article summary presentation

How to Write a Summary of an Article: Brevity in Brilliance

Table of contents

• 1 What Is an Article Summary?
• 2 Difference Between Abstract and Research Summary Writing
• 3.1 Preparing for Summarizing
• 3.2 Identifying Main Ideas
• 3.3 Writing The Summary
• 4.1 Introduction
• 4.2 Methods
• 4.3 Results
• 4.4 Discussion
• 4.5.1 Structure Types  
• 5 Summary Writing Tips and Best Practices
• 6 Common Mistakes to Avoid
• 7 Examples of Article Summaries

Writing a review or a critique is often more difficult than it seems, so students and writers alike are often wondering about how to summarize an article. We know how challenging a task this can be, so this guide will give you a clear perspective and the main points on how to write a summary of an article.

Here’s a brief overview of the main points the article will cover before we start:

• The essence of an article summary and how to approach writing it;
• Three main steps for a successful research summary;
• Tips and strategies for outlining the main idea;
• Examples of good and bad short summaries for inspiration;
• Common mistakes to avoid when writing a research article summary.

The steps outlined in this post will help you summarize an article in your own words without sacrificing the original text message and ideas.

What Is an Article Summary?

An article summary is a concise and condensed version of a longer piece of writing, often an article, research paper, or news report. Its purpose is to capture the main ideas, crucial points, and key arguments found in the original text, providing a brief and easily understandable overview.

These summaries are composed in the author’s own words, distilling the essential information to help readers quickly grasp the content without having to read the entire article. They serve as a helpful tool to offer a snapshot of the most important aspects of the content, making it simpler for readers to decide whether they wish to delve into the complete article.

A common goal of academic summary writing is to  improve critical thinking skills , and they serve as great practice for academic writers to improve their own writing skills. There are several main goals of writing a synopsis of an article:

• This paper’s main goal is to provide a comprehensive yet brief descriptive comment on a particular article, telling your readers about the author’s topic sentence and important points in his work and the key points of it.
• It serves to outline a laconic reader’s perspective on the paper while keeping the main point.
• Identifies all the crucial segments from each of the paper’s sections.

A proper article summary can help do your college essays the right way because it provides a great, concise view of the source article. Especially if you are often facing writing tasks like academic papers, knowing how to write a good synopsis can upgrade your writing skills.

Difference Between Abstract and Research Summary Writing

Things get confusing when someone wants to define their place and purpose inside the text. To be more precise, the abstract appears first in the academic article, whereas the summary appears last.

Many students cannot distinguish between a summary and an abstract of a research paper. While these have certain similarities, they are not the same. Therefore, you must be aware of the subtleties before beginning a research article.

On the one hand, both components have a limited scope. Their goal is to provide a thorough literature assessment of the research paper’s main ideas. When you write a research summary, focus on your topic, methods, and findings.

Below you can find more differences between the abstract and research article summary for your project:

• Abstracts provide a succinct synopsis of your work and showcase your writing style.
• Abstracts lay out the background information and clarify the primary hypothesis thesis statement, while the summary emphasizes your research methodology, highlighting the important elements.

Finally, you must submit the abstract before actual publication. On the other hand, article summaries come with the finished piece of paper.

Steps to Write a Summary for an Article

In the world of effective communication, the skill of crafting short yet informative summaries is invaluable. Whether you’re a student dealing with academic articles, a professional simplifying complex reports, or simply someone looking to grasp the essence of an interesting read, mastering the art of summarization is crucial. This summarizing guidelines will lead you through the steps to write a compelling piece.

These steps will empower you to extract core ideas and key takeaways, making it easier to understand and share information efficiently.

Preparing for Summarizing

Before you start writing your summary of the article, you’ll have to read the piece a few times first as a base for further understanding. It’s recommended that you read the paper without taking any notes first because this gives you some room to create your own perspective of the work.

After the first reading, you should be able to tell the author’s perspective and the type of audience they are focusing on. Subsequently, you should get ready for the second read with a paper to write notes on as you get into the arguments of the post.

Identifying Main Ideas

As you come to the second read of the article, you should focus on the thesis statement, main ideas, and important details laid out in the piece. If you look at the headings and sections individually, you should be able to get some material for the summarizing by taking out the crucial events or a topic sentence from each part.

While writing down the main arguments of the post, make sure to ask the five “W” questions. If you think about the “Who” , “Why” , “When” , “Where” , and “What” , you should be able to construct a layout for the summary based on the main ideas.

Writing The Summary

Once you lay down the article’s main ideas and answer the key questions about it, you’ll have an outline for writing. The next move is to keep an eye out on the structure of the summary and use the material in your notes to write your short take on these essential points.

The steps for writing article summaries can be similar to the  main steps of article review writing . Therefore, it’s necessary to discuss the structure next so we can set you in the right direction with summary-specific format tips.

Outline Your Research Summary

To summarize research papers, you must be aware of the basic structure. You may know how to cite sources and filter the ideas, but you’ll also have to organize your findings in a concise academic structure.

The following components are essential for a summary paper format:

Introduction

Your research article’s introduction is a brief overview of your work. Outlining important ideas or presenting the state of the topic under research seeks to make the issue easier for your audience to comprehend.

The Methods section includes tests, databases, experiments, surveys, questionnaires, sampling, or statistical analysis, used to conduct a research study. However, for a solid research paper summary example, you should avoid getting bogged down in the specifics and just discuss the tools you utilized and how you conducted your study.

This part the summary of research, presents all of the data you gathered from your investigations and analysis. Therefore, incorporate any information you learned by watching your target and the supporting theories.

This stage requires you to summarize research paper, evaluate the result in light of the pertinent background, and determine how it reacts to the prevailing trends. You need to identify the subject’s advantages and disadvantages once you have provided an explanation using theoretical models. You may also recommend more research in the area.

Use this last part to support or refute your theories in light of the data collection and analysis, though, if your mentor insists on it being in a separate paragraph.

Here’s a research summary example outlining the topic “The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health Among Adolescents”:

I. Introduction.

• Brief overview of the rise of social media.
• Importance of studying its impact on mental health.
• Statement of the problem.
• Purpose of the study.

II. Literature Review.

• Statistics on social media penetration.
• Common platforms and their features.
• Studies supporting a negative and/or a positive impact.
• Gaps and inconsistencies in existing literature.

III. Methodology.

• Quantitative approach.
• Cross-sectional survey.
• Survey instrument details.
• Ethical considerations.

IV. Data Analysis.

• Descriptive statistics.
• Inferential statistics (e.g., regression analysis).
• Tables and figures.
• Key findings.

V. Discussion.

• Correlation between social media usage and mental health.
• Identification of patterns and trends.
• Practical implications for parents, educators, and policymakers.
• Suggestions for future research.

VI. Conclusion.

• Summary of key findings.
• Final remarks on the study’s contribution to the field.

The given research article summary example depicts how the text can be structured in a laconic and effective way.

Structure Types  

So, now you can see the best practices and structure types for writing both empirical and argumentative summaries. The only thing left to discuss is to go through our example outlined above and divide its structure into distinctive parts, which you could use when writing your own summary.

The best way to start is by mentioning the title and the author of the article. It’s best to keep it straightforward: “ In “Who Will Be In Cyberspace”, author Langdon Winner takes a philosophical approach…”

The next part is critical for writing a good summary since you’ll want to captivate the reader with a short and concise one-point thesis. If you look at our example, you’ll see that the first sentence or two contains the main point, along with the title and the author’s name.

So, that’s an easy way to get straight to the point while also sounding professional, and this works for all the essay structure types. You should briefly point out the main supportive points as well – “ He supports this through the claims that people working in the information industry should be more careful about newly developed technologies…”  

The key is to keep it neutral and not overcomplicate things with supportive claims. Try to make them as precise as possible and provide examples that directly support the main thesis.

Unless it’s a scientific article summary where you are requested to provide your take as a researcher, it’s also best to avoid using personal opinions. You can conclude the summary by once again mentioning the main thought of the article, and this time you can make the connection between the main thesis and supporting points to wrap up.

Summary Writing Tips and Best Practices

The way in which you’ll approach writing a summary depends on the type and topic of the original article, but there are some common points to keep in mind. Whether you are trying to summarize a research article or a journal piece, these tips can help you stay on topic:

• Be concise – The best way to summarize an article quickly is to be straightforward. In practice, it means making it all in a few sentences and no longer than one-fourth of the size of the original article.
• Highlight the study’s most significant findings – For your summary paper, prioritize presenting results that have the most substantial impact or contribute significantly to the field.
• Create a reverse outline – On the other hand, you can also remove the supporting writing to end up with a reverse essay outline and these are the ideas you can expand on through your summary.
• Use your own words – In most cases, a paper summary will be scanned for plagiarism, so you need to make sure you are using your words to express the main point uniquely. This doesn’t mean you have to provide your perspective on the topic. It just means your summary needs to be original.
• Make sure to follow the tone – Summarizing an article means you’ll also need to reflect on the tone of the original piece. To properly summarize an article, you should address the same tone in which the author is addressing the audience.
• Use author tags – Along with the thesis statement, you also have to express the author’s take through author tags. This means you need to state the name of the author and piece title at the beginning, and keep adding these “tags” like “he” or “she” or simply refer to the author by name when expressing their ideas.
• Avoid minor details – To ensure you stay on topic, it’s recommended that you avoid repetition, any minor details, or descriptive elements. Try to keep the focus on key points, main statements and ideas without being carried away in thought.
• Steer clear of interpretations or personal opinions – Avoid personal interpretations or opinions when you write a summary for a research paper. Remember to stick to presenting facts and findings without injecting subjective views.
• Highlight the research context – Focus on explaining to the readers why research is important. Your summary of research paper must not repeat the previous studies. Find the gap in the existing literature it could fill. When you write a summary of a research article, try to help readers understand the significance of your study within the broader academic or practical context. Use a paraphraser if you need a fresh perspective on your writing style.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Just like it’s important to  avoid plagiarism in your text , there are a few other mistakes that commonly occur. The whole point is to summarize article pieces genuinely, with a focus on the author’s argument and writing in your own words.

We’ve often seen college graduates do an article summary and misrepresent the author’s idea or take, so that’s an important piece of advice. You should avoid drifting away from the author’s main idea throughout the summary and keep it precise but not too short.

Quotes shouldn’t be used directly within the piece, and by that, we mean both quotes from the author and quotes from other summaries on the same topic since it would qualify as plagiarism. Finally, you shouldn’t state your opinion unless you are doing a summary of a novel or short story with a specific academic goal of writing from your perspective.

Examples of Article Summaries

While our guide and tips can be used for a variety of different types of written pieces, there are various types of articles. From professional essay writing to informative article synopsis, options can vary.

We will give you an example of a summary of the different article types that you may run upon, so you can see exactly what we mean by those standardized instructions and tips:

The question of how to summarize an article isn’t new to students or even writers with more experience, so we hope this guide will shed some light on the process. The most important piece of advice we can give you is to stay true to the main statement and key points of the article and express the synopsis in your original way to avoid plagiarism.

As for the structure, we are certain you’ll be able to use our examples and layouts for different types of summaries, so make sure to pay extra attention to the structure, quotes, and author tags.

What is a good way to start a summary?

