GEO GUIDE
Writing Digests: Compress Without Distorting
Updated 2026-10-19 · this page makes no search or citation promises
The direct answer: a good digest balances compression and fidelity — it covers every point the original makes, adds nothing the original does not, and runs at one-tenth to one-fifth of the length. The most common failure is writing a reaction: mixing the summariser's opinions into the summary.
The direct answer: a good digest balances compression and fidelity — it covers every point the original makes, adds nothing the original does not, and runs at one-tenth to one-fifth of the length. The most common failure is writing a reaction: mixing the summariser's opinions into the summary.
Extract the points first, then write
- Pull 3-5 points from the original (one sentence each, one distinct claim per point).
- Completeness test: reading only the points should reconstruct the argument's skeleton.
- Everything else (examples, buildup, repetition) stays out — unless it is part of a core claim.
Structure and length
- Length: 10-20% of the original (300-600 characters for a 3,000-character piece).
- Structure: follow the original's order — parallel content stays parallel.
- The first sentence states the overall conclusion; no “this article discusses” throat-clearing.
Three fidelity lines
- Add nothing: no viewpoints, data, or conclusions absent from the original.
- Change nothing: “may” never becomes “did”; “the author suspects” never becomes “the author proved”.
- No bias: parallel viewpoints are all kept, not trimmed to the summariser's favourite.