Synthesizing Research

You now have a complete bibliography with at least six sources about your chosen topic. But how do we synthesize all this research? In other words, how do we bring all these different pieces into a unified whole? This is the major challenge of a research paper.

Follow the steps below to carve out your argument and main points. Take your time!

Return to the Research Question

Remember those research questions you created at the beginning of the research process? You set out to find answers in the research—did you find any?

For example, let's say you set out with the research question, "Are smartphones damaging to society?" You compare it to the sources you used in your annotated bibliography; how do they answer the question collectively?

• One of your sources is a statistic about car accidents: smartphone usage is a major cause. You might use this source to show that smartphones do damage society.

• Another source is a psychological study that found that family groups begin to connect less after they all have smartphones.

• Yet another source, a government website, argues that children in the last decade have had worse grades because of smartphone usage.

• But wait, two of your sources found that smartphones positively impact romantic relationships. You might lengthen and complicate your argument to include this research.

Once you have reviewed your sources with the research question in mind, you might conclude that smartphone usage damages society in many areas but actually aids our romantic connections.

Choose a Main Argument

Once you have reviewed how your sources answered your research question(s), it is time for you to decide what your informed argument will be about the topic. Given the evidence and your own logic, what do you want to argue about the topic?

This main argument must be:

1. Very specific

2. Debatable

For example, "smartphones impact society" would not be an acceptable main argument because it is 1) not specific and 2) not debatable. It's a general fact, not an argument. Read through these sample arguments and decide which are good and which need work.

Synthesizing Research

You now have a complete bibliography with at least six sources about your chosen topic. But how do we synthesize all this research? In other words, how do we bring all these different pieces into a unified whole? This is the major challenge of a research paper.

Follow the steps below to carve out your argument and main points. Take your time!

Return to the Research Question

Remember those research questions you created at the beginning of the research process? You set out to find answers in the research—did you find any?

For example, let's say you set out with the research question, "Are smartphones damaging to society?" You compare it to the sources you used in your annotated bibliography; how do they answer the question collectively?

• One of your sources is a statistic about car accidents: smartphone usage is a major cause. You might use this source to show that smartphones do damage society.

• Another source is a psychological study that found that family groups begin to connect less after they all have smartphones.

• Yet another source, a government website, argues that children in the last decade have had worse grades because of smartphone usage.

• But wait, two of your sources found that smartphones positively impact romantic relationships. You might lengthen and complicate your argument to include this research.

Once you have reviewed your sources with the research question in mind, you might conclude that smartphone usage damages society in many areas but actually aids our romantic connections.

Choose a Main Argument

Once you have reviewed how your sources answered your research question(s), it is time for you to decide what your informed argument will be about the topic. Given the evidence and your own logic, what do you want to argue about the topic?

This main argument must be:

1. Very specific

2. Debatable

For example, "smartphones impact society" would not be an acceptable main argument because it is 1) not specific and 2) not debatable. It's a general fact, not an argument. Read through these sample arguments and decide which are good and which need work.