Difference Between Summary and Analysis

Summary vs Analysis

A summary is a recap of an original document, film, speech, event, or text. It is a simplified and shortened version which only highlights the main points or topics so that the audience can understand what it conveys in a shorter period of time. It uses simple and indirect speech and is written in the present tense to provide a comprehensive and concise condensation of facts and statements that are stated in a longer text or document.

It is synonymous with the words “brief” (summary of a legal argument), “digest” (summary of an article or book), “synopsis” (summary of a play or novel), or an “abstract” (summary of a nonfiction work). It usually includes the title, the author, the main idea of the document, and a lead. Although most summaries of nonfiction work do not provide an assessment, some individuals do give evaluations and ratings to the items that they have summarized.

A summary, therefore, retells what the author stated in his work but in a short and concise way. This is in contrast with an analysis which probes and questions what the author has said and why he has said it. It is the process of dividing a topic into several smaller pieces so that it can be easily understood. It has been used since ancient times and became a formal concept during the 17th century with the advent of the scientific revolution. It is used in many different fields such as chemistry which uses it in qualitative and quantitative analyses of compounds and mixtures as well as in breaking down and examining chemical reactions.

In mathematics, it is used in the study of classical as well as non-classical concepts. It is also being used in music, business, statistics, linguistics, computer science, economics, engineering, philosophy, and many other fields.

It is more commonly used in literature, though, in the form of literary theory which is the systematic study and analysis of literature. It provides a way by which literature is easily understood.

The word “analysis” comes from the ancient Greek word “analysis” which means “a breaking up,” from the words “ana” (up or throughout) and “lysis” (a loosening). Its first known use was in the late 1500s.

The word “summary,” on the other hand, comes from the Latin word “summarium” which means “abstract” or “an epitome.” Its first known use was in the 16th century referring to a summary of a statement of account.

Summary:

1.A summary is a short, concise, and comprehensive version of a longer original work while an analysis is a breakdown of the examination and evaluation of an original document or text.
2.A summary tells exactly what the author said while an analysis questions what he says.
3.Both the summary and the analysis are used to provide an easier way to understand a certain document or text; a summary makes it compact and concise while an analysis breaks it down into smaller parts.
4.Summaries are usually only used in literature while an analysis is used in many fields other than literature.

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