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How to Write a Summary of a Critique in APA Format

Many writers run into trouble when summarizing, even more so than when writing their own critiques. This is because summarizing a critique requires the writer to capture the gist of the critique into a condensed paragraph without losing what made the original critique special. APA-style summaries are called abstracts, and are placed in the beginning of the paper before the actual critique.

Instructions

- 1
  Open a blank page in your word processor and type the running head flush left in all caps. The running head is the title of the essay in fewer than 60 characters and should look like: RUNNING HEAD: TITLE OF ESSAY. Insert the page number in the top right corner and center the word "Abstract" on the first line of the page.
- 2
  Pick out the most important elements of the critique.
- 3
  Structure the summary in the same order as the critique and briefly summarize the introduction beginning one double-space below the centered "Abstract."
- 4
  Write one to two sentences of summary for each section of the critique.
- 5
  Type the summary in block format with no indentations.

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