A precis is a critical summary of abstract writing. A precis shows the original's meaning and explains its worth. Except as otherwise specified, a precis is typically 1/4 the original length. It follows the traditional format: an author's thesis and techniques for representing it; findings; and a conclusion. Precises are used by academic editors to help reviewers understand important ideas in a paper and to make sure that each reviewer understands what is being argued or demonstrated. Precis writers must be able to summarize the main points of the paper in one sentence. They should avoid summarizing the paper itself. Instead, they should explain how the study changes existing knowledge and how future studies can build on this work. A good precis writer also identifies and explains the limitations of the study. An editor may ask you to revise your precis if necessary. Precis essays were originally called "abstracts". The term "precis" was introduced by William Gedrich in 1954 when he published an article titled "An Abstracter's Precis" in the journal College English. He described precis essays as being "of special value in dealing with a large number of papers" because they allow readers to "understand the general thrust of the research reported."