To begin a summary effectively, start by briefly introducing the article’s topic and the main points the author discusses. Capture the reader’s attention with a concise yet engaging opening sentence. Provide context and mention the author’s name and the article’s title. Convey the essence of the article’s content, highlighting its significance or relevance to the reader. This initial context-setting sentence lays the foundation for a clear and engaging summary that draws the reader in.

What is the difference between summarizing and criticizing an article?

Summarizing an article entails condensing its main points objectively and neutrally, presenting the essential information to readers. In contrast, critiquing an article involves a more in-depth evaluation, assessing its strengths and weaknesses, methodology, and overall quality, often including the expression of personal opinions and judgments. Summarization offers a snapshot of the content, while critique delves deeper, offering a comprehensive assessment.

When summarizing a text, focus on these critical questions:

• “What’s the main point?” Find the core message or argument.
• “What supports the main point?” Identify key supporting details and evidence.
• “Who’s the author?” Consider their qualifications and potential bias.
• “Who’s the intended audience?” Understand the expected reader’s knowledge level.
• “Why is it important?” Explain the text’s relevance and significance within its context. Addressing these questions ensures a thorough and effective summary.

How long is a summary and how many paragraphs does a summary have?

A summary typically ranges from one to three paragraphs in length, depending on the complexity and length of the original text. The goal is to concisely present the main points or essence of the source material, usually resulting in a summary that is significantly shorter than the original.

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Article Summaries, Reviews & Critiques

Writing an article summary.

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When writing a summary, the goal is to compose a concise and objective overview of the original article. The summary should focus only on the article's main ideas and important details that support those ideas.

Guidelines for summarizing an article:

• State the main ideas.
• Identify the most important details that support the main ideas.
• Summarize in your own words.
• Do not copy phrases or sentences unless they are being used as direct quotations.
• Express the underlying meaning of the article, but do not critique or analyze.
• The summary should be about one third the length of the original article. 

Your summary should include:

• Give an overview of the article, including the title and the name of the author.
• Provide a thesis statement that states the main idea of the article.
• Use the body paragraphs to explain the supporting ideas of your thesis statement.
• One-paragraph summary - one sentence per supporting detail, providing 1-2 examples for each.
• Multi-paragraph summary - one paragraph per supporting detail, providing 2-3 examples for each.
• Start each paragraph with a topic sentence.
• Use transitional words and phrases to connect ideas.
• Summarize your thesis statement and the underlying meaning of the article.

 Adapted from "Guidelines for Using In-Text Citations in a Summary (or Research Paper)" by Christine Bauer-Ramazani, 2020

Additional Resources

All links open in a new window.

How to Write a Summary - Guide & Examples  (from Scribbr.com)

Writing a Summary  (from The University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center)

• Next: Writing an article REVIEW >>
• Last Updated: Mar 15, 2024 9:32 AM
• URL: https://libguides.randolph.edu/summaries

How to write a summary of an article

Learn how to summarize your articles effectively using these straightforward techniques and industry-best practices.

When producing an article, a large amount of facts and information are incorporated into it, and frequently, this amount of material needs to be compressed to increase the article’s understandability.

In essence, a summary aids in determining whether an article meets the expectations regarding the issue, whether it was built with all the intricacies on the subject, whether it can lead to a conclusion, and so forth.

Although creating a summary of an article may seem simple and straightforward, it can be challenging to choose exactly what material is important enough to include. Additionally, there is much more to consider than simply restating the information. 

But have no fear—in this post, you will discover detailed instructions on how to write a summary of an article correctly and effectively.

What is a summary and why is it important?

It’s vital to note that summaries are a powerful indicator of your reading and writing skills. A summary is simply a brief outline of an article’s main elements that are written entirely in your own words.

Generally speaking, a summary should be around one-third as long as the original and still must contain all of the most important information.

A summary has many benefits, and as was already mentioned, it’s important to condense a lot of the information in an article. This can be helpful for the writer because it aids in identifying the main points and key details, and it can provide a variety of perspectives that increase comprehension and shed light on the subject, besides communicating the essence of the article in an engaging way.

It can also make it simpler for readers to understand an article because they won’t have to wade through long paragraphs of text to figure out what your thesis statement was about.

Summaries vs. Reviews

Let’s discuss how to distinguish reviews from summaries before moving on to how to write a summary of an article .

A review typically refers to the expression of a viewpoint on the issue being discussed. It concentrates around the concepts of the narrative and how it was presented rather than the specific details. 

A review also acknowledges the impact the topic has on someone or something. It can also be used to provide a thorough introduction to the topic, although, unlike summaries, reviews are not required to emphasize all of the major aspects of the topic in the same chronological order. 

Reviews can be used for any topic that can be presented to an audience and are used in both formal and informal situations, such as “a movie review” or “a review of a research paper.” 

A review’s quality might differ from one reviewer to the next based on how it is interpreted, as a good or a bad review. In contrast, summaries do not take into account any kind of opinion.

A summary is a succinct account of any representation or narrative that has been delivered and is used to aid in the reader’s comprehension of the material. It covers every critical point in the text and presents the substance in the same chronological order as the narrative. 

A summary does not stray from the main aspects of the subject at all. It makes no mention of any evaluation of the subject or the writer’s ideas. Summaries always follow the same format as the subject they are summarizing, beginning with the introduction and ending at the subject’s conclusion. Although summaries are frequently employed in academic settings, it can be applied to any other type of story.

Steps for Writing an Effective Summary

The first step in learning how to write a summary of an article is to understand that article summaries need to show that you can read and interpret information. 

1. Read the article at least twice

To grasp the arguments and the article’s topic, you should first read the article thoroughly. At this stage, don’t bother about taking notes; instead, just concentrate on reading the article. This is where having strong reading abilities come in.

2. State the main idea

You will be able to identify the article’s core theme and topic after carefully reading the article.

3. Start taking notes

After identifying the main topic, start to take note of the supporting arguments, concentrate on the key points and consider what else is in the article that might be useful or important for the summary.

Additionally, it’s a good idea to highlight specific words or phrases in the content and when summarizing the article, incorporate the main keywords.

4. Write it down

Start writing it down using your own words and avoid copying phrases and sentences from the article unless they’re direct quotations.

5. Think about the structure

A summary must have an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion that are no longer than one-third the article’s length.

• Introduction: 

Your opening paragraph should contain a hook that draws the reader in. The introduction includes a general description of the topic, the article’s title, and, ideally, a thesis statement that captures the essence of the text and that explains which points you’re going to expand on.

• Body Paragraphs:

Each supporting argument should have its own body paragraph. Talk about it, clarify, or condense those supporting points in each body paragraph. Be sure to talk about the reasoning behind each individual conclusion and the supporting evidence they employed. 

• Conclusion:

Restate your introduction’s topic sentence or thesis statement about the key argument to start your conclusion, make sure you rephrase this from your opening statement.

You can better communicate the article’s overall meaning and arguments by using this section. Describe any additional issues, consequences, or problems that the article raises in a few phrases. 

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Writing a Summary – Explanation & Examples

Published by Alvin Nicolas at October 17th, 2023 , Revised On October 17, 2023

In a world bombarded with vast amounts of information, condensing and presenting data in a digestible format becomes invaluable. Enter summaries. 

A summary is a brief and concise account of the main points of a larger body of work. It distils complex ideas, narratives, or data into a version that is quicker to read and easier to understand yet still retains the essence of the original content.

Importance of Summaries

The importance of summarising extends far beyond just making reading more manageable. In academic settings, summaries aid students in understanding and retaining complex materials, from textbook chapters to research articles. They also serve as tools to showcase one’s grasp of the subject in essays and reports. 

In professional arenas, summaries are pivotal in business reports, executive briefings, and even emails where key points need to be conveyed quickly to decision-makers. Meanwhile, summarising skills come into play in our personal lives when we relay news stories to friends, recap a movie plot, or even scroll through condensed news or app notifications on our smartphones.

Why Do We Write Summaries?

In our modern information age, the sheer volume of content available can be overwhelming. From detailed research papers to comprehensive news articles, the quest for knowledge is often met with lengthy and complex resources. This is where the power of a well-crafted summary comes into play. But what drives us to create or seek out summaries? Let’s discuss.

Makes Important Things Easy to Remember

At the heart of summarisation is the goal to understand. A well-written summary aids in digesting complex material. By distilling larger works into their core points, we reinforce the primary messages, making them easier to remember. This is especially crucial for students who need to retain knowledge for exams or professionals prepping for a meeting based on a lengthy report.

Simplification of Complex Topics

Not everyone is an expert in every field. Often, topics come laden with jargon, intricate details, and nuanced arguments. Summaries act as a bridge, translating this complexity into accessible and straightforward content. This is especially beneficial for individuals new to a topic or those who need just the highlights without the intricacies.

Aid in Researching and Understanding Diverse Sources

Researchers, writers, and academics often wade through many sources when working on a project. This involves finding sources of different types, such as primary or secondary sources , and then understanding their content. Sifting through each source in its entirety can be time-consuming. Summaries offer a streamlined way to understand each source’s main arguments or findings, making synthesising information from diverse materials more efficient.

Condensing Information for Presentation or Sharing

In professional settings, there is often a need to present findings, updates, or recommendations to stakeholders. An executive might not have the time to go through a 50-page report, but they would certainly appreciate a concise summary highlighting the key points. Similarly, in our personal lives, we often summarise movie plots, book stories, or news events when sharing with friends or family.

Characteristics of a Good Summary

Crafting an effective summary is an art. It’s more than just shortening a piece of content; it is about capturing the essence of the original work in a manner that is both accessible and true to its intent. Let’s explore the primary characteristics that distinguish a good summary from a mediocre one:

Conciseness

At the core of a summary is the concept of brevity. But being concise doesn’t mean leaving out vital information. A good summary will:

• Eliminate superfluous details or repetitive points.
• Focus on the primary arguments, events, or findings.
• Use succinct language without compromising the message.

Objectivity

Summarising is not about infusing personal opinions or interpretations. A quality summary will:

• Stick to the facts as presented in the original content.
• Avoid introducing personal biases or perspectives.
• Represent the original author’s intent faithfully.

A summary is meant to simplify and make content accessible. This is only possible if the summary itself is easy to understand. Ensuring clarity involves:

• Avoiding jargon or technical terms unless they are essential to the content. If they are used, they should be clearly defined.
• Structuring sentences in a straightforward manner.
• Making sure ideas are presented in a way that even someone unfamiliar with the topic can grasp the primary points.

A jumble of ideas, no matter how concise, will not make for a good summary. Coherence ensures that there’s a logical flow to the summarised content. A coherent summary will:

• Maintain a logical sequence, often following the structure of the original content.
• Use transition words or phrases to connect ideas and ensure smooth progression.
• Group related ideas together to provide structure and avoid confusion.

Steps of Writing a Summary

The process of creating a compelling summary is not merely about cutting down content. It involves understanding, discerning, and crafting. Here is a step-by-step guide to writing a summary that encapsulates the essence of the original work:

Reading Actively

Engage deeply with the content to ensure a thorough understanding.

• Read the entire document or work first to grasp its overall intent and structure.
• On the second read, underline or highlight the standout points or pivotal moments.
• Make brief notes in the margins or on a separate sheet, capturing the core ideas in your own words.

Identifying the Main Idea

Determine the backbone of the content, around which all other details revolve.

