UNDERSTANDING SYNTHESIS PAPERS. In a synthesis, you typically survey a range of opinions on a topic, often a controversial one, summarizing and assessing a selection of reputable authorities. But pay close attention to the actual assignment: Note what types of sources you must review, whether you may quote from them, how to document them, (understand citation styles) and whether you are, in fact, expected to develop a thesis of your own after reviewing all the material.

need to write a synthesis paper?

If your assignment is to prepare a review of literature, you will identify and report on the most important books and articles on a subject, usually over a specified period of time: currently, from the last five years, over the past three decades. The topic of the review may be assigned to you or it may be one you must prepare as part of a thesis, term paper, or capstone project. In either case, check whether your summary must follow a specific pattern of organization: Most literature reviews are chronological, though some are thematic, and still others are arranged by comparison and contrast. (develop a draft)

Identify reputable sources on your subject. Expect to find multiple articles, books, and research studies on any significant topic. You can locate relevant material using library catalogs, research guides, or online tools (see Chapter 38). Work with your instructor or a research librarian to separate mainstream and essential works from outliers, which may or may not deserve a closer look.

Summarize and paraphrase the works you have identified. Take these notes carefully. Summaries capture the gist of every source you read, even those that don’t pan out. Paraphrases are lengthier notes you take when you expect to refer to sources extensively or quote from them directly. (Review these skills, as necessary, in Chapters 42–43.)

Look for connections between your sources. Once you have summarized and paraphrased a range of sources, examine them in relationship to each other to determine where they come down on your issue. Think about categories to describe their stances: similarity/difference, congruence/divergence, consistency/inconsistency, conventional/radical, and so on. Look for sources, too, that explain how a controversy has evolved and where it stands now. Introduce such materials with verbs of attribution such as describes, reports, points out, asserts, argues, claims, agrees, concurs.

Acknowledge disagreements and rebuttals. Describe all the opinions you encounter accurately, introducing them with verbs of attribution such as questions, denies, disagrees, contradicts, undermines, disputes, calls into question, takes issue with. Your synthesis should represent a full range of opinions; be sure to present reputable sources that challenge any thesis you intend to develop.

Don’t rush to judgment. In synthesizing, writers sometimes divide their sources too conveniently between those that merely support a claim and those that oppose it, ignoring complications and subtleties. Quite often, the most interesting relationships are to be found in places where belligerent authors unexpectedly agree or orthodox research generates unexpected results. Don’t precook the results or try to fit your materials into an existing framework.

Cite materials that both support and challenge your own thesis. Any thesis you develop yourself as a result of your synthesis (as seen in the sample essay in this chapter) should reflect the inclusiveness of your research. Of course, you will draw on, quote from, and amplify the materials that help define you position. But be sure to acknowledge materials that run counter to your thesis too. In academic and professional writing, you must not only acknowledge these dissenters but also outline their ideas objectively and introduce any quotations from them fairly (Rosen says, not Rosen whines). (use quotations)