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Are you writing a synthesis essay? This is a paper that combines information from a variety of sources to form a new idea. Essentially, you’re synthesizing existing concepts and arguments to create something original.
As a student, you’ll probably have to write a synthesis essay at some point. Read on for our step-by-step guide on how to write one effectively.
If you haven’t done so already, decide on a topic to write about. Read up about it using a variety of credible sources and make detailed notes while you research. Make sure you keep track of the sources you decide to pull information from so that you can cite them properly later.
Make a list of key points from your research. Once you have a good selection of material to work with, start developing your own idea or argument. This will be the focus of your essay.
Synthesis essays generally follow this format: an introduction, a handful of main body paragraphs, and a conclusion. It’s a good idea to come up with an essay plan before you start writing so that you can keep things organized while you work.
The outline is mainly helpful for deciding what to include in your body paragraphs. Decide what supporting points (and counterarguments ) from your research you want to include, and which order you want to discuss them in. You should have enough information to flesh out one paragraph for each point.
In your introduction, you should open with something that hooks the reader and captures their attention. Then, state your argument or idea (i.e., your thesis statement) and briefly summarize the material you’ll be including in your essay. You should also include any relevant background information here.
Using your outline, discuss each point from your source material in more depth, devoting a body paragraph to each. Explain the information from the outside source, including appropriate citations, and discuss how it connects with your idea.
It’s a good idea to mostly focus on points that support your argument, but you should also include a paragraph with a counterargument or two. This means discussing a perspective that doesn’t necessarily align with your idea, and then explaining why your argument still works.
The conclusion should leave the reader feeling convinced of your idea. Restate your point clearly and summarize the main points you’ve discussed. You could also offer any concluding reflections on the topic.
While you can follow our steps for any type of synthesis essay, yours will probably fall under one of two categories: explanatory or argumentative.
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Argumentative essays are as they sound – they present an argument. With an argumentative essay, you’ll take a more definitive stance on something and use your supporting material to persuade the reader.
Explanatory essays don’t necessarily take a side one way or the other. Rather, they focus on developing and explaining a concept thoroughly. Knowing which type of essay you’re writing will help you to gather more effective source material for your purpose.
Since synthesis essays are particularly dependent on outside material, it’s especially important that you cite your sources correctly. Familiarize yourself with your referencing system before you start researching so you know what information you need to keep track of, and include appropriate citations whenever you use someone else’s work.
At the end of the essay, you’ll need to compile your sources into a reference list following the requirements of your style guide.
Hopefully, this post has helped you to feel more confident in writing a synthesis essay. Choose a topic first, do your research, keep track of your sources, and develop an argument or idea. From there, you can organize your thoughts into an outline and get to writing!
Once you’ve created a first draft, make sure you send it our way! We’ll check it for errors in grammar, spelling, referencing, and more. Try it out for free today.
What is a synthesis essay.
A synthesis essay gathers ideas and viewpoints from several different sources and ties them together to form a new concept.
Synthesis essays usually follow the five-paragraph format, with an introduction, three main body paragraphs discussing different points, and a conclusion.
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Published on July 4, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on May 31, 2023.
Synthesizing sources involves combining the work of other scholars to provide new insights. It’s a way of integrating sources that helps situate your work in relation to existing research.
Synthesizing sources involves more than just summarizing . You must emphasize how each source contributes to current debates, highlighting points of (dis)agreement and putting the sources in conversation with each other.
You might synthesize sources in your literature review to give an overview of the field or throughout your research paper when you want to position your work in relation to existing research.
Example of synthesizing sources, how to synthesize sources, synthesis matrix, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about synthesizing sources.
Let’s take a look at an example where sources are not properly synthesized, and then see what can be done to improve it.
This paragraph provides no context for the information and does not explain the relationships between the sources described. It also doesn’t analyze the sources or consider gaps in existing research.
Research on the barriers to second language acquisition has primarily focused on age-related difficulties. Building on Lenneberg’s (1967) theory of a critical period of language acquisition, Johnson and Newport (1988) tested Lenneberg’s idea in the context of second language acquisition. Their research seemed to confirm that young learners acquire a second language more easily than older learners. Recent research has considered other potential barriers to language acquisition. Schepens, van Hout, and van der Slik (2022) have revealed that the difficulties of learning a second language at an older age are compounded by dissimilarity between a learner’s first language and the language they aim to acquire. Further research needs to be carried out to determine whether the difficulty faced by adult monoglot speakers is also faced by adults who acquired a second language during the “critical period.”
The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:
To synthesize sources, group them around a specific theme or point of contention.
As you read sources, ask:
Once you have a clear idea of how each source positions itself, put them in conversation with each other. Analyze and interpret their points of agreement and disagreement. This displays the relationships among sources and creates a sense of coherence.
Consider both implicit and explicit (dis)agreements. Whether one source specifically refutes another or just happens to come to different conclusions without specifically engaging with it, you can mention it in your synthesis either way.
Synthesize your sources using:
To more easily determine the similarities and dissimilarities among your sources, you can create a visual representation of their main ideas with a synthesis matrix . This is a tool that you can use when researching and writing your paper, not a part of the final text.
In a synthesis matrix, each column represents one source, and each row represents a common theme or idea among the sources. In the relevant rows, fill in a short summary of how the source treats each theme or topic.
This helps you to clearly see the commonalities or points of divergence among your sources. You can then synthesize these sources in your work by explaining their relationship.
Lenneberg (1967) | Johnson and Newport (1988) | Schepens, van Hout, and van der Slik (2022) | |
---|---|---|---|
Approach | Primarily theoretical, due to the ethical implications of delaying the age at which humans are exposed to language | Testing the English grammar proficiency of 46 native Korean or Chinese speakers who moved to the US between the ages of 3 and 39 (all participants had lived in the US for at least 3 years at the time of testing) | Analyzing the results of 56,024 adult immigrants to the Netherlands from 50 different language backgrounds |
Enabling factors in language acquisition | A critical period between early infancy and puberty after which language acquisition capabilities decline | A critical period (following Lenneberg) | General age effects (outside of a contested critical period), as well as the similarity between a learner’s first language and target language |
Barriers to language acquisition | Aging | Aging (following Lenneberg) | Aging as well as the dissimilarity between a learner’s first language and target language |
If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Plagiarism
Synthesizing sources means comparing and contrasting the work of other scholars to provide new insights.
It involves analyzing and interpreting the points of agreement and disagreement among sources.
You might synthesize sources in your literature review to give an overview of the field of research or throughout your paper when you want to contribute something new to existing research.
A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources (such as books, journal articles, and theses) related to a specific topic or research question .
It is often written as part of a thesis, dissertation , or research paper , in order to situate your work in relation to existing knowledge.
Topic sentences help keep your writing focused and guide the reader through your argument.
In an essay or paper , each paragraph should focus on a single idea. By stating the main idea in the topic sentence, you clarify what the paragraph is about for both yourself and your reader.
At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).
Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.
