5.2 Synthesizing in Your Writing

A Guide to Rhetoric, Genre, and Success in First-Year Writing

Authors:

• Yvonne Bruce
• Melanie Gagich
• Svetlana Zhuravlova

Key Concepts of Synthesis

Synthesis as a Conversation

• Synthesis: Combining ideas to create a new idea.
• It involves summarizing, analyzing, critiquing, and finally synthesizing.
• Aims to draw a unique conclusion from reading materials.
• Involves understanding and incorporating different viewpoints.

How to Synthesize

1. Determine Goals: Set discussion goals (e.g., review a topic, support an argument).
2. Organize Discussion: Structure the conversation among authors of researched materials.
3. Lead the Discussion: Guide the discussion logically.
4. Provide Comments: Offer insights and guide the audience.
5. Summarize Examples: Highlight key examples and explanations.
6. Draw Conclusions: Formulate a unique conclusion answering the research question.

Misconceptions about Synthesis

• Not just summarizing opinions.
• Not critiquing opinions without synthesis.
• Not simply comparing texts unless instructed.
• Synthesis is about demonstrating a full understanding of a topic from multiple perspectives.

Characteristics of Effective Synthesis

• It blends multiple perspectives into a cohesive understanding.
• Avoids limiting positions and aims for nuanced understanding.
• Acknowledges complexities without resorting to binary judgments.

Example of Synthesis:

• Discusses gun control, highlighting complexities without defaulting to simplistic positions.
• Suggests comprehensive approaches to issues, acknowledging cultural factors.

Additional Resources

• For further understanding, refer to the article Identifying a Conversation.

License

• This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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