Although synthesis assignments vary enormously, certain organizational strategies and conventions are worth noting.

Provide a context for your topic. Open a synthesis paper by identifying your subject and placing it in historical or cultural context. Identify writers or sources that have defined the topic, and explain the rationale for your project. Help readers appreciate why an issue is important.

Tell a story. Whether your synthesis merely summarizes varying points of view or defends a thesis statement, it’s often a good strategy to create a narrative readers can follow. (understand narratives) Help them understand the issues as you have come to appreciate them yourself. Separate major issues from minor ones, and use transitions as necessary to establish connections (consequently), highlight contrasts (on the other hand), show parallels (similarly), and so on.

Pay attention to language. Keep the style of your synthesis objective, neutral, and fairly formal. In most cases, avoid I when summarizing and paraphrasing. (refine your tone) Remember that the summaries of materials you cite should be in your own words; some synthesis assignments may even prohibit direct quotations. If you do quote from sources, choose statements that cogently represent the positions of your sources.

Be sure to document your sources. Record full bibliographic information for all the materials you read. You’ll need it for the works cited or references page required at the end of most synthesis papers.