The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
Ryan, E. (2023, May 31). Synthesizing Sources | Examples & Synthesis Matrix. Scribbr. Retrieved August 5, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/synthesizing-sources/
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Table of contents
Being a student is a challenging task, as you have to handle different types of essays, particularly synthesis essays. What is a synthesis essay? Such creative writing helps students to develop research skills, conduct a thorough analysis and improve their writing skills. Also, it boosts their abilities to deliver original ideas, arguments, and clear explanations of particular viewpoints. Students might often receive such writing tasks for the AP English language exam. We know how challenging it can be for them to write a synthesis essay.
With this in mind, we uncover the key points of synthesis writing in this review, which are the following:
If you find it difficult to start your synthesis essay, you can get help from our PapersOwl service. The best experts in academic writing await you to bring up a good synthesis essay with a high assessment grade.
First and foremost, it is vital to understand the definition of a synthesis essay. It is a type of essay in which you should provide justified arguments, ideas, or statements based on a particular point of view. Composing a synthesis essay requires a lot of time and effort. You must analyze many credible sources to collect specific data and create a unique research paper. Synthesizing sources has to do with analyzing them, but not vice versa. You should provide an in-depth analysis of each source and then combine the similarities or differences between them into one coherent and well-structured essay. The next section uncovers this matter.
A synthesis essay counts a few types depending on the objectives to reveal. But essential synthesis essay components are the same and consist of three main parts: introduction, main body, and conclusion. The introductory paragraph should be catchy and highlight the main points of your paperwork due to a good thesis statement. The main body should include at least three paragraphs separated by exposing different thoughts, arguments, or explanations. The conclusion should also leave a spot for meditating for your reader on what you have disclosed in it. Further, we explain three types of synthesis papers and their specifications.
This type of synthesis essay involves disclosing various facts, views, or points. That’s why it is required to explore many reliable sources to get as much relevant information about a topic under investigation as possible. Thus, a writer can explain the emergence of certain points of view and facts. This writing task helps high school and college students do deep research, compare facts and perspectives, and deliver a detailed synthesis analysis essay. It is essential to complement each statement with specific evidence and statistical data. This will underline the relevance of the information introduced in an essay and make it meaningful and reasonable.
When writing argumentative essays , one must choose a specific topic and present arguments supporting or opposing viewpoints. This writing assignment incorporates two objectives: gather and systemize information revealing the main topic and argue them from your perspective. It requires creativity and deep knowledge of the field and aspect you must put on paper. Writing an argumentative essay is not an easy task. You should stick to a particular perspective and move on to exposing it. It is crucial to provide enough facts and proof to convince your reader that your viewpoint is noteworthy.
Review synthesis essays are often parts of larger projects and are used to make reviews of particular aspects, for example, in medicine and social sciences. When composing this type of essay, you should provide full information about the examined object, state, or problem. The literature review should contain as many key points and peculiarities as possible. Thus, it will draw a complete picture of an aspect that will bring clarification and worth to your topic. To hook your reader from the very onset, you should articulate a good synthesis thesis statement in your introductory paragraph.
To help you with a topic choice for your AP Lang synthesis essay, we listed some from different fields and sciences. The first of three essays is about AI technology. We tried to single out the most relevant example prompt topics for you to get started with. Check them out below.
It is easier said than done when it comes to writing a synthesis essay. That is true, and for this reason, we outlined the list of valuable synthesis essay tips we consider the most essential to focus on. They are helpful for both writing an AP lang synthesis essay and a term assessment. Check them out.
A good paper is regarded as meaningful when it is based on deep and all-encompassing research. Don’t neglect to provide a thorough exploration of your topic. The more information you find, the more valuable and reasonable your essay will be. But make sure you use credible sources to summarize and synthesize the data. Once you have a viewpoint to reveal, look for sources that support it or oppose it so that you can use them to substantiate your perspective.
When willing to express one particular point or argument, consider other perspectives that might contradict your ideas. Why is it important? You should be aware of all the main arguments or acceptances occurring around your topic. It is essential to study different points of view that emerged on the basis of your theme or aspect under study. This could help you disclose another side or significance of your essay topic and change the focus of the main content you want to unleash. Doing this can reveal a new perspective, idea, or aspect of your synthesis essay’s research.
Although an essay has a standard structure, your content should be well-composed and introduced coherently. All data should be outlined so a reader will enjoy the smooth turn from one statement to another. Depending on the field and aspect you are preparing a synthesis essay about, there are three methods to organize the content in your paper. They are the following:
If you include dates or other significant events in your review or argumentative essay, it makes sense to present them in chronological order. Every fact should be justified per its development. So later, you can introduce your perspective or statement that will explain the impact of prior events. For example, when revealing a particular historical period in the US, you should first mention all important events chronologically. So then, you can argue your idea about the changes they brought to the country from a political or international perspective.
A synthesis paper can be written for any field of science to represent a shorter version of facts, viewpoints, research results, etc. That’s why students can come across some topics that require uncovering a few themes in one essay. It is where a thematic method of content organization takes place. You should determine what notions or terms should be mentioned and revealed in your paper. Then, think of what term might explain or continue a key message of another term. Once you find out this detail, you should present each term one after another, keeping coherence in the information flow.
As synthesis papers deal with different ideas, arguments, viewpoints, etc., comparison as a research method has a place. You can operate with many hypotheses, approaches, ideas, and arguments, so comparing them and finding their similarities and differences makes sense. This content organization method involves explaining one point of the synthesis statement, and then another point to compare further.
Crafting a successful synthesis essay requires a well-structured outline, which can be challenging to develop without assistance. Luckily, many academic essay writing services, such as PapersOwl.com, offer support in this area. To help you get started, here is an outline you can utilize to write a compelling synthesis essay that will leave a lasting impression on your professor.
Earlier, we emphasized the importance of orchestrating your main content under study. This section covers the crucial thing in writing a synthesis essay: an outline. The outline is a great synthesis essay template for structuring your entire paper. We recommend you always stick to it once you define your essay’s topic and objective. Thanks to it you will be able to keep your focus on the angle of your work.
If you want to deepen your knowledge, we have prepared steps on how to write a synthesis essay outline. The outline of your essay must include three main components, but it can vary, and mostly the main difference is in a short and cited presentation of the thoughts you want to reveal in your essay. Below, we introduce a brief outline structure:
The beginning of your essay mustn’t be too long. It is enough to disclose your objective, the main topic, and a strong thesis statement in one paragraph. It doesn’t make sense to keep a reader’s attention for long in the introduction, explaining what you are going to describe or argue in detail. Present it shortly and precisely.
In this part of the essay, you should introduce all you have researched, analyzed, and systematized. Likewise, you should expose your material in a minimum of three paragraphs. Each part has an appropriate synthesis-paragraph structure. In the outline, we recommend you craft a bullet list of three here and note shortly what points you want to describe in each paragraph.
This is the summarizing part of the essay, where you conclude all the information introduced in your synthesis essay. It is essential to repeat the thesis statements here. It should also be concise.
A good synthesis essay should get a reader engaged straight from its introduction. An introductory part should be composed in an interesting way to keep reading your essay. Here is where a reader finds out about the background of the topic and what main problems or ideas will be discussed. Such information should be catchy, and it is essential to make the first opening sentence sharper.
Another important thing in the introduction is crafting a hooky synthesis essay thesis statement. The thesis will be like a compass to the main points of your essay. Try to make the topic sentence specific and intriguing by matching your essay objectives.
Introduction synthesis essay example: When it comes to running a successful business, there’s no doubt that having the right people on board is crucial. After all, a company is simply a group of individuals working together towards a common goal. However, not enough emphasis is placed on what the “right” people actually look like. That’s why I wanted to bring attention to an often overlooked but incredibly important attribute: resistance. In this article, I’ll explain what resistance is, why it matters, and how you can identify it in potential team members.
A thesis presents a key message of your paper. This is what both reveals the focus of an essay and captures a reader’s attention. That’s why it requires exploring many sources carefully and critically analyzing them to identify their relevance. So then, you can formulate a strong thesis statement that will combine the key points of the synthesis essay. The more valuable data you find and analyze, the more precious your thesis.
There are three parts to your essay, each using a different type of evidence. The first two sections should contain evidence that supports your thesis. This can be in the form of direct quotes from your sources , statistics, and/or other research that supports your claim. The third section should contain evidence against your thesis – or what some might call “counterpoints” or “arguments against”.
Building on this structure, it’s imperative to recognize that the very foundation of your thesis relies on the robustness of these supporting arguments. Let’s look closer.
Every thought, idea, assumption, and definition from your thesis statement must be justified by supporting arguments. No one will get involved in a piece that tells about everything and nothing simultaneously when there is no evidence and proof of mentioned facts. This point is vital as your perspective must have a background, and you should explain the reasons you provide a particular argument or viewpoint.
Extensive research and analysis of credible sources allow students to come up with exciting and valuable solutions, ideas, and directions. That’s why the time spent on deep study will always pay you back. It is a very significant component in writing argumentative synthesis essays. So, make sure you find supporting arguments for the idea or perspective you want to convey to a reader. This will increase the persuasiveness and worthiness of your message in the essay.
Sometimes, it is difficult to persuade someone when many counterarguments make your point of view unworthy. The same might happen when you decide to start a synthesis essay and prove your opposite perspective. This task is challenging and requires thorough research of counterarguments. Only by having analyzed a massive set of information, one can provide reasonable comparisons and meaningful explanations to let a reader take their perspectives into account. Here are a few helpful tips on how to maintain a persuasive stance while considering opposing viewpoints:
The conclusion is the last but not least component of a synthesis essay structure. The train of thoughts and ideas kept during the entire paper shouldn’t be interrupted instantly. It must have an excellent finalizing part where you sum up all mentioned in your essay and leave a good touch for your reader.
To craft a strong conclusion, you should present an overview of your research and note the main points of your argument or perspective. But remember, the conclusion doesn’t have to be too long and saturated. It should be brief, concise, and precise. Remember to remind your reader of your thesis statement and emphasize the relevance and significance of your essay’s topic.
Conclusion synthesis essay example: Through our research, we have identified effective strategies for dealing with repetitive motions in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is clear that multiple behavior modification therapies are important for improving this behavior. Further exploration into behavior modification techniques could lead to finding more therapy techniques that can greatly improve the lives of those with repetitive motion behaviors. We believe that this research can make a significant impact in helping individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder lead more fulfilling lives.
A bibliography is a list of books, journals, and other sources of information used in the essay. The bibliography should be alphabetically arranged by the author’s last name. All sources should be listed separately on a separate page following the main body of text or at the end of your paper.
Your research sources should be properly credited at the end of the essay, whether you’re using MLA, APA, or another format . The most common form for citing an author’s work is called “parenthetical citation” or “in-text citation.” In parenthetical citations, you include the title of the work (italicized), page numbers if applicable, year published (if applicable), medium (e.g., book), and publisher’s name (if not self-published).
Even if you think your work is impeccable, it needs to be proofread and edited. While you are concentrating on the writing process, you might skip some other nuances. This can be punctuation, typos, grammatical errors, or incorrect sentence order. For this reason, a synthesis essay must go through thorough proofreading to detect any kind of errors. Apart from this, you can split one body paragraph into two, for example, if you find different points discussed in it. You should also format it using a particular format style to handle a well-structured, edited, and formatted essay.
Wrapping up, we encourage you to follow our tips on how to write a good synthesis essay. Although any type of writing isn’t easy work, you can do it well with the help of good supporting sources available on our website. If you are short on time and understand that you can’t cope with this task, you can find an expert who writes essays for you to meet your deadlines. But if you decide to make it up alone, make sure to craft an outline and follow all the insightful tips mentioned in this article.
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When you look for areas where your sources agree or disagree and try to draw broader conclusions about your topic based on what your sources say, you are engaging in synthesis. Writing a research paper usually requires synthesizing the available sources in order to provide new insight or a different perspective into your particular topic (as opposed to simply restating what each individual source says about your research topic).
Note that synthesizing is not the same as summarizing.
There are two types of syntheses: explanatory syntheses and argumentative syntheses . Explanatory syntheses seek to bring sources together to explain a perspective and the reasoning behind it. Argumentative syntheses seek to bring sources together to make an argument. Both types of synthesis involve looking for relationships between sources and drawing conclusions.
In order to successfully synthesize your sources, you might begin by grouping your sources by topic and looking for connections. For example, if you were researching the pros and cons of encouraging healthy eating in children, you would want to separate your sources to find which ones agree with each other and which ones disagree.
After you have a good idea of what your sources are saying, you want to construct your body paragraphs in a way that acknowledges different sources and highlights where you can draw new conclusions.
As you continue synthesizing, here are a few points to remember:
Below are two examples of synthesis: one where synthesis is NOT utilized well, and one where it is.
Parents are always trying to find ways to encourage healthy eating in their children. Elena Pearl Ben-Joseph, a doctor and writer for KidsHealth , encourages parents to be role models for their children by not dieting or vocalizing concerns about their body image. The first popular diet began in 1863. William Banting named it the “Banting” diet after himself, and it consisted of eating fruits, vegetables, meat, and dry wine. Despite the fact that dieting has been around for over a hundred and fifty years, parents should not diet because it hinders children’s understanding of healthy eating.
In this sample paragraph, the paragraph begins with one idea then drastically shifts to another. Rather than comparing the sources, the author simply describes their content. This leads the paragraph to veer in an different direction at the end, and it prevents the paragraph from expressing any strong arguments or conclusions.
An example of a stronger synthesis can be found below.
Parents are always trying to find ways to encourage healthy eating in their children. Different scientists and educators have different strategies for promoting a well-rounded diet while still encouraging body positivity in children. David R. Just and Joseph Price suggest in their article “Using Incentives to Encourage Healthy Eating in Children” that children are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables if they are given a reward (855-856). Similarly, Elena Pearl Ben-Joseph, a doctor and writer for Kids Health , encourages parents to be role models for their children. She states that “parents who are always dieting or complaining about their bodies may foster these same negative feelings in their kids. Try to keep a positive approach about food” (Ben-Joseph). Martha J. Nepper and Weiwen Chai support Ben-Joseph’s suggestions in their article “Parents’ Barriers and Strategies to Promote Healthy Eating among School-age Children.” Nepper and Chai note, “Parents felt that patience, consistency, educating themselves on proper nutrition, and having more healthy foods available in the home were important strategies when developing healthy eating habits for their children.” By following some of these ideas, parents can help their children develop healthy eating habits while still maintaining body positivity.