• Ask yourself: “What is the primary message or theme the author wants to convey?”
• This can often be found in the title, introduction, or conclusion of a piece.
• Frame the main idea in a clear and concise statement to guide your summary.

List Key Supporting Points

Understand the pillars that uphold the main idea, providing evidence or depth to the primary message.

• Refer back to the points you underlined or highlighted during your active reading.
• Note major arguments, evidence, or examples that the author uses to back up the main idea.
• Prioritise these points based on their significance to the main idea.

Draft the Summary

Convert your understanding into a condensed, coherent version of the original.

• Start with a statement of the main idea.
• Follow with the key supporting points, maintaining logical order.
• Avoid including trivial details or examples unless they’re crucial to the primary message.
• Use your own words, ensuring you are not plagiarising the original content.

Fine-tune your draft to ensure clarity, accuracy, and brevity.

• Read your draft aloud to check for flow and coherence.
• Ensure that your summary remains objective, avoiding any personal interpretations or biases.
• Check the length. See if any non-essential details can be removed without sacrificing understanding if it is too lengthy.
• Ensure clarity by ensuring the language is straightforward, and the main ideas are easily grasped.

The research done by our experts have:

• Precision and Clarity
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Dos and Don’ts of Summarising Key Points

Summarising, while seemingly straightforward, comes with its nuances. Properly condensing content demands a balance between brevity and fidelity to the original work. To aid in crafting exemplary summaries, here is a guide on the essential dos and don’ts:

Use your Own Words

This ensures that you have truly understood the content and are not merely parroting it. It also prevents issues of plagiarism.

Tip: After reading the original content, take a moment to reflect on it. Then, without looking at the source, write down the main points in your own words.

Attribute Sources Properly

Giving credit is both ethical and provides context to readers, helping them trace back to the original work if needed. How to cite sources correctly is a skill every writer should master.

Tip: Use signal phrases like “According to [Author/Source]…” or “As [Author/Source] points out…” to seamlessly incorporate attributions.

Ensure Accuracy of the Summarised Content

A summary should be a reliable reflection of the original content. Distorting or misrepresenting the original ideas compromises the integrity of the summary.

Tip: After drafting your summary, cross-check with the original content to ensure all key points are represented accurately and ensure you are referencing credible sources .

Avoid Copy-Pasting Chunks of Original Content

This not only raises plagiarism concerns but also shows a lack of genuine engagement with the material.

Tip: If a particular phrase or sentence from the original is pivotal and cannot be reworded without losing its essence, use block quotes , quotation marks, and attribute the source.

Do not Inject your Personal Opinion

A summary should be an objective reflection of the source material. Introducing personal biases or interpretations can mislead readers.

Tip: Stick to the facts and arguments presented in the original content. If you find yourself writing “I think” or “In my opinion,” reevaluate the sentence.

Do not Omit Crucial Information

While a summary is meant to be concise, it shouldn’t be at the expense of vital details that are essential to understanding the original content’s core message.

Tip: Prioritise information. Always include the main idea and its primary supports. If you are unsure whether a detail is crucial, consider its impact on the overall message.

Examples of Summaries

Here are a few examples that will help you get a clearer view of how to write a summary. 

Example 1: Summary of a News Article

Original Article: The article reports on the recent discovery of a rare species of frog in the Amazon rainforest. The frog, named the “Emerald Whisperer” due to its unique green hue and the soft chirping sounds it makes, was found by a team of researchers from the University of Texas. The discovery is significant as it offers insights into the biodiversity of the region, and the Emerald Whisperer might also play a pivotal role in understanding the ecosystem balance.

Summary: Researchers from the University of Texas have discovered a unique frog, termed the “Emerald Whisperer,” in the Amazon rainforest. This finding sheds light on the region’s biodiversity and underscores the importance of the frog in ecological studies.

Example 2: Summary of a Research Paper

Original Paper: In a study titled “The Impact of Urbanisation on Bee Populations,” researchers conducted a year-long observation on bee colonies in three urban areas and three rural areas. Using specific metrics like colony health, bee productivity, and population size, the study found that urban environments saw a 30% decline in bee populations compared to rural settings. The research attributes this decline to factors like pollution, reduced green spaces, and increased temperatures in urban areas.

Summary: A study analysing the effects of urbanisation on bee colonies found a significant 30% decrease in bee populations in urban settings compared to rural areas. The decline is linked to urban factors such as pollution, diminished greenery, and elevated temperatures.

Example 3: Summary of a Novel

Original Story: In the novel “Winds of Fate,” protagonist Clara is trapped in a timeless city where memories dictate reality. Throughout her journey, she encounters characters from her past, present, and imagined future. Battling her own perceptions and a menacing shadow figure, Clara seeks an elusive gateway to return to her real world. In the climax, she confronts the shadow, which turns out to be her own fear, and upon overcoming it, she finds her way back, realising that reality is subjective.

Summary: “Winds of Fate” follows Clara’s adventures in a surreal city shaped by memories. Confronting figures from various phases of her life and battling a symbolic shadow of her own fear, Clara eventually discovers that reality’s perception is malleable and subjective.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is a summary.

A summary condenses a larger piece of content, capturing its main points and essence.  It is usually one-fourth of the original content.

What is a summary?

A summary is a concise representation of a larger text or content, highlighting its main ideas and points. It distils complex information into a shorter form, allowing readers to quickly grasp the essence of the original material without delving into extensive details. Summaries prioritise clarity, brevity, and accuracy.

When should I write a summary?

Write a summary when you need to condense lengthy content for easier comprehension and recall. It’s useful in academic settings, professional reports, presentations, and research to highlight key points. Summaries aid in comparing multiple sources, preparing for discussions, and sharing essential details of extensive materials efficiently with others.

How can I summarise a source without plagiarising?

To summarise without plagiarising: Read the source thoroughly, understand its main ideas, and then write the summary in your own words. Avoid copying phrases verbatim. Attribute the source properly. Use paraphrasing techniques and cross-check your summary against the original to ensure distinctiveness while retaining accuracy. Always prioritise understanding over direct replication.

What is the difference between a summary and an abstract?

A summary condenses a text, capturing its main points from various content types like books, articles, or movies. An abstract, typically found in research papers and scientific articles, provides a brief overview of the study’s purpose, methodology, results, and conclusions. Both offer concise versions, but abstracts are more structured and specific.

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The ability to effectively incorporate multiple sources into one’s work is not just a skill, but a necessity. Whether we are talking about research papers, articles, or even simple blog posts, synthesising sources can elevate our content to a more nuanced, comprehensive, and insightful level.

In academic writing and research, integrating sources plays a pivotal role in shaping the quality and credibility of your work.

When researching or exploring a new topic, the distinction between primary and secondary sources is paramount. The validity, reliability, and relevance of the information you gather will heavily depend on the type of source you consult. 

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Home » Research Summary – Structure, Examples and Writing Guide

Research Summary – Structure, Examples and Writing Guide

Table of Contents

Research Summary

Definition:

A research summary is a brief and concise overview of a research project or study that highlights its key findings, main points, and conclusions. It typically includes a description of the research problem, the research methods used, the results obtained, and the implications or significance of the findings. It is often used as a tool to quickly communicate the main findings of a study to other researchers, stakeholders, or decision-makers.

Structure of Research Summary

The Structure of a Research Summary typically include:

• Introduction : This section provides a brief background of the research problem or question, explains the purpose of the study, and outlines the research objectives.
• Methodology : This section explains the research design, methods, and procedures used to conduct the study. It describes the sample size, data collection methods, and data analysis techniques.
• Results : This section presents the main findings of the study, including statistical analysis if applicable. It may include tables, charts, or graphs to visually represent the data.
• Discussion : This section interprets the results and explains their implications. It discusses the significance of the findings, compares them to previous research, and identifies any limitations or future directions for research.
• Conclusion : This section summarizes the main points of the research and provides a conclusion based on the findings. It may also suggest implications for future research or practical applications of the results.
• References : This section lists the sources cited in the research summary, following the appropriate citation style.

How to Write Research Summary

Here are the steps you can follow to write a research summary:

• Read the research article or study thoroughly: To write a summary, you must understand the research article or study you are summarizing. Therefore, read the article or study carefully to understand its purpose, research design, methodology, results, and conclusions.
• Identify the main points : Once you have read the research article or study, identify the main points, key findings, and research question. You can highlight or take notes of the essential points and findings to use as a reference when writing your summary.
• Write the introduction: Start your summary by introducing the research problem, research question, and purpose of the study. Briefly explain why the research is important and its significance.
• Summarize the methodology : In this section, summarize the research design, methods, and procedures used to conduct the study. Explain the sample size, data collection methods, and data analysis techniques.
• Present the results: Summarize the main findings of the study. Use tables, charts, or graphs to visually represent the data if necessary.
• Interpret the results: In this section, interpret the results and explain their implications. Discuss the significance of the findings, compare them to previous research, and identify any limitations or future directions for research.
• Conclude the summary : Summarize the main points of the research and provide a conclusion based on the findings. Suggest implications for future research or practical applications of the results.
• Revise and edit : Once you have written the summary, revise and edit it to ensure that it is clear, concise, and free of errors. Make sure that your summary accurately represents the research article or study.
• Add references: Include a list of references cited in the research summary, following the appropriate citation style.

Example of Research Summary

Here is an example of a research summary:

Title: The Effects of Yoga on Mental Health: A Meta-Analysis

Introduction: This meta-analysis examines the effects of yoga on mental health. The study aimed to investigate whether yoga practice can improve mental health outcomes such as anxiety, depression, stress, and quality of life.

Methodology : The study analyzed data from 14 randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of yoga on mental health outcomes. The sample included a total of 862 participants. The yoga interventions varied in length and frequency, ranging from four to twelve weeks, with sessions lasting from 45 to 90 minutes.

Results : The meta-analysis found that yoga practice significantly improved mental health outcomes. Participants who practiced yoga showed a significant reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as stress levels. Quality of life also improved in those who practiced yoga.

Discussion : The findings of this study suggest that yoga can be an effective intervention for improving mental health outcomes. The study supports the growing body of evidence that suggests that yoga can have a positive impact on mental health. Limitations of the study include the variability of the yoga interventions, which may affect the generalizability of the findings.

Conclusion : Overall, the findings of this meta-analysis support the use of yoga as an effective intervention for improving mental health outcomes. Further research is needed to determine the optimal length and frequency of yoga interventions for different populations.

References :

• Cramer, H., Lauche, R., Langhorst, J., Dobos, G., & Berger, B. (2013). Yoga for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Depression and anxiety, 30(11), 1068-1083.
• Khalsa, S. B. (2004). Yoga as a therapeutic intervention: a bibliometric analysis of published research studies. Indian journal of physiology and pharmacology, 48(3), 269-285.
• Ross, A., & Thomas, S. (2010). The health benefits of yoga and exercise: a review of comparison studies. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 16(1), 3-12.

Purpose of Research Summary

The purpose of a research summary is to provide a brief overview of a research project or study, including its main points, findings, and conclusions. The summary allows readers to quickly understand the essential aspects of the research without having to read the entire article or study.

