Creating Document Summary Using Microsoft Word 2003

If you have a over 100 page document which you need to summarize, what is the best way for you to do it?

You could skim through the entire report to pick out the main points or try summarizing them from memory, but that will take awhile. Rather, let Word’s AutoSummarize feature sum it up for you. Follow these steps:

• Open the document containing the annual report.
• Go to Tools | AutoSummarize.
• Select Create A New Document And Put The Summary There.
• Select 500 Words Or Less from the Percent Of Original drop-down menu.
• Click OK.

Word will create a summary of the document in another document that you can proofread and edit.

If you find that the summary has missed a few points, try running AutoSummarize again with a larger percentage of the original report. It is always easier to delete from the summary than try to add to it from memory.