What is synthesis?

The process of synthesis, though it may sound complicated, is actually part of everyday life. Anytime. Anytime you take two or more ideas or concepts and combine them using your own ingenuity to create something new, you have synthesized those elements. For instance, if your favorite outfit is a leather motorcycle jacket over a floral dress, you might describe your fashion sense as synthesis of classic and edgy. Anytime you approach a concept with several possibilities or perspectives in mind, analyze each one reflects on them and arrive at a new way of seeing it. Or, if not entirely new, then more informed, this is synthesis.

When you're learning about a subject, look for reliable sources. Be aware of the bias that a source brings to the topic. Consider the speaker. What does he or she believe in? How might that speakers position provide personal gain? Don't look for a debate that represents only polarized views. Look for a range of viewpoints. In dialog with one another. This might sound like a lot to keep in mind, but don't worry. You work with sources all the time. For example, when you decide to buy a new smartphone, you gather information by exploring different sources, or you. Or you consult different charts, graphs and other infographics to make your decision.

Approaching Sources

While approaching sources your reading critically always asking questions looking for flaws and logic assessing the evidence is a valuable school. Exploring multiple sources that represent different, often opposing views requires you to be willing to suspend judgment until you have examined each of those sources in turn.

You may find yourself surprised by the merits of ways seeing you had not previously considered. This practice not only allows us to find some virtue and ideas of that first seem to go against our own beliefs, but it can also help us recognize flaws in our own thinking. As discussed in chapter 3, many types of evidence can serve to support an argument. But it's important to remember that your sources should enhance your argument and not replace it. You may worry that the ideas of others are so persuasive that you have nothing new to say. But as you develop skills in your writing synthesis essays, you will find that sources and primary ideas and demonstrate your understanding of opposing views.

When using sources to appeal to an audience, your goal is to have your needs satisfied without treating the listener as flunky who can be bossed around it will.

Writing a Synthesis Essay

As you move from reading and analyzing the sources to integrating them into your writing, you will engage in a process of selection. This is often a complex step in which ideally you explore the individual text and start to see connection among them. Essential to this process is your willingness to understand each text on its own term, even if you disagree with the ideas or position similar to a Rogerian argument. You must also approach arguments you don't agree with by trying to believe the viewpoints I can pay and argue your best way by also understanding their terms.

Recognizing Complexity

You can rarely change your readers mind, at least not radically or immediately. Instead, what you want to do is aim for a compelling argument that leaves the reader thinking, questioning, considering and reconsidering. To do this, you have to acknowledge that the issue at hand is a complex one with no easy solutions and a variety of valid perspectives on the matter. You must present a reasonable idea in that a voice is logical, sincere and informed. And you must anticipate objections to your position. I recognize and respect the complexities of your topic. A reasonable voice recognizes that there are more than two sides to an issue.

Formulating Your Position

Before you formulate your position, it can be helpful to take stock of the issues and understand the viewpoints and sides. Creating questions and ideas that you or others might have illustrated the complexity of an issue and ensure that you do not develop an argument that is 1 sided or polarized. And instead, you are prepared to write a documented as a that reflects complexity surrounding the topic and takes into consideration both sides of the viewpoint. With having question and issues in mind, you can begin to formulate a thesis or a claim that captures your position on the topic. Although you might want to tailor one of these working these statements to use in your essay, each one suggests a clear focus while acknowledging the complexities of the issue.

Framing Quotations

When writing with sources, it is important not to simply summarize or verify the sources. You need to use the sources to strengthen your own argument. One easy way to make sure the sources are working for you is to include a sentence or two of explanation or commentary with each question. Alternatively, you might follow a quotation or a sentence or two of commentary to remind readers of your point and how the quotation influences it.

Integrating Quotations

When using multiple sources in your writing, it becomes even more important to incorporate the quotations in a way that is both clear and interesting. You don't want to bore out your readers by repeating the same evidence multiple times. You want the transition from your voice to others voice, and the ideas to be smooth and natural sounding. The most effective way to accomplish this is to integrate the quotation into your own sentences. When you integrate quotations in this way, the reader can follow your ideas and see the sources in the context of your argument.

Citing Sources

• Since you'll be quoting from several works, you have to keep track of your sources for your reader.

• You need to create paraphrases as well, not just direct quotes. Anytime you are using someone else's ideas, you must give them credit.

• Another option is to mention the author and title of the work in the sentence that includes the quotation.

• If you are writing a formal research paper, you are likely to follow MLA documentation procedures. Sometimes you may use APA formatting or other formatting. So it's best to ask your teacher or professor.

• Occasionally, you encounter a source within a source that is an author you intend to quote, has quoted another author. In that case, you enclose the entire acquisition in double quote, and you single quotes to indicate what the author cites.