In this example, the author puts different sources in conversation with one another. Rather than simply describing the content of the sources in order, the author uses transitions (like "similarly") and makes the relationship between the sources evident.
A synthesis essay is generally a short essay which brings two or more sources (or perspectives) into conversation with each other.
Here’s a step-by-step how-to guide, with examples, that will help you write yours.
After reading the sources and before writing your essay, ask yourself these questions:
In a way, writing a synthesis essay is similar to composing a summary. But a synthesis essay requires you to read more than one source and to identify the way the writers’ ideas and points of view are related.
Sometimes several sources will reach the same conclusion even though each source approaches the subject from a different point of view.
Other times, sources will discuss the same aspects of the problem/issue/debate but will reach different conclusions.
And sometimes, sources will simply repeat ideas you have read in other sources; however, this is unlikely in a high school or AP situation.
To better organize your thoughts about what you’ve read, do this:
There’s one more thing to do before writing: You need to articulate for yourself the relationships and connections among these ideas.
Sometimes the relationships are easy to find. For example, after reading several articles about censorship in newspapers, you may notice that most of the writers refer to or in some way use the First Amendment to help support their arguments and help persuade readers. In this case, you would want to describe the different ways the writers use the First Amendment in their arguments. To do this, ask yourself, “How does this writer exploit the value of the First Amendment/use the First Amendment to help persuade or manipulate the readers into thinking that she is right?
Sometimes articulating the relationships between ideas is not as easy. If you have trouble articulating clear relationships among the shared ideas you have noted, ask yourself these questions:
A synthesis essay requires you to work with multiple sources. You combine the information gathered from them to present a well-rounded argument on a topic. Are you looking for the ultimate guide on synthesis essay writing? You’ve come to the right place!
In this guide by our custom writing team, you will find:
A synthesis essay is an assignment that requires a unique interpretation of a particular topic using several reliable sources. To write it, you need to understand, analyze, and synthesize information. That is why this type of essay is used in the AP Lang exam to assess students’ reasoning skills.
The key features of the synthesis essay are:
Synthesis is a process that has huge importance in nature, science, and our everyday life. The word stems from Ancient Greek “synthesis,” which means “putting together.” In general, synthesis is the combination of components to form a connected whole.
In everyday life, we usually resort to it to synthesize information . This means taking the data from different sources and bringing it together. This process is the opposite of analyzing:
We use synthesis for analysis papers, research papers, argument papers, and business reports.
Synthesis in writing means summarizing and connecting different sources considering a particular topic. Although synthesis and analysis are two opposite things, they usually go together in synthesis essays. The process consists of 2 stages:
Synthesis is not only used in writing but also in reading comprehension . It’s useful to do this kind of reading while studying your sources. There are three reading comprehension stages:
So, synthesized reading comprehension means combining three stages in one and formulating one statement.
A summary is a paraphrasing of the written source in your own words. For a good summary, it’s necessary to include all of the text’s key elements. Meanwhile, synthesis means combining different ideas from different sources. You don’t have to include all the key points; just choose everything related to your topic.
Both of these techniques are used for the synthesis essay:
There are two main types of a synthesis essay: argument and explanatory synthesis.
Both of them require working with multiple reliable sources and analyzing information. The only difference is that an argument synthesis essay requires your own opinion, while an explanatory synthesis essay does not.
As you already know, an argument synthesis essay requires you to state your own opinion about the given topic and back it up with several reliable sources. The purpose of such an essay is to persuade the reader that your point is correct.
Here’s what an argument synthesis essay consists of:
An explanatory informative synthesis essay requires you to stay neutral towards the problem you are discussing. This means you cannot express your own opinion considering the given question or a problem. Your task is just to inform the reader. That’s why this essay type is also called informative synthesis.
Check out this explanatory essay outline:
When it comes to the synthesis essay outline, it’s not too different from other assignments. Have a look at this template:
After you’ve decided on your topic, it’s time to figure out how to synthesize articles into one text. This is how you do it:
When you are done with a comprehensive analysis of related literature, try to step back and imagine a person who has a different opinion on this topic. Think of some arguments that they can provide to prove their opinion. After you have the list of arguments, find the written evidence of why they are wrong and put them in your essay.
Analyzing and organizing sources is the first and very important step for the synthesis essay. So make sure you do understand what the text means before using it as a reference.
For structuring your essay, it’s useful to try mapping . This technique means combining the information from different sources and rearranging it to create a new direction. To do it, you need to analyze the authors’ ideas and come up with your own conclusions.
The best way to do that is called synthesis matrix or graphic organizer. It’s a chart that you can make when you start working on your essay. Here you have a horizontal column that states the main ideas and a few vertical columns that present sources. Your task is to take sources you have chosen and write down the main ideas from them.
Here’s an example of a matrix chart:
Topic: The influence of technologies on teenagers | |||
---|---|---|---|
While doing that, you will see how many sources contain the same ideas. When you analyze them, you will be able to formulate your thesis backed up with evidence. The synthesis matrix also helps to see new arguments you can cover in your synthesis paper.
Now it’s time to start writing the paper. In the introductory part of the essay, you can include:
A thesis statement is a point of view on a certain problem that you will defend in your essay. It should contain the key points that you want to include in your paper. Here’s how to create a perfect thesis statement:
If the whole picture is coherent, and it conveys exactly what you wanted, then this is your perfect thesis statement. See the example below:
Gender inequality still exists at the workplace: women are less likely to get the most responsible positions, easily lose careers due to maternity leave, and often receive less pay for the same amount of work.
Your essay’s main body consists of a few paragraphs. Each of them presents a different argument considering the topic. When you start a paragraph, make sure to begin with a topic sentence, which informs the reader about the paragraph’s main idea. Then, include the synthesized sources and elaborate on them.
Here’s what you should and shouldn’t do when writing the main body:
✔️ Dos | ❌ Don’ts |
---|---|
Make sure you make the essay as informative as possible. Try to show various opinions of the authors. Avoid shuffling unrelated information into it. Try to make smooth transitions from one paragraph to another. | Instead, show your understanding and present the conclusions you’ve drawn from the texts. If you do that, you are involved in plagiarism. This would damage your credibility. |
You can use the following words to present the ideas from your sources. They will help you reflect the authors’ tone:
Talking about arguments | Talking about research | Adding emphasis |
---|---|---|
The author: | The author: | The author: |
There are quite a few ways to conclude the synthesis paper. Have a look at some of the options:
When you have finally written your paper, there is still one important thing left to do. You need to check your paper for any grammatical and contextual mistakes. You certainly can do it yourself, but it would be perfect if you could ask somebody else to read it.
The first thing you need to check grammar-wise is the tense you are using. There is no single tense you need to use for the synthesis essay. It depends on the format:
The next step is to check whether your synthesis essay has everything that’s required. For that, we have prepared the checklist of questions you can ask yourself to proofread your essays.
If you’ve answered “yes” to all the questions—congratulations, you are done with the essay! Otherwise, you need to come back and fix everything that you’ve answered “no” to.
Sometimes, when you don’t have a topic , it is tough to come up with a suitable idea. That is why we have prepared two lists of topics that you can use for any synthesis essay type.
