Précis, literally meaning “cut short” in French, is a concise summary of an article in 4 sentences (for our purpose) as follows:
1. name of the author, title of the work, date in parenthesis;
a rhetorically accurate active verb (such as “assert,” “argue,” “deny,” “refute,” “prove,” “disprove,” “explain,” etc.);
“that” clause containing the major claim (thesis statement) of the work.
2. explain how the author develops and supports the major claim (thesis statement).
3. state the author’s purpose, followed by an “in order to” phrase.
4. state the intended audience and/or the relationship the author establishes with the audience.
Please find an example here (Links to an external site.).
Secondary Source:
Dancygier, Rafaela M. Immigration and Conflict in Europe. Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010, chpt. 8, pp. 276 (Citizenship, Immigration, and Economic Developments across Europe) – 309.