Writing Seminar Summary Reports

1
Writing Seminar Summary Reports

• Philip Benachour, Communication Systems
• Robert Blake, SLDC

2
Outline

• How to structure summary reports introduction,
• body,
• referencing,
• conclusion
• technical style
• What is a good summary report
  evaluating past reports

3
Structure

• 3 sections
• introduction 2-3 sentences 3-5 lines
• main summary 2-3 paragraphs
• conclusion 5-7 lines

4
Introduction

• Short, concise
• 2-3 sentences 3-5 lines
• Structure
• Aim
• Brief signposting of structure of summary

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Main summary i structure

• Context
• Subheadings- optional
• Topic sentences to introduce paragraphs
• Proof that youve done the research
• Your summary must contain your own analysis of
  the research. 2/3 should be your own analysis
• Use sources researched to back up your analysis,
  not in place of it.

6
Main summary ii reporting other sources

• In the 1/3 from sources
• 90 paraphrase summarised in your own words
  with source acknowledged
• quotation maximum 10 of source material source
  acknowledged
• introduce each source make clear how it
  supports your analysis

7
Main summary iii reporting other sources

• For each source used acknowledge the source used
• in the summary body author year
• e.g. Benachour (2001) points out that
• or acknowledge the source by placing it in
  parenthesises (brackets) at the end of sentence
  e.g.(Benachour 2001)
• 2) in the references list at end- give full
  details of the publication or electronic version

8
Conclusion

• Short, succinct
• 5-7 lines
• Structure
• Conclusion of research
• your own opinion
• Here you need to weigh up the evidence youve
  analysed in the main summary

9

Conclusion An example

• Although there is as yet, no conclusive research
  that mobile phones are harmful to the adult
  brain, I believe that use should be limited. We
  should not encourage children to use mobile
  phones as recent research suggests that overuse
  may be harmful, particular to the developing
  brains of children under 10.

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Writing in a Technical style

• Write in a formal impersonal technical style.
• Avoid informal pub language such as
• you, contractions such as dont, cant
• X Ill look at ? This report examines v
• X Youll see ? It can be seen that v
• NB IN THIS REPORT I CAN BE USED IN THE CONCLUSION

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Analysing past summaries

• In this part of the seminar, in groups youll be
  given past summaries to read to work out what the
  qualities of a good summary report are and what
  merits higher grades.
• Use the questions on slide 12 to prepare your
  analysis.

12
Questions for analysis of summaries

• Intro aim outline of structure?
• Conclusion concise, conclusion of research, own
  opinion?
• __________________________________________________
  ______________________________
• Main summary good summary of key perspectives,
  own analysis, sources used to support analysis?
• How well is it structured sections, flow,
  paragraphing?
• Good, clear expression organisation?

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Further advice

• For referencing and citation, see
• Andy Gilletts UEFAP web site. Click on writing,
  then Citation, Reporting References
• http//www.uefap.co.uk/writing/writfram.htm
• For style and language look at
• the SLDC webpage
• http//www.lancs.ac.uk/depts/celt/sldc/materials/s
  cience/RpWrStyleRef.ppt