Synthesis

What is synthesis?

The Oxford English Dictionary says:

“to put together or combine into a complex whole; to make up by combination of parts or elements”

something something something new

What is synthesis?

Chemistry is synthesis:

2 hydrogen 1 oxygen water

Music is synthesis:

instruments arrangementssong

What is synthesis?

Likewise, a literature review is a synthesis:

Instead of atoms or sounds, you’re combining the findings of scholars concerning your topic.

Instead of creating molecules or songs, you’re creating new knowledge about your topic.

scholarlyresearch

your arrangement, organization, and insights

literature review

What is synthesis?From St. Martin’s Handbook, 12e:

When you read and interpret a source—for example, when you consider its purpose and relevance, its author’s credentials, its accuracy, and the kind of argument it is making—you are analyzing the source. Analysis requires you to take apart something complex (such as an article in a scholarly journal) and look closely at the parts to understand the whole better. For academic writing you also need to synthesize—group similar pieces of information together and look for patterns—so you can put your sources…together…. Synthesis is the flip side of analysis: you already understand the parts, so your job is to assemble them into a new whole.

How do you write a synthesis?

Analyze read the sources annotate, highlight, underline write summaries

Synthesize determine common themes make connections between ideas use your own words and ideas to bring

order to the whole thing

Synthesizing Language adds analyzes argues asks cites compares connects continues contradicts contrasts

demonstrates describes details dramatizes elaborates evaluates explains expresses extends generalizes

Synthesizing Language illustrates informs interprets introduces lists narrates offers opposes predicts presents

projects proposes qualifies questions quotes reasons rebuts reflects repeats states

Synthesizing Language speculates suggests summarizes supports synthesizes traces uses agrees with disagrees with furthers this idea complicates

counters has a different

opinion goes in a different

direction refines that point both x and y neither x nor y while x and y agree

that…, z points out that…

Let’s practice synthesis

Let’s practice synthesis

You work on a team reading and synthesizing movie reviews for the website Rotten Tomatoes. Your next assignment:

Let’s practice synthesis

1. Read a review of the movie.2. As you read, note what the reviewer

says about these possible themes:O Luhrmann’s directingO DiCaprio’s acting

3. Discuss your findings with your group.

Paragraph SandwichTopic Sentence

Evidence & Commentary

Conclusion

Most reviews of the film agreed that DiCaprio’s acting was a high point, though there is some dissent on this point.

For example, A writes that “quote quote quote,” a point that B and C agree with. C even goes so far as to say that “quote quote quote,” and his review largely ignores other concerns in its praise of DiCaprio. Not all reviewers feel this way, however. One notable exception is D, who felt that the movie suffered from DiCaprio’s interpretation of Gatsby. Wrote he: “Quote quote quote.”

While we cannot expect unanimity among all reviewers, it is clear that the great majority of critics found DiCaprio’s acting to be of the high quality audiences have come to expect.

Synthesis Paper OrganizationO Introduction

O Background

O Finding Common Ground and Highlighting Controversy

O Looking to the Future

O Conclusion

150 words

250 words

1200 words

250 words

150 words

3–4 subtopics, each dealt with in a paragraph of 300–400 words.

• Effects

• Pros and Cons

• Solutions

• Methods

• Component Issues