Research summaries serve several purposes, including:

• Facilitating comprehension: A research summary allows readers to quickly understand the main points and findings of a research project or study without having to read the entire article or study. This makes it easier for readers to comprehend the research and its significance.
• Communicating research findings: Research summaries are often used to communicate research findings to a wider audience, such as policymakers, practitioners, or the general public. The summary presents the essential aspects of the research in a clear and concise manner, making it easier for non-experts to understand.
• Supporting decision-making: Research summaries can be used to support decision-making processes by providing a summary of the research evidence on a particular topic. This information can be used by policymakers or practitioners to make informed decisions about interventions, programs, or policies.
• Saving time: Research summaries save time for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders who need to review multiple research studies. Rather than having to read the entire article or study, they can quickly review the summary to determine whether the research is relevant to their needs.

Characteristics of Research Summary

The following are some of the key characteristics of a research summary:

• Concise : A research summary should be brief and to the point, providing a clear and concise overview of the main points of the research.
• Objective : A research summary should be written in an objective tone, presenting the research findings without bias or personal opinion.
• Comprehensive : A research summary should cover all the essential aspects of the research, including the research question, methodology, results, and conclusions.
• Accurate : A research summary should accurately reflect the key findings and conclusions of the research.
• Clear and well-organized: A research summary should be easy to read and understand, with a clear structure and logical flow.
• Relevant : A research summary should focus on the most important and relevant aspects of the research, highlighting the key findings and their implications.
• Audience-specific: A research summary should be tailored to the intended audience, using language and terminology that is appropriate and accessible to the reader.
• Citations : A research summary should include citations to the original research articles or studies, allowing readers to access the full text of the research if desired.

When to write Research Summary

Here are some situations when it may be appropriate to write a research summary:

• Proposal stage: A research summary can be included in a research proposal to provide a brief overview of the research aims, objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes.
• Conference presentation: A research summary can be prepared for a conference presentation to summarize the main findings of a study or research project.
• Journal submission: Many academic journals require authors to submit a research summary along with their research article or study. The summary provides a brief overview of the study’s main points, findings, and conclusions and helps readers quickly understand the research.
• Funding application: A research summary can be included in a funding application to provide a brief summary of the research aims, objectives, and expected outcomes.
• Policy brief: A research summary can be prepared as a policy brief to communicate research findings to policymakers or stakeholders in a concise and accessible manner.

Advantages of Research Summary

Research summaries offer several advantages, including:

• Time-saving: A research summary saves time for readers who need to understand the key findings and conclusions of a research project quickly. Rather than reading the entire research article or study, readers can quickly review the summary to determine whether the research is relevant to their needs.
• Clarity and accessibility: A research summary provides a clear and accessible overview of the research project’s main points, making it easier for readers to understand the research without having to be experts in the field.
• Improved comprehension: A research summary helps readers comprehend the research by providing a brief and focused overview of the key findings and conclusions, making it easier to understand the research and its significance.
• Enhanced communication: Research summaries can be used to communicate research findings to a wider audience, such as policymakers, practitioners, or the general public, in a concise and accessible manner.
• Facilitated decision-making: Research summaries can support decision-making processes by providing a summary of the research evidence on a particular topic. Policymakers or practitioners can use this information to make informed decisions about interventions, programs, or policies.
• Increased dissemination: Research summaries can be easily shared and disseminated, allowing research findings to reach a wider audience.

Limitations of Research Summary

Limitations of the Research Summary are as follows:

• Limited scope: Research summaries provide a brief overview of the research project’s main points, findings, and conclusions, which can be limiting. They may not include all the details, nuances, and complexities of the research that readers may need to fully understand the study’s implications.
• Risk of oversimplification: Research summaries can be oversimplified, reducing the complexity of the research and potentially distorting the findings or conclusions.
• Lack of context: Research summaries may not provide sufficient context to fully understand the research findings, such as the research background, methodology, or limitations. This may lead to misunderstandings or misinterpretations of the research.
• Possible bias: Research summaries may be biased if they selectively emphasize certain findings or conclusions over others, potentially distorting the overall picture of the research.
• Format limitations: Research summaries may be constrained by the format or length requirements, making it challenging to fully convey the research’s main points, findings, and conclusions.
• Accessibility: Research summaries may not be accessible to all readers, particularly those with limited literacy skills, visual impairments, or language barriers.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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• Critical Reviews

How to Write an Article Review (With Examples)

Last Updated: April 24, 2024 Fact Checked

Preparing to Write Your Review

Writing the article review, sample article reviews, expert q&a.

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 3,101,737 times.

An article review is both a summary and an evaluation of another writer's article. Teachers often assign article reviews to introduce students to the work of experts in the field. Experts also are often asked to review the work of other professionals. Understanding the main points and arguments of the article is essential for an accurate summation. Logical evaluation of the article's main theme, supporting arguments, and implications for further research is an important element of a review . Here are a few guidelines for writing an article review.

Education specialist Alexander Peterman recommends: "In the case of a review, your objective should be to reflect on the effectiveness of what has already been written, rather than writing to inform your audience about a subject."

Article Review 101

• Read the article very closely, and then take time to reflect on your evaluation. Consider whether the article effectively achieves what it set out to.
• Write out a full article review by completing your intro, summary, evaluation, and conclusion. Don't forget to add a title, too!
• Proofread your review for mistakes (like grammar and usage), while also cutting down on needless information.

• Article reviews present more than just an opinion. You will engage with the text to create a response to the scholarly writer's ideas. You will respond to and use ideas, theories, and research from your studies. Your critique of the article will be based on proof and your own thoughtful reasoning.
• An article review only responds to the author's research. It typically does not provide any new research. However, if you are correcting misleading or otherwise incorrect points, some new data may be presented.
• An article review both summarizes and evaluates the article.

• Summarize the article. Focus on the important points, claims, and information.
• Discuss the positive aspects of the article. Think about what the author does well, good points she makes, and insightful observations.
• Identify contradictions, gaps, and inconsistencies in the text. Determine if there is enough data or research included to support the author's claims. Find any unanswered questions left in the article.

• Make note of words or issues you don't understand and questions you have.
• Look up terms or concepts you are unfamiliar with, so you can fully understand the article. Read about concepts in-depth to make sure you understand their full context.

• Pay careful attention to the meaning of the article. Make sure you fully understand the article. The only way to write a good article review is to understand the article.

• With either method, make an outline of the main points made in the article and the supporting research or arguments. It is strictly a restatement of the main points of the article and does not include your opinions.
• After putting the article in your own words, decide which parts of the article you want to discuss in your review. You can focus on the theoretical approach, the content, the presentation or interpretation of evidence, or the style. You will always discuss the main issues of the article, but you can sometimes also focus on certain aspects. This comes in handy if you want to focus the review towards the content of a course.
• Review the summary outline to eliminate unnecessary items. Erase or cross out the less important arguments or supplemental information. Your revised summary can serve as the basis for the summary you provide at the beginning of your review.

• What does the article set out to do?
• What is the theoretical framework or assumptions?
• Are the central concepts clearly defined?
• How adequate is the evidence?
• How does the article fit into the literature and field?
• Does it advance the knowledge of the subject?
• How clear is the author's writing? Don't: include superficial opinions or your personal reaction. Do: pay attention to your biases, so you can overcome them.

• For example, in MLA , a citation may look like: Duvall, John N. "The (Super)Marketplace of Images: Television as Unmediated Mediation in DeLillo's White Noise ." Arizona Quarterly 50.3 (1994): 127-53. Print. [9] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source

• For example: The article, "Condom use will increase the spread of AIDS," was written by Anthony Zimmerman, a Catholic priest.

• Your introduction should only be 10-25% of your review.
• End the introduction with your thesis. Your thesis should address the above issues. For example: Although the author has some good points, his article is biased and contains some misinterpretation of data from others’ analysis of the effectiveness of the condom.

• Use direct quotes from the author sparingly.
• Review the summary you have written. Read over your summary many times to ensure that your words are an accurate description of the author's article.

• Support your critique with evidence from the article or other texts.
• The summary portion is very important for your critique. You must make the author's argument clear in the summary section for your evaluation to make sense.
• Remember, this is not where you say if you liked the article or not. You are assessing the significance and relevance of the article.
• Use a topic sentence and supportive arguments for each opinion. For example, you might address a particular strength in the first sentence of the opinion section, followed by several sentences elaborating on the significance of the point.

• This should only be about 10% of your overall essay.
• For example: This critical review has evaluated the article "Condom use will increase the spread of AIDS" by Anthony Zimmerman. The arguments in the article show the presence of bias, prejudice, argumentative writing without supporting details, and misinformation. These points weaken the author’s arguments and reduce his credibility.

• Make sure you have identified and discussed the 3-4 key issues in the article.

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• ↑ https://libguides.cmich.edu/writinghelp/articlereview
• ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4548566/
• ↑ Jake Adams. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist. Expert Interview. 24 July 2020.
• ↑ https://guides.library.queensu.ca/introduction-research/writing/critical
• ↑ https://www.iup.edu/writingcenter/writing-resources/organization-and-structure/creating-an-outline.html
• ↑ https://writing.umn.edu/sws/assets/pdf/quicktips/titles.pdf
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_periodicals.html
• ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4548565/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/593/2014/06/How_to_Summarize_a_Research_Article1.pdf
• ↑ https://www.uis.edu/learning-hub/writing-resources/handouts/learning-hub/how-to-review-a-journal-article
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/

About This Article

If you have to write an article review, read through the original article closely, taking notes and highlighting important sections as you read. Next, rewrite the article in your own words, either in a long paragraph or as an outline. Open your article review by citing the article, then write an introduction which states the article’s thesis. Next, summarize the article, followed by your opinion about whether the article was clear, thorough, and useful. Finish with a paragraph that summarizes the main points of the article and your opinions. To learn more about what to include in your personal critique of the article, keep reading the article! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Home Blog Presentation Ideas The Best Ways for Summarizing Business Presentations

The Best Ways for Summarizing Business Presentations

Two things are the easiest to lose when delivering business presentations. The first is the context, and the second follows very closely, to that, in the interest of your audience. The best way to avoid death by PowerPoint during a business presentation is to summarize your content smartly, in what we call a presentation summary . This article will explain some of the best ways to summarize business presentations using several methods.

Table of Contents

What is a Presentation Summary?

Why should you summarize business presentations, what should be included in the presentation summary, how to summarize business presentations, methods of summarizing different types of presentations, examples of presentation summary, final words.

A presentation summary is an essential part of a talk, providing a brief and clear overview of the main points and key takeaways for the audience. It condenses the speaker’s ideas and any critical conclusions or recommendations, so the audience can easily understand and remember the presentation.

You want to add a summary slide for your presentations for the following reasons:

• A presentation summary emphasizes the core message of a talk that you want your audience to take away.
• Presentation summaries provide clarity on complex information.
• A presentation summary allows you, the speaker, to refresh your audience’s memory and improve retention.
• Lastly, a presentation summary is a helpful reference for the audience to review the presentation’s key points.

Overall, a well-crafted presentation summary is a valuable tool for ensuring that the audience fully grasps and appreciates the presentation’s key messages.

Summarizing presentations, especially business presentations, can be a great way to connect with your audience by sticking to what matters and avoiding losing the translation context. Summarizing presentations can also have many other benefits that can really help you shine as a presenter and take off some of that public speaking anxiety. Below are a few reasons why you should summarize your business presentations.

