Summaries
Summaries are a fast orientation layer for sources and project material. They help you decide what to read closely, what to ignore, and what to ask next.
What summaries are for
Use summaries to:
- triage a long source
- compare several sources quickly
- identify main claims and limitations
- prepare questions for chat
- decide whether a source belongs in the project.
Do not use summaries as the final authority for important claims. Verify with the source.
Useful summary fields
| Field | Question answered |
|---|---|
| Topic | What is the source about? |
| Main claim | What does it argue or show? |
| Method | How did it reach the result? |
| Findings | What are the key results or conclusions? |
| Limitations | What should be treated carefully? |
| Relevance | Why does it matter for this project? |
| Follow-up questions | What should you ask or verify next? |
Reading summaries critically
Good summaries preserve uncertainty. Be cautious when a summary:
- omits limitations
- makes a strong claim without a source passage
- collapses disagreement across sources
- treats an abstract as the full paper
- ignores methods or sample size.
Summary versus synthesis
A summary explains one source or item. A synthesis compares multiple sources and builds a higher-level answer. Use Synthesize across multiple sources when the task requires comparison or judgment.
Best practice
After using a summary to triage, open the source and save your own verified takeaway in a note.