The topics below are suitable for an explanatory synthesis essay:
The list of topics for the Argument Synthesis Essay:
Now let’s talk about formatting. There are two writing styles you can use for a synthesis essay: APA or MLA. You need to choose the one that is required for your assignment.
We will start with the paper in APA format. It is usually used in science and education.
Format | |
Title page | |
In-text citations | Example: The artworks from the past are entirely different from the modern ones (Benjamin, 1935) Example: According to Benjamin (1935), “Mechanical reproduction of a work of art…” (p.7) |
References | Example: Benjamin, W. (1935). The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. Random House |
And these are MLA formatting rules:
Format | |
Title page | |
In-text citations | Example: The artworks from the past are entirely different from the modern ones (Benjamin 7) |
References | Example: Benjamin, Walter. Random House, 1935 |
Finally, we’ve prepared a synthesis essay sample for you to check out. Feel free to download the PDF file below:
First introduced in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, affirmative action policies aim to mitigate the discrepancy in opportunities available for underrepresented social groups by taking into account one’s minority background. The policies have become a pressing public issue that obstructs previously marginalized individuals, particularly in the educational environment.
Thank you for reading the ultimate guide on synthesis essay writing. We hope you found it helpful. Don’t forget to share it with your friends. Good luck with your assignments!
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Writing a synthesis essay requires the ability to digest information and present it in an organized fashion. While this skill is developed in high school and college classes, it translates to the business and advertising world as well. Scroll down to Step 1 to begin learning how to write a synthesis essay.
To write a synthesis essay, start by coming up with a thesis statement that you can support using all of the sources you've read for your essay. For example, your thesis statement could be "Texting has had a positive impact on the English language." Once you've got your thesis, go through your sources to find specific quotes, facts, and statistics that back up your claim. Structure your essay so it has an introduction that includes your thesis statement, a body that includes your arguments and evidence, and a conclusion that wraps everything up. For more tips on structuring your synthesis essay, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No
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Today, we're swamped with information, like reading 174 newspapers every day. It comes from all over—news, social media, science, and more. This flood might make you feel overwhelmed and lost in a sea of facts and opinions. But being able to make sense of it all is crucial.
In this guide, we'll show you steps for choosing the right topic and organizing your essay. Let's dive in and learn how to turn scattered facts into powerful essays that really stand out. If you're looking for assistance in writing a paper, you can consider the option to order essay from our expert writing service.
Synthesis essay is an academic assignment where you take information from several sources and combine it to create a new, unified argument. Throughout the essay, you'll weave in evidence and insights from your sources to support your thesis, explaining how each source contributes to your overall argument.
Synthesis essays are commonly assigned in high school and undergraduate courses across various disciplines. They are a great way to develop critical thinking, research, and writing skills. They are particularly useful when a topic has multiple angles or ongoing debates, as they train you to analyze information objectively and form your own well-supported conclusions.
If you're struggling with this task, just ask us to ' write paper for me ,' and we'll handle your assignment for you.
Writing a synthesis essay requires a methodical approach to blend information from different sources into a strong and persuasive argument. Here are steps to help you along the way.
1. Choose Your Topic:
2. Research and Gather Sources:
3. Develop Your Thesis Statement:
4. Structure Your Essay:
5. Write and Revise:
For a more detailed explanation on how to write a conclusion , check out our special guide.
Here are a couple of synthesis essay examples that demonstrate how to apply the synthesis process in real life. See how they tackle a wide range of issues by drawing on diverse perspectives.
Let's tap into the magic of our expert wordsmiths, who will create an essay that dances with ideas and dazzles with creativity!
A strong thesis statement for a synthesis essay is more nuanced than a simple opinion. It acknowledges the complexities of the topic and positions your essay as a bridge between existing perspectives. Here's how to craft an effective thesis:
Example transformation:
Original (weak): Video games are a waste of time.
Improved: While video games can be a source of leisure, their excessive use can negatively impact academic performance and social interaction. (This acknowledges the entertainment value while highlighting potential drawbacks.)
Writing a strong synthesis essay requires careful attention to detail. Use this checklist to ensure you've covered all the bases:
Criteria | Questions |
---|---|
Clear Thesis Statement 📜 | Does your thesis clearly state how you'll use multiple sources to create a unified perspective? |
Source Integration 🔗 | Do you seamlessly weave evidence and insights from your sources throughout the essay? |
Balanced Analysis ⚖️ | Do you acknowledge different viewpoints and offer fair treatment to all sources? |
Strong Argument Flow 🌊 | Do your ideas transition smoothly, building a cohesive argument towards your thesis? |
Grammar and Punctuation ✅ | Is your essay free of grammatical errors and typos? |
Word Count 📏 | Does your essay meet the required word count? |
A well-structured synthesis essay guides the reader through your analysis of multiple sources and effectively builds your argument. Here's a breakdown of the typical format:
For a deeper understanding of a compare and contrast essay , including format and writing process, consult our dedicated article.
In synthesis writing, there are two main types: explanatory and argumentative. While both involve analyzing multiple sources, their ultimate goals differ. Here's a breakdown of the key distinctions between explanatory and argumentative synthesis essays:
Criteria | Explanatory Synthesis | Argumentative Synthesis |
---|---|---|
Goal 🎯 | To clearly explain and compare/contrast different perspectives on a complex topic. | To develop a specific argument on a debatable topic, supported by evidence from multiple sources. |
Focus 🔍 | Presents a balanced overview of various viewpoints without taking a strong personal stance. | Persuades the reader by integrating source material that strengthens your chosen position. |
Structure 🏗️ | Highlights key arguments, evidence, and conclusions from each source, demonstrating their connections and potential contradictions. | Selectively emphasizes information from sources that align with your argument, while acknowledging and addressing opposing viewpoints. |
Thesis Statement 📜 | Outlines the key points of comparison or contrast between the sources. | States your position on the topic and outlines how the sources will be used to support your claim. |
Example 💡 | "This essay will explore the different approaches to tackling climate change, analyzing the proposals put forth by environmental scientists, economists, and social scientists." | "While some argue for a complete ban on social media, a more measured approach that encourages responsible use and promotes digital literacy is a more effective solution." |
And if you're keen on knowing how to write an informative essay , we've got you covered on that, too!
Picking essay topics is just the beginning. To write a great synthesis essay, you need to carefully evaluate and connect different sources to build a strong argument or viewpoint. Here's a step-by-step infographic guide to help you choose the right synthesis essay topics wisely.
There are myriads of essay topics , so how do you choose the right one? Don’t waste your time, here we offer some great ideas:
If you’re interested in persuasive essays topics , this guide's got your back.
Writing a synthesis essay is a great way to learn about a topic. It lets you explore different viewpoints and see how they fit together. This guide gives you the steps to follow for a strong essay. Remember, the goal is to use what you learn from your sources to create your own unique understanding. So next time you have a complex topic, give a synthesis essay a try! You might be surprised by what you learn.
Fear not! Our expert wordsmiths are here to turn your thoughts into a symphony of ideas!
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is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.
is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.
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When you write a literature review or essay, you have to go beyond just summarizing the articles you’ve read – you need to synthesize the literature to show how it all fits together (and how your own research fits in).
