1.

Read the initial abstract located at the very beginning, which is usually in the form
of a short paragraph. The abstract is a short summary of the content of the journal
article that will provide you with important highlights of the research study.
2. Scan and continue reading through the various segments of the journal article,
highlighting main points discussed by the authors. Focus on key concepts and ideas
that have been proposed.
3.Realize that separate areas of focus within a journal article generally include sub-
section titles that target a specifc step or development during the course of the
research studies. The titles for these sub-sections are usually bold and are in a larger
font than the remaining text.Circle or highlight each individual portion of the journal
article, focusing on the sub-section titles. These segments will usually include an
introduction, methodology, research results and a conclusion in addition to a listing of
references.
4.Continue the process by creating a rough draft for summarizing a journal
article. You will be writing several, short paragraphs that summarize each separate
portion of the journal article.
5.Show the relationships among the ideas presented by the authors within the
journal article. The primary objective of the summary is to present a brief overview of
the authors' essential points to the reader.
6.Refrain from using direct quotations of text from the journal article.Quotations are
more often used when writing a college paper and not a journal article summary. Focus
more on paraphrasing the ideas when writing a journal article summary without losing
focus of their meaning and intended content.
7.Start by focusing on the introduction. This section briefy discusses the focus of the
research study and what the targeted objectives were for conducting the research.
8.Move on by discussing the methodology used by the authors. This portion
discusses the research tools and methods used during the study.
9.Write a brief overview of their research results and what the authors accomplished
as a result of their work. Were the authors successful and did they meet their
objectives for conducting the research?
10.Conclude in discussing closing statements made by the authors. This section
usually focuses on what was accomplished and learned during the research and how the
work may beneft others within the same feld of study.
11.Review your rough draft. Go back and compare the focus and content of what you
have written to see that it matches and supports the context of the journal article. A
journal article that has been properly summarized provides potential readers with a short
review, which is important when they are browsing and searching for specifc information
about a particular topic.