing them closely without giving credit.
How do you summarise an article you don’t understand?
If you find it hard to understand a piece, divide it into smaller parts and read each one separately. Look up words or ideas that you don’t understand, and consider asking a friend, mentor, or teacher for help. Try to summarise each part in your own words once you understand the key concepts.
What are the 3 easy techniques in summarising?
Identify the main idea: What is the core message of the article?
Extract key points: List the essential details that support the main idea.
Rephrase in your own words: Express the key points concisely using your own vocabulary.
Is using a summarising tool plagiarising?
Using a summarising tool can potentially lead to plagiarism if not used responsibly. While such tools can help condense text, they may produce summaries that closely mirror the original wording without proper attribution.
It’s essential to carefully review and revise any summaries generated by such tools to ensure they are original and properly cited.