How to Write a Synthesis Synthesis Writing: to combine the ideas of more than one source with your own.

Key Features of a Synthesis Report information from the sources using different phrases and sentences; Organize so that readers can immediately see where information from the sources overlap; Make sense of the sources and help the reader understand them in greater depth. Preparing to Write your Synthesis Essay The writing prompt should direct you to what sort of themes or traits you should look for in your synthesis. You may be assigned two or more sources for synthe sizing. In such cases you need to formulate your own purpose, and develop your own perspectives and interpretations. A systematic preliminary comparison will help. Begin by summarizing briefly the points, themes, or traits that the texts have in common (you might find summaryoutline notes useful here). Explore different ways to organize the information depending on what you find or what you want to demonstrate. You might find it helpful to make different outli nes or plans before you decide which to use. Writing the Synthesis Essay Your synthesis should be organized so that others can understand the sources and evaluate your comprehension of them and their presentation of specific data, th emes, etc. Structure a. The introduction: Write a one-sentence statement that sums up the focus of your synthesis. Introduce the texts to be synthesized: o Give the title of each source (following the citation guidelines of the style sheet you are using i.e., MLA, APA, or Chicago Style); o Provide the name of each author for each source; o Provide pertinent background information about the authors, about the te xts to be summarized, and about the general topic from which the texts are drawn . b. The body: Your organization will be determined by the assignment or by the patterns you se e in the material you are synthesizing (theme, point, similarity, or aspect of t he topic). The organization is the most important part of a synthesis, so choos e the most effective format for your topic. Be sure that each paragraph: Begins with a sentence or phrase that informs readers of the topic of the paragr aph; Include information from more than one source; Clearly indicate which material comes from which source using transitions and to pic sentences, and in-text citations. [Beware of plagiarism: Accidental plagiarism most often occurs when students ar e synthesizing sources and do not indicate where the synthesis ends and their ow n comments begin or vice verse.] Show the similarities or differences between the different sources in ways that make the paper as informative as possible; Represent the texts fairly--even if that seems to weaken the paper! Look upon yo urself as a synthesizing machine; you are simply repeating what the source says in fewer words and in your own words. The fact that you are using your own word s does not mean that you are in anyway changing what the source says.

c. Conclusion: When you have finished your paper, write a conclusion reminding readers of the m ost significant themes you have found and the ways they connect to the overall t opic. You may also want to suggest further research or comment on things that i t was not possible for you to discuss in the paper. If you are writing a backgro und synthesis, in some cases it may be appropriate for you to offer an interpret ation of the material or take a position (thesis). Check this option with your i nstructor before you write the final draft of your paper. Checking your own writing and that of your peers Read a peer's synthesis and then answer the following questions: Is it clear what is being synthesized? (i.e.: Did your peer list the source(s), and cite it/them correctly?) Is it always clear which source your peer is talking about at any given moment? Is the thesis of each original text clear in the synthesis? (Write out what you think each thesis is.) If you have read the original sources, did you identify the same theses? (If not , how do they differ?) Does it seem like any key points are missing from the synthesis? (If so, what ar e they?) Did your peer include opinions in his or her synthesis? (If so, what are they?) If there is time, answer the following questions What is the organizational structure of the essay? (Draw a plan/diagram) In what way does this structure work? (If not, how might your peer revise it?) Is each paragraph structured effectively? (Draw a plan/diagram)

Instructions 1. Question yourself as you read. Pause periodically as you read texts, as king yourself questions about what you just read, such as "How does this relate to my daily life?" or "What have I read that is similar to this?" 2. Make connections between ideas and your everyday life. Search for connec tions whenever possible, trying to think of situations you have faced that are l ike the ones the characters in texts you are reading find themselves up against . By doing so, you can better see how the information you are acquiring is appli cable to you as an individual. 3. Combine information from more than one source on the same topic. When st udying a topic, select multiple sources of information on the topic and merge th e content they contain. For example, instead of turning to just one book to disc over how the dinosaurs ceased to exist, gather several books on this topic and r ead them all, getting a more complete picture of the topic. 4. Infer meaning from a collection of texts. Don't just look at what the te xt says directly, but instead use your inference skills to derive meaning. By in ferring you can better connect one piece of information to another. For example, if you read that one political candidate supports a bill and another supports t he same bill, you can infer that these two candidates see eye to eye on the issu e.