Summary, Overview, and Review | Britannica Dictionary (2024)

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A reader asks about the differences between summary, review, and overview. Editor Kory Stamper explains.

These three words are often used interchangeably, but they have slightly different connotations.

Summary is the broadest of the three. It refers to a short restatement of the main points of an argument, paper, lecture, etc. and especially a restatement used for better understanding, easier remembering, or showing how points relate to each other. It tends to be used most in academic contexts, but is also used quite a bit in magazines and newspapers.

Overview also refers to a restatement of the main points of something but has a more general connotation than summary. It tends to be used in academic contexts more than summary and has less general use in newspapers and magazines than summary does. But it is not formal: it also appears in spoken English more often than summary does.

Review is the narrowest of the three words and has several meanings. The first (and one of the most common) meanings of review is "a report giving someone's opinion about someone or something." This is used in both informal contexts ("movie reviews") and formal contexts ("This policy is under review."). This sense of review is also used in the name of magazines and academic journals that are full of these sorts of opinions ("Law Review", "The Annual Review of Biology").

The second use of review refers to a class, lecture, book, etc. that is meant to give you a very broad introduction to a subject ("a review of 19th century literature"). This use appears primarily in academic and formal contexts.

The third use of review is only found in American English and refers to studying information you have already studied before ("Do a review of Chapter 7 for the test."). This is the equivalent of the British word revision and it appears in informal and classroom contexts.

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Summary, Overview, and Review | Britannica Dictionary (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a review and an overview? ›

If that so, an overview is like opinion of an expert on a topic. A review article on the other hand strictly based on published manuscripts on a topic. It is not about opinion of the reviewer! Any article which is to be published demand , a general opinion , understanding ,& discussion of the article .

Is an overview the same as a summary? ›

Overview also refers to a restatement of the main points of something but has a more general connotation than summary. It tends to be used in academic contexts more than summary and has less general use in newspapers and magazines than summary does.

What is the difference between summary and review writing? ›

A summary is a brief and concise overview of the main points, findings, and implications of a review. A review is a critical evaluation of a topic, issue, or literature based on evidence, analysis, and synthesis.

What is a summary review? ›

Summary review means an executive hearing office proceeding, other than an administrative hearing, conducted under A.R.S. § 28-1385(L) or other statute or under an administrative rule.

What is an example of an overview? ›

An overview gives the big picture, while leaving out the minor details. If you take a class on American history, the class will be an overview: it will sum up the most important events that have happened, such as famous elections, national disasters, major wars, and economic trends.

What are the 4 parts of a review? ›

The four stages of writing a book review are: introducing the book, outlining its contents, highlighting parts of the book by selecting particular chapters or themes, and giving a detailed evaluation.

How do you summarize an overview? ›

How to write a summary
  1. Read the text thoroughly. Read the text several times to ensure you understand everything about the author's message. ...
  2. Take notes to identify the main idea. ...
  3. Identify the main arguments. ...
  4. Prepare your draft. ...
  5. Write the summary. ...
  6. Quote the author. ...
  7. Conclude the summary. ...
  8. Correct and refine.
Jul 31, 2023

What is the purpose of the overview? ›

Whether this is called an Introduction , Overview , Summary — or something else — it plays a key role in conveying information quickly and effectively to the widest possible audience. Depending on the material, the length and complexity of the opening section can vary widely.

What is more detailed than a summary? ›

A primary difference is that summaries are shorter and less detailed than paraphrases. A writer may use summary or paraphrase because either element may integrate into the writer's original work more smoothly than a direct quo- tation.

What is the difference between objective summary and review? ›

A summary and an objective statement boast about professional highlights at the top of a resume. While the resume summary highlights a few important experiences and skills you've acquired, a resume objective is a simple statement of your career goals.

How do you write a summary and review essay? ›

Present the main ideas objectively, avoiding your own opinion and thoughts about the work. Avoid including direct quotes from the work within your summary. Rather, present the main points in your own words. Close your summary by restating an overview of the work in one sentence.

What is the difference between a summary and a critical review? ›

When you want to present a shortened and straightforward account of the facts in an article, you summarize. When you want to discuss opinions, make judgments, agree or disagree with points presented, you critique. Critiques actually include summarizing, but they also share your ideas and opinions.

What are the 3 parts of a summary? ›

An introduction paragraph. A strong thesis statement that focuses on the main idea or purpose of the work. Body paragraphs that support that thesis. A conclusion paragraph that ties it all together.

What are the 5 parts of a summary? ›

The summary breaks the manuscript into five primary components:
  • Main characters. Once the reader gets to the point of reading your summary, you need to provide an engaging protagonist (main character). ...
  • Plot, including setting. This is one of the toughies. ...
  • Tone. ...
  • Genre. ...
  • Comparable titles.
Dec 6, 2015

How do you start a summary example? ›

Begin the summary by acknowledging the source. For instance, you could begin with a sentence such as: "This is a summary of the article XXXX written by XXXX published in XXXX." 3. Next, write a topic sentence that conveys the main idea of the text.

Is literature review and overview same? ›

In addition, literature reviews are useful when the aim is to provide an overview of a certain issue or research problem. Typically, this type of literature review is conducted to evaluate the state of knowledge on a particular topic.

How do you describe an overview? ›

a general outline of a subject or situation; survey or summary.

What does take an overview mean? ›

"take an overview" is correct and usable in written English. This phrase usually means to look at the big picture and gain an understanding of the entire situation. For example, "Before making any decisions, I needed to take an overview of the entire situation.". exact ( 21 )

Is an overview before or after? ›

Where should the overview appear? The overview describes the overall picture of what you see, so it often appears after the introduction. The first sentence contains the introduction.

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