To Make Content Easier to Explain

Every now and then, we see a presenter who likes to create text-heavy slides and a confusing monotone. Summarizing a presentation can help prevent some of these issues. While some people might have issues due to fear of public speaking, making things easier to explain can’t hurt your chances of delivering a presentation without alienating your audience.

To Make Content Easier to Follow

When a topic is too complex for an audience, it does not help to use jargon outside their area of expertise. This happens more often during business presentations than presenters tend to realize. For example, a presentation discussing a new production process might not be easy to understand for people from the finance or sales department. To make the presentation easy to follow for everyone, a diagram or summary of the process might be easier to explain.

Summarizing business presentations, be it in the form of bullet lists, highlighted keywords in small paragraphs, or focusing on visual aids, can be a great way to make your content easier to follow for your audience. To make your presentation have the required impact, such a summary might actually be necessary rather than an option. Otherwise, you may end up with death by PowerPoint.

To Avoid the Context from Getting Lost in Translation

It is arguably easier to follow a summarized version of the context rather than information that might be too much to handle for an audience. Something that many presenters can tend to forget is the attention span of the audience. Research suggests that the average audience attention span has greatly reduced over the past few years amidst a digitized world. A 2015 research by Microsoft highlighted how the audience could lose interest as quickly as 8 seconds. A second less than the goldfish! More recent research has produced similar results, blaming social media for declining attention spans.

Understanding the need to keep your audience interested can help a presenter summarize their slides to avoid losing the context. This is not necessarily linked only to attention spans, as presentations that are lengthy, dull, and lack stimulation can produce the same negative result. Therefore, it is necessary to summarize your context and keep your audience interested using eye-catching visuals, interactive presentation sessions, and at times, short breaks.

Here are the essential components of a good presentation summary.

1. Key Points of the Presentation

The purpose of a summary in a presentation is to reinforce the key message or messages you want your audience to take with them. Since this slide will serve as a quick reference to the main points of your talk, you want to condense the key points of your presentation into bullet points.

2.  Call to Action

A call to action in the presentation summary can help solidify the main points and key takeaways of the presentation while also motivating the audience to take action. It is especially important if the goal of the presentation is to inspire change or promote a product or service. Without a clear call to action, the audience may forget about the presentation and not take any further steps.

If you’re presenting complex information, adding visual aids may help simplify your message to something your audience understands and remembers. Studies have shown that people remember and understand information better in visual formats such as graphs, charts, or images. You could even create a video summarizing the main points of your presentation in a visually captivating way.

4. Contact Details of the Presenter

Including your contact details in a presentation or summary has many benefits. It makes it easy for the audience to get in touch with you after the presentation and shows that you are willing to engage with them. It may help strengthen your brand.

Now that you know why let’s take a look at how to summarize business presentations in a manner that can help keep your audience interested. To create a presentation summary, you can:

Identify the Main Points of Your Presentation

The central idea of the presentation’s summary slide should be the key message or takeaway that the presenter wants the audience to remember. To identify the essential points of a presentation, you can ask yourself:

• What is the problem my presentation is trying to address?
• What is my goal in delivering the presentation?
• What insights do I want to leave my audience with?

By considering these questions and analyzing the presentation’s content, you can determine the central idea or main point you should highlight in the summary slide.

Create an Outline

It is best to start by collecting your thoughts and outlining what you intend to present. You can take notes and create a sequence that best suits your presentation context. This will also make it easy for you to make your presentation. Starting from the basics to the conclusion. You can use a tool like ChatGPT, which relies on generative AI technology , to create your summary too.

Use Key Highlights in Slides

If you are confused about what content to include in your presentation summary slides, you can pick the key highlights of your presentation. For example, when discussing a business forecast, you can discuss the key trends briefly in your slides. A chart, diagram, or table with basic information can help explain the context quickly and easily.

Emphasize Important Bits of Data, Trends & Analysis

There are some ways you can highlight key aspects of your slides. This can include bullet lists, diagrams, or using a different color for important bits of text. For the latter, you can highlight the names of areas, important financial figures, or other important keywords or phrases to make it easy to present and explain your context. Doing so can also help you quickly recall important information and focus on it, without the need to read your slide to remember where to discuss next.

Use Self-Explanatory Visuals

In economics, students are taught the fundamental concept of unlimited wants and limited resources, often by visualizations. You might see a sketch of a dragon about to eat the whole planet in his hands, with the dragon labeled as ‘wants’ and the planet labeled as ‘resources.’  Visuals like these can help explain complex ideas in a single image. Presenters can use similar visualizations with the help of visual slides or infographics . Not only can such images be downloaded from various websites offering stock images, but you can also use readymade PowerPoint templates to edit and create something similar by labeling infographics and diagram slides.

Use Appropriate Layouts that Support Your Content

A presentation discussing critical issues, losses, and failure can fall on deaf ears if the severity of the issue isn’t explained with a bit of emphasis. Not only does the presenter need to ensure this in his/her tone but also in visuals. Using layouts with colors in red or graphics indicating danger or loss can be a way to edge the message in your audience’s minds visually. Similarly, when discussing rosy prospects, a layout that gives calming visuals can be effective.

Many presentations related to improving the environment and reducing pollution use green layouts to encourage the audience to adopt something visually depicted as desirable and healthy. Similarly, presentations about vacations and tourism often have visuals of sandy beaches, water bodies, and people having fun. The use of relevant visuals and layouts can help support your context without saying too much.

Use Speaker Notes to Support Your Presentation

If you’re worried about losing sight of important information without cramming text in your slides, you can use speaker notes. These are hidden notes that the presenter can see when presenting their presentation. You can learn more about using this feature from our guide about using and printing speaker notes in PowerPoint .

There are a number of methods to cut down on text to summarize your slides. Different types of presentations might need various techniques to do this effectively. Here are a few suggestions to help you summarize different types of presentations using various methods.

Dashboards for Data-driven Presentations

A little-known gem for presenters is the use of Dashboard slides. With Dashboard PowerPoint Templates , you can design data-driven presentations by adding various bits of information in a single slide. This might include tables, charts, diagrams, and clipart in a single slide, divided into various sections.

Quizzes for Informative Presentations

Making your context memorable for an audience can be easier by using interactive sessions. If you’re a teacher, trainer, coach, or giving a product demo, looking to help your audience remember important parts of information, you can use quizzes. The use of quizzes can also help keep your audience attentive and make the session fun for them.

Infographics for Depicting Trends and Complex Data

Infographics can help sum up complex information with visual aids. A diagram about user preferences over the past decade in the form of stats might seem boring. However, the same presentation summed up using infographics can help explain the trends easily. For this purpose, a PowerPoint Template with Infographics can be a great way of quickly designing slides with relevant information.

Timelines and Roadmaps

Timelines and roadmaps are often used to discuss project progress, historical context, and forecasts. Using them can be a good way to summarize lengthy details in the form of a few milestones, dates, and labels.

Business Diagrams that can Help Summarize your Slides.

Business diagrams can be another tool to summarize your presentation. Be it a SWOT or PESTEL analysis, sales funnel, or other business diagrams, you can easily incorporate the entire analysis or discussion using a single visualization.

Making Content Memorable

In a previous article about presentation tips , we mentioned the rule of three. This is an age-old rule implying that anything used three times is ‘perfect’ or memorable. You can use this rule by mentioning key highlights at the start, the middle, and the end of your presentation. Such as perhaps something that triggers a call to action. Similarly, you can repeat a word or phrase three times to make it memorable for your audience. Other techniques that you can use include the use of Rhetorical Triangle and the Zeigarnik Effect .

Sales Summary

Here’s an example of a basic presentation summary for sales, which discusses the sales performance of a diet food manufacturer.

The important figures are highlighted using a graph, which clearly shows the company’s sales trends within a year. Below the graph are the conclusions or the key contributing factors to the success.

The speaker also acknowledged the audience (the employees and stakeholders) and left them with a call to action by encouraging them to innovate more.

Customer Journey Summary

Here’s an example of a customer journey summary for presentations. The horizontal map presents each stage of the customer journey, allowing the audience to quickly grasp the overall flow of the service experience.

The conclusions, on the other hand, highlight the critical lessons from the customer journey example. They provide actionable insights for optimizing processes from marketing to product delivery.

Business Proposal Summary

Here’s an example of a summary slide for a business proposal presentation . It encapsulates the prospect’s pain points with visualizations to create urgency.

The presenters’ implementation plan quickly follows, outlining key strategies and activities to be undertaken. There are also quantifiable expected results, which add credibility to the proposal.

The summary slide ends with a polite encouragement for further discussions, leaving the prospect with the specific contact person.

Project Launch Summary

This slide shows what a project/product launch summary looks like. Using a simple three steps diagram, it maps out the timeline of the website development project. The summary slide includes the project’s key milestones — from its early stage and project launch date down to the evaluation — giving the audience a quick reference of the entire process.

Including the project goal sets a clear expectation for the stakeholders and encourages them to explore opportunities for the future.

When summarizing presentations, it’s good to consider what questions to raise or what pattern to follow to make your presentation sequential and memorable. You can look at the potential good questions to ask, and paraphrase to summarize content while using relevant visualizations and layouts. Whether you’re someone afraid of public speaking or an experienced presenter, knowing that your presentations are brief and to the point can give you a sense of calm. It can also help boost your confidence as you look to grab the valuable attention of your audience while keeping them awake amidst short attention spans and critical details tied to what you are presenting.

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How to Summarize a Presentation with AI

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Over the past ten years, I've created hundreds of presentations on PowerPoint (and sometimes on Google Slides) — and I know how important these are for different uses. Whether you want to give a speech, present a product, or share finances in a board meeting, everything is typically possible with a PowerPoint presentation. 

But there's no point in watching a two-hour-long presentation only to know it does not contain any relevant information, right? Thankfully, that's where summarizing a presentation can help. It's like creating a short description that reveals what the viewers can expect from the long slideshow. 

So, how to summarize a presentation , especially when you don't have enough time for it? In this guide, I'll reveal my tried and tested tips to create a short summary. 

What is a Presentation Summary? 

A presentation summary is a short, sweet, and meaningful version of the long video in which you introduce the different components of the presentation and a few key points that you’re talking about. 

In other words, it typically includes the main points or key takeaways that'll provide you with the gist of the presentation — without you having to watch the presentation from start to end. 

Here, you're not trying to convey the entire business strategy or selling points — instead, your goal here is to help the attendees understand the core concept of the presentation. 

How to Summarize a Presentation  

As a freelance writer who wears all the hats of the business, I try to save as much time as I can. As much as I value my time, I look for ways to save energy and effort for my audience. Writing a summary of lengthy videos , articles, documents, interviews , and presentations is one method to help everyone get all the important information in a clear and concise way. However, condensing all information into a few paragraphs (or one page) isn't an easy task. 

Here's the process I follow to summarize presentations in a few paragraphs. 

Identify the Main Goal 

People love free stuff — but only if it's useful. Nobody wants to waste their time and/or effort watching a presentation that does not have the information they need. That's why your first step is to identify the main goal or objective . Here, you'll need to tell them what the presentation is about, what it includes, and what the key takeaways are. 

Write the Summary 

Your ultimate goal is to write the key points in the most concise, easy-to-read way possible. Before you're tempted to include everything in the summary, know that viewers are looking for specific information before they watch the presentation. Tell them why they should spend time on the presentation and fearlessly let them know who the presentation is not meant for. 

Use Visual Aids

While summarizing the presentation, write as though you're talking to someone whose attention you don't want to lose. Get your ideas with the fewest, most effective words possible — but don't forget to add visual aids that keep the audience engaged. It's a great practice for every writer to help their audience not feel overwhelmed with a wall of texts. 

Include Examples and Quotations 

Any presentation is incomplete if you don't include proper examples and quotations. When you write the summary, allot some space for writing examples (two examples per page). Remember, holding onto the reader's attention is very important — and quotations can help you do just that. 

Example of a Presentation Summary 

The presentation summary begins with a hook that draws the audience in, helps them understand the value you offer, provides some proof, and finally ends with a strong CTA. It's relatively easy to incorporate these elements and create a summary. But if you're still finding it hard, here's a real-life presentation summary example for inspiration. 

Today, we are excited to share with you our new Product X — the future of eyewear technology. At Company X, glasses aren't just for style — but it's a combination of comfort, innovation, and productivity.  That's why we developed Product X, which combines two top technologies — AI and AR. The users reported a 20% boost in productivity and a 40% reduction in eye fatigue. It's now available for everyone — and anyone can place their orders on the website. 

Tips for Summarizing a Presentation 

Summaries can be incredibly effective for both hosts and audiences — only if you know how to craft attention-grabbing ones. Here, I'll show you how I summarize a presentation that gets positive responses from almost all the attendees. 

Use Simple Language 

The best presentation summary should be clear, concise, direct, and descriptive . Your main aim is to use simple language and give the attendees what they want. 

My best tip is to: write for your audience, not yourself — and, for this, you need to put yourself in the shoes of a specific audience as you write. 

Be Scannable 

Use bullet points, numbers, and/or bolding to make your summary skimmable and digestible — that emphasizes the key points. The success of the summary will depend upon making the presentation's key takeaways easy for your readers to quickly process the main points. 

Use AI Presentation Summarizer 

If you struggle to condense information into a basic, short summary, give Notta a try. Unlike nearly all other AI presentation summarizer apps on the market, Notta is a more accurate transcriber and summarizer that can condense long audio/video files into an informative summary. 

What I really found useful is Notta's ability to structure a summary into an overview, key chapters, and action items. You can even share this summarized version with the presentation attendees once the meeting is over — helping them understand what was covered in the presentation and what the next steps are. 

Try Notta - the best online transcription & summarization tool. Transcribe and summarize your conversations and meetings quickly with high accuracy.

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How to Do a Good Summary on PowerPoint? 

PowerPoint has become synonymous with presentations — it's a free tool where you can make a slide deck and collaborate with your team. A good summary on PowerPoint can attract more audience to your presentation and even help the attendees get more clarity. Here, I'll reveal the three pillars of writing a good summary. 

Include Key Points: The first thing is to write the key (or main) points in a concise and focused way. You can even use bullet points or some visual aids to keep things clear and uncluttered on slides. 

Identify & Summarize Each Section: If you're giving a lengthy presentation, I'm assuming you've categorized it into different sections. While summarizing, you'll need to focus on each section and identify the key takeaway from it. 

Highlight the Main Takeaway: If the presentation focuses on any problem and offers a solution, it's time to highlight it. As a presenter, you'll need to introduce the problem in the first line, followed by the solution that's offered in the presentation. 

Is There an AI that Summarizes PowerPoint Slides? 

Yes, there are many AI online summarizers that can summarize PowerPoint slides. Copilot in PowerPoint, for example, can read through the slides and provide a bulleted summary with key points. If you've pre-recorded presentation recordings, you are probably searching for a dedicated way to summarize the slides. 

Notta is one powerful and popular AI note-taking application — and, that too, for a good reason. There's a summarizing feature for almost imaginable purposes: just upload the presentation audio/video, and Notta will automatically transcribe the spoken words and then summarize the content. 

Key Takeaways 

Once you discover the power of summaries, the temptation to create summaries for everything is real. But this can leave you with a new problem: a lot of manual work. So, how to summarize a presentation without much time and effort? That's where the third-party AI summary generators make it easy for you.

Notta is an AI note-taking and AI presentation summarizer tool, especially for people who are not making presentations for fun. It comes with a free generous plan and affordable paid plans that help you record, transcribe, and then summarize media files (including presentations) — with high accuracy.

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Writing an Article Summary

Oct 17, 2011

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Writing an Article Summary. Article Summaries are due on Fridays. Where can you find science articles?. Magazines Newspapers Internet The topic must be science, and related to this class. A Science Article Summary. Is thoughtful Summarizes the article’s content

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• science articles
• science research
• bibliographical information
• double spaced
• combined purpose
• science article summary

Presentation Transcript

Writing an Article Summary Article Summaries are due on Fridays.

Where can you find science articles? • Magazines • Newspapers • Internet The topic must be science, and related to this class.

A Science Article Summary • Is thoughtful • Summarizes the article’s content • Discusses the article’s effectiveness • Your points are supported by quotes. • 1.5 typed pages, double spaced.

Format • Bibliographical Information • Tell the purpose of the article • Summarize the content • Identify the writer’s strategy • Evaluate the effectiveness of the article (accuracy, clarity, organization) • Use a quote from the article to support your point(s). • What was your reaction to this article?

Bibliographical information • Author (s) • Article title • Magazine/newspaper/web title • Date

Purpose of the Article • Why was this article written? • A report on science research • A news story - informational • An explanation of an idea or concept • A warning • Persuasive or presents an argument • Instructional - How to do something • Entertainment • Combined purpose

Summarize the content • Is there a hypothesis, procedure and conclusions? Identify each one • Does the writer have a point to make? What is it? • It it a news story? What’s up?

Definition Illustrations Examples Classification Comparison and Contrast Analysis Describes of a Process Narration Cause/Effect Analysis Identify the writer’s strategy How did the writer achieving their purpose?

Evaluate effectiveness • How does the writer do on… • Accuracy? • Clarity? • Organization? • Strengths or weaknesses? • Is the article… • Factual? • Logical? • Objective? • Confrontational? • Exaggeration?

What is your reaction? Did you learn something? Did you find it interesting? Do you believe it? Were you surprised? Did you discuss it with friends? Why?

Guidelines • Articles are due on Fridays • Due during the class period • 1.5 pages, double spaced • Correct grammar and spelling • Variety of vocabulary

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An appetizer for the article writing course. Charlotte Leboeuf-Yde , DC , MPH, PhD Professor in Clinical Biomechanics SDU. Why write an article ?. Because you must To make your findings known to others To look good and become famous The Nobel Prize.

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Writing an Objective Summary. Introductory Unit: What Lies Ahead?. Writing an Objective Summary. Writing an objective summary involves recording the main ideas of a text while showing your understanding of the topic. Objective means: No opinions No reactions No personal connections

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Chapter 4. Summary Writing. http://unit.xjtu.edu.cn/yyb/jpkc/data/jxms/86/1pyq/second_xiezuo_p/Chapter%205%20Summary%20Writing/Summary%20Writing.ppt. Objectives. Give an appropriate definition for a summary Know the characteristics of a good summary Learn the techniques in summary writing

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دانشکده مهندسي پزشكي. Article Writing. By: Fereshteh Lagzi Motahareh Moghtadaei Nafiseh Erfanian Saeedi Sara Ranjbar. Introduction. Research Purpose. Pushing back the frontiers of science. Spreading abroad. Introduction. First Journals published in 1665 : Journal des sçavans

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http://www.seowritingservices.info/our-seo-content-writing-services/seo-article-writing-service/

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• Case Report
• Open access
• Published: 14 May 2024

Motor polyradiculoneuropathy as an unusual presentation of neurobrucellosis: a case report and literature review

• Ahmad Alikhani 1 ,
• Noushin Ahmadi 1 ,
• Mehran Frouzanian 2 &
• Amirsaleh Abdollahi 2  

BMC Infectious Diseases volume  24 , Article number:  491 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

Brucellosis, a zoonotic disease caused by Brucella species, poses a significant global health concern. Among its diverse clinical manifestations, neurobrucellosis remains an infrequent yet debilitating complication. Here, we present a rare case of neurobrucellosis with unusual presentations in a 45-year-old woman. The patient’s clinical course included progressive lower extremity weakness, muscle wasting, and double vision, prompting a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation. Notable findings included polyneuropathy, elevated brucella agglutination titers in both cerebrospinal fluid and blood, abnormal EMG-NCV tests, and resolving symptoms with antibiotic therapy. The clinical presentation, diagnostic challenges, and differentiation from other neurological conditions are discussed. This case underscores the importance of considering neurobrucellosis in regions where brucellosis is prevalent and highlights this rare neurological complication’s distinctive clinical and radiological features. Early recognition and appropriate treatment are crucial to mitigate the significant morbidity associated with neurobrucellosis.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

Brucellosis, caused by Brucella species, is an infectious ailment recognized by various names such as remitting, undulant, Mediterranean, Maltese, Crimean, and goat fever. Humans contract it through the consumption of unpasteurized milk and dairy products, undercooked meat, or skin contact with infected livestock [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Various Brucella species, including Brucella melitensis (primarily sourced from sheep and goats), Brucella abortus (found in cattle), Brucella suis (associated with pigs/hogs), and Brucella canis (linked to dogs), can lead to illness in humans [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. While brucellosis in humans is rarely fatal, it can lead to disability [ 6 ]. Brucellosis ranks among the most prevalent zoonotic diseases, impacting approximately 500,000 individuals yearly [ 7 ]. The combined estimate for the prevalence of brucellosis was 15.53% [ 8 ].

Neurobrucellosis, a rare complication of systemic brucellosis, can occur in adult and pediatric cases [ 9 ], and can manifest at any stage of the disease. They can present in various clinical presentations such as meningitis, encephalitis, meningoencephalitis, myelitis, radiculopathy, polyneuropathy, stroke, cerebral venous thrombosis, and occasionally psychiatric symptoms [ 10 , 11 ]. Although the mortality rate is low, patients often experience persistent neurological issues following neurobrucellosis [ 12 ]. Studies suggest that around 20% of neurobrucellosis cases result in lasting neurological problems [ 13 ]. It is uncommonly considered in cases of meningoencephalitis or polyneuropathy, making it crucial for clinicians to have a high suspicion of it in patients displaying such symptoms, especially in endemic regions, to prevent severe clinical outcomes. In this study, we present a rare case of neurobrucellosis with unusual clinical presentations in a patient admitted to our center.

Case presentation

A 45-year-old female patient, with no prior medical history, presented to our center after enduring distal pain and weakness in her lower extremities for approximately 10 months. Over this period, the muscle weakness progressed, affecting proximal muscles of upper and lower limbs, and leading to a substantial weight loss of 25–30 kg despite maintaining appetite. Initially dismissive of the limb weakness and pain, the patient sought medical attention six months after symptom onset due to the worsening symptoms and gait impairment. Over the subsequent four months, she underwent multiple medical evaluations and tests, including a lumbar X-ray. Following these initial investigations and due to low serum vitamin D levels, vitamin D and calcium supplements were prescribed, and lumbar MRI were requested for further evaluation. (Table  1 )

Upon referral to an infectious disease specialist, the patient’s history of local dairy consumption and positive serologic test for brucellosis prompted treatment with rifampin and doxycycline. However, the patient’s condition deteriorated significantly five days after starting this treatment. She experienced severe gait disorder, lower extremity weakness, diplopia, and blurred vision that had gradually worsened over two weeks. Subsequently, she presented to our center for further assessment.

