Regardless of how you launch sources, you need to figure out how to integrate and synthesize them effectively. Use the Take Action chart for this purpose. Skim across the top to identify questions you might ask about your draft. When you answer a question with “Yes” or “Maybe,” move straight down the column to Locate Specifics under that question. Use the activities there to identify gaps or weaknesses. Then move straight down to Take Action. Use the advice that suits your problem as you revise.
See more on synthesizing. See this chart to Take Action on synthesizing
Integrating source notes into your paper generally requires positioning materials in a sequence, fitting them in place, and then reworking and interpreting them to convert them into effective evidence that advances your case. Synthesizing sources and evidence weaves them into a unified whole.
Build your synthesis on critical reading and thinking: pulling together what you read and think, relating ideas and information, and drawing conclusions that go beyond those of your separate sources. If you have a sure sense of your paper’s direction, you may find this synthesis fairly easy. On the other hand, if your research question or working thesis has changed or you have unearthed persuasive information at odds with your original direction, consider these questions: