- 1). Read the paper or article for content and context. Jot down a few notes to yourself and then re-read the work with focused attention.
- 2). Focus particularly on the introduction. This section outlines what the study is about and how the author is going to address the issues. To be a valid piece of sociological research, the paper must follow -- and deliver on -- what was set up in the introduction.
- 3). Make a note of the headings and sub-heading as your read. Write a one-sentence summary about each topic. You will use these points when you start writing the summary.
- 4). Write in the third person. Avoid short, choppy sentences, writing instead in well-connected sentences, and use transitions between paragraphs. Write in your own words, but don't offer an opinion as your task is to summarize the study, not critique it.
- 5). Write with a draft. Devise a thesis statement about the sociological study that sums up the article. State the name of the sociologist and the title of the study. Use the rest of the introductory paragraph to sketch where you will go with the summary.
- 6). Refer back to your notes and develop the body of the summary. Group the topics and treat each one separately. Remember to start a new paragraph when you change ideas and to use transitions to make it easier for the reader to follow.
- 7). Assess if the study balanced the structural constraints with the group or individual agency, which is a basic feature of sociological writing. If the author didn't do that -- or explains why it wasn't possible -- it raises questions about the work
- 8). Outline the author's argument and discuss the evidence he offered to support the case. In sociological studies, all statements have to be backed-up with referenced facts.
- 9). Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the sociological work in the concluding paragraph of your summary. Link the concluding sentence back to your thesis statement.
- 10
Leave the draft for at least 24-hours. Edit the work for grammatical and typographical errors and make sure the summary reads well. Print a final copy or email, as required.
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