Upon admission, the patient was unable to stand even with assistance and exhibited diplopia. Cranial nerve examination revealed no abnormalities, except for the II, III, and IV cranial nerves, which could not be thoroughly examined due to the presence of diplopia. The patient tested negative for Kernig and Brudzinski signs. There were no palpable supraclavicular or inguinal lymph nodes. Physical examinations of the breast, axilla, lungs, heart, and abdomen were unremarkable. Muscle strength was reduced in the lower extremities, and deep tendon reflexes of the knee and Achilles were absent. The plantar reflex was non-responsive, and certain reflexes, including biceps, triceps, and brachioradialis, were absent despite normal movement of the upper extremities. Anorectal muscle tone and anal reflex were normal.

Further investigations included normal urinalysis and abdominal and pelvic ultrasound. Chest X-ray and brain CT were also ordered. Due to the patient’s refusal of lumbar puncture, a suspicion of neurobrucellosis led to the initiation of a three-drug regimen (Table  2 ); ceftriaxone 2 g IV twice daily, rifampin 600 mg PO daily, and doxycycline 100 mg PO twice daily. The ophthalmology consultation did not reveal any ocular pathology, and the neurologist ordered brain MRI and EMG-NCV tests. The patient’s brain MRI was unremarkable, but EMG-NCV showed sensory and motor polyneuropathy. Consequently, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy was initiated at a daily dose of 25 g. After five days, the patient consented to lumbar puncture, confirming the diagnosis of brucellosis. Co-trimoxazole 960 mg PO three times daily was added to her treatment regimen, and IVIG therapy continued for seven days. Following a 3-day course of IVIG treatment, the neuropathy symptoms showed significant improvement. By the seventh day, there was a notable enhancement in limb strength, particularly in the upper limbs, reaching a 2-point improvement. After undergoing three weeks of intravenous therapy, the patient transitioned to oral medication. Despite disagreement regarding the necessity of a second CSF examination, the patient was discharged with a prescription for doxycycline, rifampin, and cotrimoxazole. Upon discharge, the patient could walk with the aid of a walker. However, within a month, a slight limp persisted, and by the third-month post-discharge, all symptoms had resolved completely.

Brucellosis is widely spread globally, with more than half a million reported human cases annually [ 14 , 15 ]. Countries like Kenya, Yemen, Syria, Greece, and Eritrea have experienced high rates of brucellosis. The situation of brucellosis has shown signs of improvement in many epidemic regions. However, new areas with high occurrences of this disease continue to emerge, particularly in Africa and the Middle East, where the incidence of the disease varies [ 16 ]. Brucellosis is linked to various neurological complications collectively known as neurobrucellosis, which is an uncommon condition, and only a few cases have been reported globally [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. Our patient exhibited muscle weakness, polyneuropathy, and inability to walk, which are often not regarded as indicative of a brucella infection by many physicians. While the diagnosis of neurobrucellosis can typically be confirmed through classical clinical signs, radiological examinations, and serological tests, patients might not always display typical symptoms, as observed in our case. Hence, in regions where the disease is prevalent, clinicians should maintain a high level of suspicion if patients do not show improvement with standard treatment. Additionally, the lack of awareness among healthcare professionals and limited access to advanced laboratory facilities can lead to misdiagnosis.

The frequent manifestations of neurobrucellosis include meningitis or meningoencephalitis. Typically, it starts with a sudden headache, vomiting, and altered mental state, which can progress to unconsciousness, with or without seizures [ 22 ]. Additionally, brucellosis can lead to several central nervous system issues such as inflammation of cerebral blood vessels, abscesses in the brain or epidural space, strokes, and cerebellar ataxia. Peripheral nerve problems may include nerve damage or radiculopathy, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and a syndrome resembling poliomyelitis [ 13 ]. Nevertheless, the patient exhibited no indications of seizures, brain hemorrhage, stroke, or focal neurological impairments. Instead, the observed symptoms were consistent with radiculopathy and muscular weakness.

In only 7% of neurobrucellosis cases, the peripheral nervous system is affected. Remarkably, our case falls within this rare category, adding to its unique and intriguing nature. Previous case studies have detailed polyradiculoneuropathies, manifesting as acute, subacute, or chronic forms [ 23 ]. Our patient’s condition aligns with chronic motor polyradiculopathy. Interestingly, some of these cases exhibit sensory deficits or resemble Guillain-Barré syndrome [ 23 , 24 ]. In a prior case study conducted by Abuzinadah and colleagues, a comparable case was described as a subacute motor polyradiculopathy. The patient exhibited gradual bilateral lower limb weakness over three weeks, eventually leading to loss of mobility within seven weeks. Brucella was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid after a two-week incubation period, and high antibody titers were detected in the patient’s serum [ 23 ]. In another study led by Alanazi and colleagues, a 56-year-old man initially diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome experienced worsening symptoms despite appropriate treatment. Following plasma exchange and antibiotics, his condition improved temporarily, only to relapse, raising suspicion of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, and treatment with IVIG resulted in substantial improvement. Upon further investigation, he was diagnosed with brucellosis [ 24 ]. This highlights the importance of recognizing GBS-like symptoms in regions where brucellosis is prevalent, prompting clinicians to consider the possibility of brucellosis in their diagnosis.

While there are no established criteria for diagnosing neurobrucellosis [ 25 ], certain articles have suggested several methods for its diagnosis. These methods include the presence of symptoms aligning with neurobrucellosis, isolating brucella from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or detecting a positive brucella agglutination titer in CSF, observing lymphocytosis, elevated protein, and decreased glucose levels in CSF, or identifying specific diagnostic indicators in cranial imaging such as magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography (MRI or CT) [ 13 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. Neurobrucellosis does not present a distinct clinical profile or specific CSF characteristics. Imaging observations of neurobrucellosis fall into four categories: normal, inflammatory (indicated by granulomas and enhanced meninges, perivascular spaces, or lumbar nerve roots), alterations in white matter, and vascular changes [ 29 ]. We suspected neurobrucellosis based on the patient’s clinical symptoms, geographic correlation, high brucella agglutination test titers in both cerebrospinal fluid and blood, symptom resolution following treatment, and the exclusion of other common causes.

In Iran, one differential diagnosis often confused with brucellosis is tuberculosis, as both chronic granulomatous infectious diseases are prevalent here [ 30 , 31 ]. Neurobrucellosis and tuberculosis exhibit significant similarities in clinical symptoms, lab results, and neuroimaging findings. However, deep grey matter involvement and widespread white matter lesions seen in neuroimaging, resembling demyelinating disorders, appear to be distinctive to brucellosis [ 32 ]. There is a noticeable similarity in the clinical symptoms and laboratory findings of brucellosis and tuberculosis [ 33 ]. It is crucial to thoroughly eliminate the possibility of tuberculosis in any suspected or confirmed brucellosis cases before starting antibiotic treatment.

Due to the challenging nature of treating brucellosis and the likelihood of experiencing relapses, it is crucial to provide an extended course of treatment [ 27 ]. This treatment approach should involve a combination of antibiotics that can easily penetrate the cell wall and effectively reach the central nervous system [ 27 , 34 ]. Neurobrucellosis is treated with 3 to 6 months of combination therapy comprising doxycycline, rifampicin, and ceftriaxone or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole [ 35 ], similar to the treatment administered to our patient. For patients allergic to cephalosporins, quinolones are recommended, which are considered to be effective in treating brucellosis [ 36 , 37 ]. In complicated situations such as meningitis or endocarditis, streptomycin or gentamicin is administered in the initial 14 days of treatment, in addition to the previously mentioned regimen. Timely and proper treatment results in a positive prognosis, with a less than 1% fatality rate for such complex cases [ 17 , 38 ]. Our patient experienced a highly positive outcome following the prescribed therapy. Initially relying on a walker, a slight limp endured for a month, and by the third month after discharge, all symptoms completely disappeared.

The present study underscores the significance of considering neurobrucellosis as a potential diagnosis when evaluating muscle weakness and radiculopathy, especially in regions where the disease is prevalent. A comprehensive patient history, precise clinical examination, positive serology in blood or cerebrospinal fluid, imaging results, or cerebrospinal fluid analysis can contribute to establishing a conclusive diagnosis.

Data availability

The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to our team’s privacy concerns but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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A.A oversaw and treated the case, including the entire revision process. N.A. contributed to the article’s composition. M.F. authored the discussion section, along with the complete revision. AS.A. played a role in crafting the case report discussion and participated in the entire revision process.

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Alikhani, A., Ahmadi, N., Frouzanian, M. et al. Motor polyradiculoneuropathy as an unusual presentation of neurobrucellosis: a case report and literature review. BMC Infect Dis 24 , 491 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-024-09365-2

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Review: Hold Presentation Reservations with the AirServer Connect 2

John Breeden II is an award-winning reviewer and public speaker with 20 years of experience covering technology.

Even within dedicated conference rooms , setting up a connection between a laptop or smartphone and a large display often proves tricky. Joining via an agency’s wireless network is also trouble-some, requiring a strong signal and an uncongested network, especially when streaming high-resolution content.

AirServer Connect 2 simplifies those challenges while also strengthening security. It generates a small local wireless network whose only purpose is to connect presenters to a nearby display or multimedia system inside a dedicated meeting space.

Separated from other agency networks, this network has its own security and passwords, and can be used only for authorized presenters to connect seamlessly to local displays or sound systems.

When set up properly, there is no issue with getting the attached display to work as presenters log in to the private network. Administrators plug the mini-server into the display using an HDMI cable, then set that up as the dedicated connection method.

Click the banner below to begin modernizing your agency's digital experience.

A Dedicated Wireless Network for Presentations

Authorized presenters who connect wirelessly to the AirServer can stream presentations up to 3840x2160 (4K Ultra HD) and with Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD 7.1 channel sound. Having a dedicated wireless network for presentations on a single display or multimedia system means the network is never congested. Up to eight presenters can connect simultaneously for screen sharing or to hand off presentation duties.

In addition to a dedicated connection, AirServer also offers greater security than an open connection or allowing presenters access to the main network, particularly when they are guests or nonfederal employees.

The AirServer wireless network can be used strictly for presentations and is likely accessible only in the area near the display device.

Even with those inherent design protections, AirServer shields its local wireless network using WPA2. With a Gigabit Ethernet port, IT staff can have AirServer automatically update itself with the latest security patches , ensuring the hardware and the wireless network it creates are fully protected.

Pushing the Power of Presentations with an AirServer Connect 2

The AirServer Connect 2 has an entire 802.11b/g/n/ac wireless network dedicated to presentations on a single display, which offers an incredible amount of bandwidth free from other users and applications.

To test this out, I connected an AirServer Connect 2 to a 43-inch LED monitor. This was extremely easy using one of the display’s two HDMI ports, as was setting up the AirServer’s secure and dedicated wireless network that would serve as the testbed.