Synthesizing simply means combining. Instead of summarizing the main points of each source in turn, you put together the ideas and findings of multiple sources in order to make an overall point.
At the most basic level, this involves looking for similarities and differences between your sources. Your synthesis should show the reader where the sources overlap and where they diverge.
Franz (2008) studied undergraduate online students. He looked at 17 females and 18 males and found that none of them liked APA. According to Franz, the evidence suggested that all students are reluctant to learn citations style. Perez (2010) also studies undergraduate students. She looked at 42 females and 50 males and found that males were significantly more inclined to use citation software ( p < .05). Findings suggest that females might graduate sooner. Goldstein (2012) looked at British undergraduates. Among a sample of 50, all females, all confident in their abilities to cite and were eager to write their dissertations.
Studies of undergraduate students reveal conflicting conclusions regarding relationships between advanced scholarly study and citation efficacy. Although Franz (2008) found that no participants enjoyed learning citation style, Goldstein (2012) determined in a larger study that all participants watched felt comfortable citing sources, suggesting that variables among participant and control group populations must be examined more closely. Although Perez (2010) expanded on Franz’s original study with a larger, more diverse sample…
After collecting the relevant literature, you’ve got a lot of information to work through, and no clear idea of how it all fits together.
Before you can start writing, you need to organize your notes in a way that allows you to see the relationships between sources.
One way to begin synthesizing the literature is to put your notes into a table. Depending on your topic and the type of literature you’re dealing with, there are a couple of different ways you can organize this.
A summary table collates the key points of each source under consistent headings. This is a good approach if your sources tend to have a similar structure – for instance, if they’re all empirical papers.
Each row in the table lists one source, and each column identifies a specific part of the source. You can decide which headings to include based on what’s most relevant to the literature you’re dealing with.
For example, you might include columns for things like aims, methods, variables, population, sample size, and conclusion.
For each study, you briefly summarize each of these aspects. You can also include columns for your own evaluation and analysis.
The summary table gives you a quick overview of the key points of each source. This allows you to group sources by relevant similarities, as well as noticing important differences or contradictions in their findings.
A synthesis matrix is useful when your sources are more varied in their purpose and structure – for example, when you’re dealing with books and essays making various different arguments about a topic.
Each column in the table lists one source. Each row is labeled with a specific concept, topic or theme that recurs across all or most of the sources.
Then, for each source, you summarize the main points or arguments related to the theme.
The purposes of the table is to identify the common points that connect the sources, as well as identifying points where they diverge or disagree.
Now you should have a clear overview of the main connections and differences between the sources you’ve read. Next, you need to decide how you’ll group them together and the order in which you’ll discuss them.
For shorter papers, your outline can just identify the focus of each paragraph; for longer papers, you might want to divide it into sections with headings.
There are a few different approaches you can take to help you structure your synthesis.
If your sources cover a broad time period, and you found patterns in how researchers approached the topic over time, you can organize your discussion chronologically .
That doesn’t mean you just summarize each paper in chronological order; instead, you should group articles into time periods and identify what they have in common, as well as signalling important turning points or developments in the literature.
If the literature covers various different topics, you can organize it thematically .
That means that each paragraph or section focuses on a specific theme and explains how that theme is approached in the literature.
Source Used with Permission: The Chicago School
If you’re drawing on literature from various different fields or they use a wide variety of research methods, you can organize your sources methodologically .
That means grouping together studies based on the type of research they did and discussing the findings that emerged from each method.
If your topic involves a debate between different schools of thought, you can organize it theoretically .
That means comparing the different theories that have been developed and grouping together papers based on the position or perspective they take on the topic, as well as evaluating which arguments are most convincing.
What sets a synthesis apart from a summary is that it combines various sources. The easiest way to think about this is that each paragraph should discuss a few different sources, and you should be able to condense the overall point of the paragraph into one sentence.
This is called a topic sentence , and it usually appears at the start of the paragraph. The topic sentence signals what the whole paragraph is about; every sentence in the paragraph should be clearly related to it.
A topic sentence can be a simple summary of the paragraph’s content:
“Early research on [x] focused heavily on [y].”
For an effective synthesis, you can use topic sentences to link back to the previous paragraph, highlighting a point of debate or critique:
“Several scholars have pointed out the flaws in this approach.” “While recent research has attempted to address the problem, many of these studies have methodological flaws that limit their validity.”
By using topic sentences, you can ensure that your paragraphs are coherent and clearly show the connections between the articles you are discussing.
As you write your paragraphs, avoid quoting directly from sources: use your own words to explain the commonalities and differences that you found in the literature.
Don’t try to cover every single point from every single source – the key to synthesizing is to extract the most important and relevant information and combine it to give your reader an overall picture of the state of knowledge on your topic.
Like any other piece of academic writing, synthesizing literature doesn’t happen all in one go – it involves redrafting, revising, editing and proofreading your work.
How to Synthesise: a Step-by-Step Approach
Help…I”ve Been Asked to Synthesize!
Learn how to Synthesise (combine information from sources)
How to write a Psychology Essay
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Synthesis Essay
16 min read
Published on: Mar 1, 2023
Last updated on: Jul 24, 2024
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Do you have a ton of research to synthesize but don't know how? Or maybe you're not sure what a synthesis essay is and how to write a good synthesis essay.
We know writing a synthesis essay is not an easy task to do; it’s challenging for most of us. But it can be perfectly done with the right guidance and preparation.
In this blog, we'll walk you through all the necessary information to craft a perfect synthesis essay. So you can get done with your assignments confidently!
Let’s get started.
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Synthesis essay definition states:
It is a piece of writing that takes a unique perspective on a central idea, topic, or theme. Then backs it up with evidence from multiple sources.
A synthesis essay is an important part of academic writing. The main purpose of this essay is to show your ability to prove an argument.
To make sense of these arguments, you need to use different credible sources. It demonstrates your basic understanding of the main subject. This type of essay help to enhance your critical, analytical, and research skills.
A synthesis essay is made up of ideas and conclusions based on the information reviewed. Also, this essay asks you to summarize the topic and add your own thoughts about it in relation to what you have read.
Furthermore, the synthesis essays can be similar to analytical essays , argumentative essays , or compare and contrast essays .
There are three types of a synthesis essay:
1. Argument Synthesis Essay
This essay's purpose is to debate or argue on a certain topic or issue. It justifies its claims by providing evidence in the body of the essay.
In contrast to the explanatory essay, you will perform the same thing as if you were writing a typical argumentative paper. First, state your argument, make supporting statements, and back up each claim with reliable facts.
2. Review Essay
A review essay is frequently written as a preparatory essay to an argument synthesis. Review essays are commonly used in social science and medicine classes.
It is a discussion of what has already been published on a topic, with a critical examination of the sources mentioned.
An unwritten thesis statement is added to it, which is not final and indicates that further study is needed in that area.
3. Explanatory Synthesis Essay
In this essay, the writer helps the reader to grasp deeper knowledge about the topic. Rather than arguing or debating on some points, the goal of this essay is to explain a certain topic.
Like any other essay, it needs backing up with supporting claims and credible sources.
