Question: Article: Virtual friendship and the new narcissism (by Christine Rosen)

Guidelines for Summary Paper

1) Read the article to be summarized first to get an idea of its content, then a second time to underline & take notes on:

(1) key ideas;

(2) important supporting information, and

(3) Conclusion(s).

The Summary should be about 2 pages in length.

a. By "important" supporting ideas, we mean information in the article that develops, defines and offer good examples which make the author's points clear to the reader.

2) Suggestions for structuring your summary:

I) Title & Introduction - Identify the title, and author of the essay in the Title of the summary. Your opening paragraph should cover the author's main point or idea and how it relates to the area of social media or technology into which this essay falls.

II) Summary - State the argument that is presented with main point(s), the most essential supporting information, and the author's conclusion(s), without critical comments which constitutes an "objective" summary.

1. BE SURE NOT to try to paraphrase the entire article, or everything the author says, because that will make for a very long "summary." It ends up re-phrasing more than summarizing.

2. When you paraphrase, you are putting as much as possible the author's ideas into your own words.

3. IF there is something unique or creative that you wish to quote in your summary, be sure to use quotation marks. For example, when Bugeja says that spending too much time on the internet places us in "The Geography of Nowhere" (35), that is a great phrase. Use in-text, or shorthand, citation to quote it, as shown here with page number in parenthesis, then define what he means in YOUR own words.

4. Please use in-text citation for all key points, even if you are paraphrasing, to show where they are in the article/text that you are summarizing

5. You may write these in paragraph form , or in outline form, if that is easier (using letters and numbers, as this handout is done)