How to Document Summaries in Research Papers

From high school to college and beyond, students are asked to write research papers. Knowing how to properly document the sources used in each paper is essential to success, as documentation is the proof that the paper was not plagiarized.



When writing a paper, students don't want to quote all the time. Teachers and professors want students to use their own words. Therefore, summarizing sources is essential. However, just because students summarize information doesn't mean it shouldn't be properly documented. Even if students take information and put it in their own words, proper documentation is a must.



The two most common citation styles are Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA).

Things You'll Need

  • Student summary
  • Word processor
  • Style guide (MLA or APA)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Write a summary of the information from your research. Put it in your own words.

    • 2

      Decide where in your research paper you want to include your summary.

    • 3

      Place a clear signal phrase where you want your summary. A signal phrase identifies the beginning of the summary. For example, you might write, "According to..." to signal that you are now going to write about someone else's ideas.

    • 4

      Insert your summary after your signal phrase.

    • 5

      End the summary (in MLA style) with the page number or numbers where you found the information in your summary in parentheses, followed by the punctuation of the sentence. For example, if you found the information on page 11, your summary would conclude: "... (11)." If you do not start your summary with a clear signal phrase, you may just include the summary, followed by the author's name and page number in parentheses. In this case, your summary would conclude: "... (Johnson 11)." You may then continue writing your paper.

    • 6

      End the summary (in APA style) with the author's last name, a comma and the year the source was published in parentheses, followed by the punctuation of the sentence. For example, if you found the information in a source written by Mike Johnson and it was published in 2009, your summary would conclude: "... (Johnson, 2009)." In APA style, even if you start with a signal phrase including the author's name, you must include the author's name in the citation. Continue writing the body of your paper.

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