The following are some helpful techniques for writing an essay. These will help you start the process and avoid common errors that plague many writers.
1. Choosing a Synthesis Essay Topic
A prompt for a synthesis paper must be arguable. Based on your project, you may be required to select primary content. Select a book that may include contrasting perspectives. Here are some important tips for choosing a topic for a synthesis essay.
It is necessary to find an arguable topic to make your synthesis essay effective. Another reason is that these topics have been discussed in public for decades.
Examples of good synthesis essay topics are;
2. Analyze Your Topic
Here's how you can fully understand your synthesis essay topic.
A synthesis essay's purpose is to establish meaningful connections between sections of a work. When conducting research on a topic, you have to look for connections to build a strong viewpoint on the subject. The ultimate goal of the essay is to present and prove a claim about a topic .
The subject and topic must be extensive enough to include multiple relevant sources. If you have a free hand in deciding what to write about, some preparatory research may assist you in researching and choosing the right topic.
Research and find relevant information and sources. Generally, choose at least three references for your essay. It's a good idea to learn one or two additional sources for better understanding but no matter what it is, make sure that you study it properly.
Remember that it is better to read three sources properly than five sources poorly.
Compile each source by writing notes in the margins. This allows you to keep track of your thoughts, fresh ideas, and so on.
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Reread your source material for elements that will help to support your argument.
Examine your sources for important statements, figures, thoughts, and facts that support your thesis. Make a note of them when you come across them. This will be very useful throughout your writing process.
3. Develop a Thesis Statement
Your thesis statement will be the central idea of your essay. It should cover the topic and express your viewpoint on it. After reading the sources and conducting your research, form an opinion on your topic.
It should be stated as a complete sentence. Based on the essay, your thesis statement could be the first sentence of the essay or the last sentence of the first paragraph.
To present your thesis, use a more creative structure. You can use a more elaborate structure than the one outlined above. You can develop your essay using the following approaches:
Straw man: In this approach, you will present the counter-arguments first. Then demonstrate their weaknesses and flaws.
Such an approach demonstrates your awareness of the opposition as well as your readiness to respond to it. You present the counter-argument immediately following your thesis statement, followed by evidence to refute it. And conclude with a positive argument that supports your thesis.
Concession: In structure, concessions in essays are similar to the straw man. But this approach acknowledges the validity of the counter-argument while demonstrating that your argument is stronger. This structure is suitable for presenting papers to readers who hold opposing views.
Illustration/ Example: It could be a thorough narrative, synopsis, or quotation from your source material that provides support for your position. However, you should not make your paper a collection of examples at the expense of supporting your thesis statement.
Comparison and Contrast: In this approach, similarities and differences between two subjects or sources demonstrate both aspects. It requires a thorough reading of your source material to identify both subtle and major points of comparison.
This type of essay can present its arguments source by source or by points of similarity or difference.
An essay outline is a method for outlining the framework of your essay. Here's what you have to do. Outlining can help you structure and plan your synthesis paper.
The standard outline of a synthesis essay is divided into three sections:
- Introduce your topic and thesis statement |
Need detailed guidance on how to write a synthesis essay? Check out this video?
For writing a great essay, you have to do extensive research on your subject. This essay connects sections of multiple works and develops a strong viewpoint on a subject.
There are some major steps of the process:
1. Start Writing Your Essay
After getting done with the preparation part, start to write your synthesis essay.
2. Write Your First Draft Using Your Outline as a Guide
But be prepared to change your strategy if you discover fresh ideas and information. And make sure it supports your thesis and the source material.
Your essay should have an introduction paragraph with your thesis statement at the end of it. A body with evidence that supports your main topic and thesis statement. Lastly, a conclusion that summarizes your point of view.
3. Use Transitions
To make the content flow logically, use transitions between paragraphs. Transition words are an excellent method to highlight areas where your sources complement one another.
Longer quotes of three lines or more should be presented as block quotes to draw emphasis to them.
4. Wrap Up Your Essay
Here you have completed the writing process, but still, you need to make sure that your essay is flawless.
5. Revise Your Essay
This is the time to enhance transitions between points and paragraphs and to reinforce arguments. You should strive to make your argument as concise and clear to understand as possible. It is beneficial to read your essay aloud so you can spot problematic phrases or unclear ideas.
Request someone else to proofread your paper. Have you heard the cliche "two heads are better than one"? Is it still valid?
Ask a friend or coworker what they would add or eliminate from the paper. Most importantly, does your thesis statement make sense, and are your references clearly supporting it?
Answer these questions in your essay.
6. Proofread Your Content
Examine your document for any grammatical, punctuation, or spelling mistakes.
Are all the terms, names, and words accurately spelled? Are there any extraneous English language or sentence fragments? As you go, correct them.
Read the essay loudly to ensure that you don't accidentally add or remove words when reading in your mind. If possible, ask a friend or classmate to edit your writing.
7. Must Cite Sources
Use footnotes to mention information in the body paragraph and bibliography of cited books at the conclusion. Footnotes and in-text citations should be used for any information that is quoted, paraphrased, or cited.
8. Title Your Essay
The point of view expressed in your thesis statement and supporting arguments should be reflected in your title. Therefore, choose a title that suits your essay rather than constructing your essay to fit the title.
The format of your synthesis paper is chosen by your high school, college, or university professor. MLA, APA, and Chicago styles are the most often used styles.
The APA format is followed in the disciplines of science, education, and psychology. Chicago is commonly followed in the field of history, fine arts, and business. And MLA is the style of citation used in the humanities.
The following are some APA style important details:
The following are some Chicago style key points:
The following are some MLA style significant points:
A rubric is essentially a list of criteria that your professor will use to grade your paper.
Knowing how each criterion is weighted can help make sure you get the best grade possible on your synthesis essay.
The basic elements of any synthesis essay rubric include organization, focus/development, and language use/style.
For example , your synthesis essay thesis statement is
"Capital punishment should be abolished in all states."
Do you provide evidence from different angles, such as legal history, religious beliefs, or moral arguments to back up this claim?
Does this evidence prove why capital punishment should be abolished?
Are you an AP Lang student who's been assigned the dreaded synthesis essay? Here's how to write a successful synthesis essay for AP Lang.
The first step in writing any synthesis essay is to read and understand the prompt. It's also important to note any specific requirements such as word count, formatting style, or sources that must be used in your essay.
Once you have all the information necessary, it's time to start organizing your argument.
Start by identifying any common themes or ideas between the various sources of evidence and create an outline with these points at its core.
Now comes the fun part - writing!
You should now have a comprehensive outline of all the points and evidence you want to include in your essay. So use this as a guide when crafting your argument.
Make sure that each point has supporting evidence from credible sources and that everything flows logically from one point to another.
Finally, don't forget to proofread and edit before submitting so that there are no errors in grammar or spelling. These small details can make all the difference!
Working on a synthesis paper requires a thorough study of a particular given prompt. To evaluate it properly, you must first understand the prompt's goal, argument, author's claim, and rhetoric.
To compose a successful synthesis essay, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind.
It is well recognized that the use of various reasons (generally two) is a very successful approach.
Present one argument against your strong thesis statement. This type of evidence presents an introduction and description. The advantage of this method is to teach awareness of the other side of the argument. It is followed by the opposing view and a decisive factor.
