SYNTHESIZING

MENG6006/ MENG6403

Lecturer: Samson Mekbib

Synthesis Writing
 A synthesis involves combining two or more summaries
 Synthesis writing is more difficult than it might at first appear because
this combining must be done in a meaningful way and the final essay
must generally be thesis-driven.
 Key features of synthesizing
1. It accurately reports information from the sources using different
phrases and sentences;
2. It is organized in such a way that readers can immediately see
where the information from the sources overlap;.
3. It makes sense of the sources and helps the reader understand
them in greater depth.
2
Synthesis
Synthesis is an important academic skill and a form of analytical
writing which involves grouping together ideas from others

Synthesis does not focus on a single author (or academic source),

it is more complex and draws on insights from a range of literature
(or academic sources)

Identify both similar and contradictory ideas with a view to

establishing links, tensions and ‘threads’ to support your argument.

Compare and contrast a range of authors and identify reoccurring

themes; how to present these themes within the body of your
assignment; how to start to introduce your own voice and develop
your insights and your argument.
3
Writing the Synthesis Essay
 A synthesis essay should be organized so that others can
understand the sources and evaluate your comprehension
of them and their presentation of specific data, themes, etc.
The following format works well:
The INTRODUCTION paragraph
1. Contains a one-sentence statement that sums up the focus
of your synthesis.
2. Also introduces the texts to be synthesized:
i. Gives the title of each source (following the citation
guidelines of whatever style
ii. Provides the name of each author;
iii. Sometimes also provides pertinent background information
about the authors, about the texts to be summarized, or
about the general topic from the text are drawn.
4
Writing the Synthesis Essay
The BODY of a Synthesis Essay
This should be organized by theme, point, similarity, or aspect of the topic. Your

organization will be determined by the assignment or by the patterns you see in the
material you are synthesizing. The organization is the most important part of a
synthesis, so try out more than one format.
1.Begins with a sentence or phrase that informs readers of the topic of the

paragraph;
2. Includes information from more than one source;
3. Clearly indicates which material comes from which source using lead in
phrases and in-text citations. [Beware of plagiarism: Accidental plagiarism most
often occurs when students are synthesizing sources and do not indicate where the
synthesis ends and their own comments begin or vice verse.]
4. Shows the similarities or differences between the different sources in ways
that make the paper as informative as possible;
5. Represents the texts fairly--even if that seems to weaken the paper! Look upon
yourself as a synthesizing machine; you are simply repeating what the source says,
in fewer words and in your own words. But the fact that you are using your own
words does not mean that you are in anyway changing what the source says.

5
6 synthesis steps
1. Read your source material
2. Make notes from each source using your own words
3. Using a blank piece of paper, create a grid using one box for
each source according to the authors and information

4. Complete the grid by making bullet points of the main ideas from
each source

5. Look for common themes and identify the arguments from each
author

6. Present your argument, using a new paragraph for each new

argument
6
Example
Consider the following essay title:

‘Discuss why assignment essays are common assessment tasks in

undergraduate tertiary coursework, and evaluate the effectiveness
of assignments as an avenue for learning’.

7
8
9
Own Voice in Synthesizing
It is important not to be neutral in your synthesizing but instead
present your own position within your work based on the
evidence you have synthesised;

this is called ‘own voice’. This can be done by using a

combination of caution, hedging, evaluative adjectives, adverbs
and verbs.

Use either positive or negative language to present your

evaluation, you demonstrate your own position to your reader.

10
Examples
The investigations to date may indicate a fundamental flaw in
this approach. It certainly shows a need for more research on
this topic.

Peters (2015) is misguided when she inaccurately claims that

nurses need to be shown how to use online learning tools to be
effective learners.

Furthermore, it appears that Lane et al. (2002) may have

overlooked some key data when they raise the possibility that
ethnicity is the key indicator for hypertension amongst the UK
population.

11
Phrases that could be used to evaluate evidence
(show your own voice)

12
Common Mistakes in SYNTHESIZING

 Presenting your authors separately instead of collectively

 Relying on single source notes to construct your draft rather
than synthesised notes

 Giving a personal opinion rather basing your views on the

evidence you have presented

 Presenting summarised or paraphrased statements that have

not been analysed, interpreted or linked to your assignment

 Overgeneralising and being too vague

 Assuming casual connections without presenting evidence for
them
13
Checking your own writing
Is it clear what is being synthesized? (i.e.: List the source(s), and cite
it/them correctly?);
Is it always clear which source you are talking about at any given
moment? (Mark any places where it is not clear);
Is the thesis of each original text clear in the synthesis? (Write out what
you think each thesis is);
did you miss any key points from his or her synthesis? (If so, what are
they?);
did you include any of your own opinions in your synthesis? (If so, what
are they?);
Where there any points in the synthesis where you were lost because a
transition was missing or material seems to have been omitted? (If so,
where and how might it be fixed?);
What is the organizational structure of the synthesis essay? (It might help
to draw a plan/diagram);
Does this structure work? (If not, how might your peer revise it?);
How is each paragraph structured? (It might help to draw a
plan/diagram);
Is this method effective? (If not, how should your peer revise?);
Was there a mechanical, grammatical, or spelling error that annoyed you
as you read the paper? (If so, how could the author fix it? Did you notice
this error occurring more than once. What other advice do you have for
14
the author of this paper?
Summary
Synthesising is a complex skill that you use to develop your
body paragraphs. It requires you to draw together your ideas,
supported by the similar and sometimes contradictory ideas of
others.

DO NOT DO’s in SYnthesizing

 Don’t think of individual authors all of the time. Consider
your case from a ‘multiple author’ perspective. This will help
your argument to carry more weight.

 Don’t leave out your notetaking activity. Once you have your
notes, it’s much easier to synthesise your information with a
correct match to your authors.
15
Local Synthesizing
Local synthesis occurs at the paragraph level when writers connect
individual pieces of evidence from multiple sources to support a
paragraph’s main idea and advance a paper’s thesis statement.

A common example in academic writing is a scholarly paragraph that

includes a main idea, evidence from multiple sources, and analysis of
those multiple sources together.

16
Global Synthesis
Global synthesis occurs at the paper (or, sometimes, section)
level when writers connect ideas across paragraphs or sections
to create a new narrative whole.

A literature review, which can either stand alone or be a

section/chapter within a capstone, is a common example of a
place where global synthesis is necessary.

However, in almost all academic writing, global synthesis is

created by and sometimes referred to as good cohesion and
flow.

17
References
https://aso-resources.une.edu.au/academic-writing-
course/information-basics/synthesising-evidence/

https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/evidence/synth
esis

https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/evidence/parap
hrase

18