Once that was complete, the first test involved connecting to the AirServer network using a laptop running Windows 10. I streamed a 4K-quality movie through the private wireless network while also listening to Dolby TrueHD sound through a set of external speakers but using the same wireless network and HDMI cable. The presentation was seamless, without any lag or artifacts forming on the screen.

LEARN MORE: How can high-resolution displays be protected against attack?

Next, because the AirServer 2 supports up to eight simultaneous connections, I wirelessly connected an Android smartphone and a Mac notebook. I also activated a monitor-testing suite on the notebook to test whether the wireless connection caused any deterioration in quality.

It didn’t. In fact, the monitor got an almost identical score for image quality while sharing the signal for the test with two other video streams on the same AirServer 2 network.

Incidentally, when I tried the same test using my lab’s main wireless network (which was busy with other users and activities at the time), not only did the quality of the presentation drop, but I also hindered access for people performing other activities by hogging a big chunk of the available bandwidth.

It was far better for everyone for the presentations to use the private network generated by the AirServer Connect 2. The presentations looked amazing, and no one on the main network experienced any slowdown or lag with their applications because it never touched their bandwidth.

That makes the AirServer Connect 2 quite an elegant solution for use within busy federal agencies where the wireless infrastructure may not always be able to support mission-critical, high-bandwidth presentations.

SPECIFICATIONS

DEVICE TYPE:  Dedicated mini server for presentations CONNECTIVITY OPTIONS FOR PRESENTERS:   Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Miracast, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n/ac CONNECTIVITY OPTIONS FOR ATTACHING DISPLAYS:  HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0, USB 3.1 APPS WITH DIRECT CASTING SUPPORT:  YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Spotify, many other Chromecast-enabled apps DIMENSIONS:  2.8x2.8x1.3 inches WEIGHT:  9.17 ounces

Show Off Your Logo

When not in use, administrators have a lot of options for the AirServer’s attached monitor. Having it turn off is one possibility, but it can also display agency logos on the screen by default when not connected to a presenter’s signal.

It’s even possible to set up digital signage applications that can easily be configured and managed using the provided interface.

Presentations are a fact of life at federal agencies, and a device such as the AirServer Connect 2 can ensure they are free from technical difficulties and protected from unauthorized access.

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OpenAI's big event: CTO Mira Murati announces GPT-4o, which gives ChatGPT a better voice and eyes

• OpenAI's "Spring Update" revealed new updates to ChatGPT.
• OpenAI CTO Mira Murati kicked off the event.
• She announced GPT-4o, its next flagship AI model, with improved voice and vision capabilities.

OpenAI just took the wraps off a big new update to ChatGPT.

Cofounder and CEO Sam Altman had teased "new stuff" coming to ChatGPT and GPT-4 , the AI model that powers its chatbot, and told his followers to tune in Monday at 1 p.m. ET for its "Spring Update" to learn more.

Also ahead of time, Altman ruled that the event would reveal GPT-5 or a new OpenAI search engine, which is reportedly in the works. OpenAI is reportedly planning to eventually take on internet search giant Google with its own AI-powered search product.

But the big news on Monday was OpenAI's new flagship AI model, GPT-4o, which will be free to all users and "can reason across audio, vision, and text in real time." It was CTO Mira Murati who delivered the updates with no appearance on the livestream from Altman.

There were a ton of demos intended to demonstrate the real-time smarts of GPT-4o.

OpenAI researchers showed how the new ChatGPT can quickly translate speech and help with basic linear algebra using its visual capabilities. The use of the tech on school assignments has been a polarizing topic in education since it first launched.

Say hello to GPT-4o, our new flagship model which can reason across audio, vision, and text in real time: https://t.co/MYHZB79UqN Text and image input rolling out today in API and ChatGPT with voice and video in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com/uuthKZyzYx — OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 13, 2024

OpenAI posted another example to X of how one can interact with the new ChatGPT bot. It resembled a video call, and it got pretty meta.

In the video, ChatGPT takes in the room around it, discerns it's a recording setup, figures it might have something to do with OpenAI since the user is wearing a hoodie, and then gets told that the announcement has to do with the AI — it is the AI. It reacts with a voice that sounds more emotive.

OpenAI also announced the desktop version of ChatGPT, and a new and improved user interface.

In addition to GPT-4o and ChatGPT, OpenAI's other products include its AI-powered image generator DALL-E , its unreleased text-to-video generator Sora , and its GPT app store.

You can catch up on our liveblog of the event below.

That’s a wrap! OpenAI concludes the event without an appearance from Altman.

OpenAI says text and image input for GPT-4o-powered ChatGPT is launching today. Meanwhile, voice and video options will drop in the coming weeks, the company said.

Although Altman didn't step in front of the camera, the CEO posted videos from the audience on X.

He also teases "more stuff to share soon."

GPT-4o can also break down charts

The new AI model can interact with code bases, the OpenAI execs say. The next demo shows it analyzing a chart from some data.

It's a plot of global temperatures. GPT-4o gives some takeaways from what it sees, and CTO Mira Murati asks about the Y axis, which the AI explains.

ChatGPT reads human emotions — with a stumble

For the last live demo of the day, Zoph holds his phone up to his face and asks ChatGPT to tell him how he looks. Initially, it identifies him as a "wooden surface" — a reference to an earlier photo he had shared.

But after a second try, the model gives a better answer.

"It looks like you're feeling pretty happy and cheerful," ChatGPT says, noting the small smile on Zoph's face.

In one of the final tests, ChatGPT becomes a translator

In response to a request from an X user, Murati speaks to ChatGPT in Italian.

In turn, the bot translates her query into English for Zoph and Chen.

"Mike, she wonders if whales could talk, what would they tell us?" she said in English after hearing Murati's Italian.

It's pretty impressive.

The video demo shows how it could help with math homework, including basic linear algebra

OpenAI Research Lead Barret Zoph walks through an equation on a whiteboard (3x+1=4), and ChatGPT gives him hints as he finds the value of x — making it basically a real-time math tutor.

At the beginning, the bot jumped the gun.

"Whoops, I got too excited," it said after it tried to solve the math problem hadn't been uploaded yet.

But it then walked him through each step, recognizing his written work as he tried to solve the equation.

It was able to recognize math symbols, and even a heart.

OpenAI's first demo: Talking to GPT-4o

It's demo time!

The new bot has a voice that sounds like an American female, but no word yet if you can change it.

OpenAI Research Lead Mark Chen pulled out ChatGPT on his phone and asks for advice on giving a live presentation using Voice Mode.

"Mark, you're not a vacuum cleaner," it responds when he hyperventilates, appearing to perceive his nervousness. It then tells him to moderate his breathing.

Some big changes, you can interrupt the AI now, and there shouldn't be the usual 2 or 3-second delay with GPT-4o.

It can also detect emotion, according to OpenAI.

GPT-4o will have improved voice capabilities

Murati emphasizes the necessity of safety with the real-time voice and audio capabilities of the new GPT-4o model.

She says OpenAI is "continuing our iterative deployment to bring all the capabilities to you."

Murati says the big news is a "new flagship model" called GPT-4o.

The new model is called GPT-4o, and Murati says that OpenAI is making a "huge step forward" with ease of use with the new model.

It's free for users, and "allows us to bring GPT-4 class intelligence to our free users," Murati says.

And we're off!

The livestream began with CTO Mira Murati at OpenAI's offices.

OpenAI is going to be announcing 3 things today, she says. "That's it."

For those who want to watch live, you can view the whole event here.

OpenAI will be livestreaming its spring update, which kicks off in less than an hour.

Axel Springer, Business Insider's parent company, has a global deal to allow OpenAI to train its models on its media brands' reporting.

• Main content

OpenAI debuts GPT-4o ‘omni’ model now powering ChatGPT

OpenAI announced a new flagship generative AI model on Monday that they call GPT-4o — the “o” stands for “omni,” referring to the model’s ability to handle text, speech, and video. GPT-4o is set to roll out “iteratively” across the company’s developer and consumer-facing products over the next few weeks.

OpenAI CTO Mira Murati said that GPT-4o provides “GPT-4-level” intelligence but improves on GPT-4’s capabilities across multiple modalities and media.

“GPT-4o reasons across voice, text and vision,” Murati said during a streamed presentation at OpenAI’s offices in San Francisco on Monday. “And this is incredibly important, because we’re looking at the future of interaction between ourselves and machines.”

GPT-4 Turbo , OpenAI’s previous “leading “most advanced” model, was trained on a combination of images and text and could analyze images and text to accomplish tasks like extracting text from images or even describing the content of those images. But GPT-4o adds speech to the mix.

What does this enable? A variety of things. 

GPT-4o greatly improves the experience in OpenAI’s AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT . The platform has long offered a voice mode that transcribes the chatbot’s responses using a text-to-speech model, but GPT-4o supercharges this, allowing users to interact with ChatGPT more like an assistant. 

For example, users can ask the GPT-4o-powered ChatGPT a question and interrupt ChatGPT while it’s answering. The model delivers “real-time” responsiveness, OpenAI says, and can even pick up on nuances in a user’s voice, in response generating voices in “a range of different emotive styles” (including singing). 

GPT-4o also upgrades ChatGPT’s vision capabilities. Given a photo — or a desktop screen — ChatGPT can now quickly answer related questions, from topics ranging from “What’s going on in this software code?” to “What brand of shirt is this person wearing?”

These features will evolve further in the future, Murati says. While today GPT-4o can look at a picture of a menu in a different language and translate it, in the future, the model could allow ChatGPT to, for instance, “watch” a live sports game and explain the rules to you.

“We know that these models are getting more and more complex, but we want the experience of interaction to actually become more natural, easy, and for you not to focus on the UI at all, but just focus on the collaboration with ChatGPT,” Murati said. “For the past couple of years, we’ve been very focused on improving the intelligence of these models … But this is the first time that we are really making a huge step forward when it comes to the ease of use.”

GPT-4o is more multilingual as well, OpenAI claims, with enhanced performance in around 50 languages. And in OpenAI’s API and Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service , GPT-4o is twice as fast as, half the price of and has higher rate limits than GPT-4 Turbo, the company says.

At present, voice isn’t a part of the GPT-4o API for all customers. OpenAI, citing the risk of misuse, says that it plans to first launch support for GPT-4o’s new audio capabilities to “a small group of trusted partners” in the coming weeks.

GPT-4o is available in the free tier of ChatGPT starting today and to subscribers to OpenAI’s premium ChatGPT Plus and Team plans with “5x higher” message limits. (OpenAI notes that ChatGPT will automatically switch to GPT-3.5 , an older and less capable model, when users hit the rate limit.) The improved ChatGPT voice experience underpinned by GPT-4o will arrive in alpha for Plus users in the next month or so, alongside enterprise-focused options .

In related news, OpenAI announced that it’s releasing a refreshed ChatGPT UI on the web with a new, “more conversational” home screen and message layout, and a desktop version of ChatGPT for macOS that lets users ask questions via a keyboard shortcut or take and discuss screenshots. ChatGPT Plus users will get access to the app first, starting today, and a Windows version will arrive later in the year.

Elsewhere, the GPT Store , OpenAI’s library of and creation tools for third-party chatbots built on its AI models, is now available to users of ChatGPT’s free tier. And free users can take advantage of ChatGPT features that were formerly paywalled, like a memory capability that allows ChatGPT to “remember” preferences for future interactions, upload files and photos, and search the web for answers to timely questions.

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