This is one of the most basic ways of organizing. It enables you to summarise the sources that are most relevant to you. The problem is that this technique excludes any of your individual thinking.
Comparing reveals similarities, while contrasting reveals distinctions. It is feasible to show an in-depth analysis of your chosen topic. It allows writers to compare and contrast two sources at the same time.
Write quotations from sources in your own words. This approach also allows the usage of quotable sources. Ensure to cite the reference when you use the reference.
This method depicts the opposing point of view. It demonstrates that the positives outweigh the negatives.
Writing a synthesis essay is not as difficult as it may seem. You can also try our AI essay writer to generate plagiarism-free content and make the process easier.
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How do you end a synthesis essay.
A strong ending fulfills these 3 things:
A synthesis is a textual debate that includes support from multiple sources with opposing viewpoints. This type of work requires analysis by using different sources and determining their relevance to your thesis.
It is important because it allows us to:
Synthesize rather than summarize your argument. No need to go over your entire paper again. Instead, include a brief summary of the main points of the paper and explain to your reader how you've made points.
Making connections or putting things together is all that is required. We naturally synthesize information to assist others in seeing connections between things. For example, synthesis occurs when you report to a friend what other friends have said about a film or book.
According to the standard outline provided, you should stick to the basic five-to-six paragraph structure. In rare cases, there may be more paragraphs in the main body.
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Structuring your synthesis essay by topic works best for more complicated ideas with different aspects that should be explored individually. Example outline: I. Introduction A. Thesis statement. II. Topic 1 A. Source A discussing Topic 1 1. A point or piece of evidence/data from Source A about Topic 1 2.
To help you summarize and analyze your argumentative texts, your articles, your scientific texts, your history texts as well as your well-structured analyses work of art, Resoomer provides you with a "Summary text tool" : an educational tool that identifies and summarizes the important ideas and facts of your documents.
Everything on this site is free within a 3-day trial, so you can test and develop confidence in our products. You may also be wondering where this is an essay automatic writer or if it will take a while to get results. All results appear within a matter of seconds, so you can move through your work as quickly as possible.
Summarize and synthesize key points from multiple pieces of literature into a cohesive narrative. HyperWrite's Literature Synthesis Assistant is an AI-powered tool that helps you summarize and synthesize key points from multiple pieces of literature. Using advanced AI models, this tool can identify the main ideas from each piece and combine them into a clear, concise, and cohesive narrative.
The writing process for composing a good synthesis essay requires curiosity, research, and original thought to argue a certain point or explore an idea. Synthesis essay writing involves a great deal of intellectual work, but knowing how to compose a compelling written discussion of a topic can give you an edge in many fields, from the social sciences to engineering.
Include an opposing viewpoint to your main idea, if applicable. A good thesis statement acknowledges that there is always another side to the argument. So, include an opposing viewpoint (a counterargument) to your opinion. Basically, write down what a person who disagrees with your position might say about your topic.
Try our thesis statement generator, and see how simple writing can be! Our semester plans gives you unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, writing guides, example essays, outlines, class notes, and more. Get Started Now. Create a short statement that summarizes the main point or claim of your essay with our ...
As a student, you'll probably have to write a synthesis essay at some point. Read on for our step-by-step guide on how to write one effectively. Step 1. Define Your Idea or Argument. If you haven't done so already, decide on a topic to write about. Read up about it using a variety of credible sources and make detailed notes while you research.
It also doesn't analyze the sources or consider gaps in existing research. Example: Effective synthesis. Research on the barriers to second language acquisition has primarily focused on age-related difficulties. Building on Lenneberg's (1967) theory of a critical period of language acquisition, Johnson and Newport (1988) tested Lenneberg ...
In a summary, you share the key points from an individual source and then move on and summarize another source. In synthesis, you need to combine the information from those multiple sources and add your own analysis of the literature. This means that each of your paragraphs will include multiple sources and citations, as well as your own ideas ...
AI Thesis Statement Generator. Lay the foundation for a compelling research paper, persuasive essay, and more with Grammarly's thesis statement generator, which helps spark original ideas for your paper's thesis statement in two quick steps. Step 1. Enter target audience. Paste or type the name of the person or group who will read your paper.
The introduction should be short and precise, with the topic sentence in one paragraph. In the main body, the source material should be synthesized in 3-5 paragraphs. And the last component of a synthesis essay is the conclusion, where you should summarize your arguments, ideas, and thoughts.
Students and researchers can benefit from Ahrefs' Paragraph Generator when working on papers, essays, or research articles. By providing the necessary instructions, the tool can generate well-structured paragraphs that present key arguments, evidence, and analysis, aiding in the writing process. Personal writing and communication.
Argumentative syntheses seek to bring sources together to make an argument. Both types of synthesis involve looking for relationships between sources and drawing conclusions. In order to successfully synthesize your sources, you might begin by grouping your sources by topic and looking for connections. For example, if you were researching the ...
How to write body paragraphs for synthesis essays: 1.Pick three points to write about from your list of points about which the writers agreed or disagreed. When picking three to write about, pick the three that offer you ample evidence. 2.Decide the order of the three points to be written about in your body paragraphs.
A synthesis matrix will help you with that: Find several central ideas in the chart. Choose the ones that are repeated the most often and the ones that you feel need to be in your essay. Combine them, and you have a thesis statement with all the key points. Make a draft of the thesis statement.
Synthesis Kernel Essay Format: I. Introduce both texts (authors, titles, and common themes/traits) II. Based on these texts, I believe… (this is your claim) III. What author 1 says… (evidence with in-text citation needed) IV. What author 2 says… (evidence with in-text citation needed) V.
Your essay should have an introductory paragraph that includes your thesis, a body to present evidence that supports your thesis, and a conclusion that summarizes your point of view. 2. Write in the third person. Writing in the third person means using "he," "she," "it", and using complete, unambiguous sentences.
A well-structured synthesis essay guides the reader through your analysis of multiple sources and effectively builds your argument. Here's a breakdown of the typical format: Double-space your essay unless otherwise instructed. Use a standard font (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial) and font size (e.g., 12 pt).
Step 1 Organize your sources. Step 2 Outline your structure. Step 3 Write paragraphs with topic sentences. Step 4 Revise, edit and proofread. When you write a literature review or essay, you have to go beyond just summarizing the articles you've read - you need to synthesize the literature to show how it all fits together (and how your own ...
To use Editpad's AI Essay Writer, you need to follow these simple steps below: Type or paste your essay topic or requirements in the input box provided. Select the required essay length and writing tone. You can also select the " Add References " option if required. Click on " Write My Essay " button. After that, our essay generator will ...
Use this thesis statement generator to build your argumentative or compare and contrast thesis statement in less than 5 minutes. > Thesis Statement Generator. What type of paper are you writing? ... - The Secrets of a Strong Argumentative Essay - How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay. Company. About Us; Contact/FAQ; Resources; Terms of ...
First, state your argument, make supporting statements, and back up each claim with reliable facts. 2. Review Essay. A review essay is frequently written as a preparatory essay to an argument synthesis. Review essays are commonly used in social science and medicine classes.