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When introducing a source, rather than citing it, that is OK. As you write your summary, you will want to remind your reader, occasionally, that you are still summarizing. You can do this simply be referring back to the authors, the title of the article, or both.
To determine how to cite in a summary, remember the purpose of citing sources: clearly establishing where the information and ideas you include in your writing come from. This means giving credit to sources for their information and ideas, but also distinguishing which ideas are your own.
Practice summarizing the essay found here, using paraphrases and quotations as you go. It might be helpful to follow these steps: Read the entire text, noting the key points and main ideas. Summarize in your own words what the single main idea of the essay is. Paraphrase important supporting points that come up in the essay.
In MLA style, when you cite a summary of a work, you should generally mention the name of the work you are summarizing and its author in your prose and include the work in your works-cited list. The author’s name in your prose will direct the reader to the works-cited-list entry.
Scan the article quickly to get a sense of its topic and overall shape. Read the article carefully, highlighting important points and taking notes as you read. Skim the article again to confirm you’ve understood the key points, and reread any particularly important or difficult passages.
Resources on using in-text citations in APA style. Resources on writing an APA style reference list, including citation formats.
Consider using a summary—rather than a short or block quotation—when preserving the original wording of the source material is not necessary for the reader to understand the ideas under discussion. Let’s look at an example of a cited summary: