A Guide to Writing Synthesis Essays

Definition: A synthesis essay helps readers comprehend a topic, especially when it is complex or involves multiple related issues.
Purpose: To simplify information from various sources into a cohesive and understandable point, explaining something not commonly known or easily understood.
Process: It involves consulting diverse sources (articles, charts, graphs), synthesizing their information, and presenting a clear explanation to the reader.

Initial Approach: Start with a broad, often controversial, and information-rich topic, such as global warming.
Simplification: After reviewing various sources, simplify the information in your mind, noting different theories on aspects like severity, causes, and solutions.
Narrowing Down: From the broad topic, select one specific aspect that genuinely interests you and for which you have sufficient ideas to develop several body paragraphs.

Two-Part Structure: A thesis statement must always contain two components:
- Topic: The specific subject your essay will explore.
- Controlling Idea: The main argument or point you will make about that topic.
Complexity and Novelty: The thesis should be complex and present an idea that is not universally known or easily understood, as the essay's goal is to explain it to the reader.
Example Thesis: "Most people don't think about the threat of rising sea levels, but the issue will be devastating for people who live near the ocean."
- Topic: The threat of rising sea levels.
- Controlling Idea: It will devastate people near the ocean.

Generating Main Points: After establishing your thesis, brainstorm several examples or points that demonstrate your controlling idea. These will serve as the topics for your body paragraphs.
Paragraph Count: Aim for 4 to 5 body paragraphs for a well-developed and convincing essay.
Expanding General Ideas: If a main point is too broad for a single paragraph, divide it into more specific sub-points, each forming its own paragraph.
- Example: "A lot of money will be lost" is general. You could have:
  - Local Impact: Discuss money lost by locals (e.g., inability to fish, destroyed homes).
  - International Impact: Cover international financial losses due to affected communities.

Paragraph Structure: Each body paragraph should begin with a clear topic sentence and include several supporting ideas to elaborate on that topic.
Supporting Ideas Breakdown: For the main point "Communities will disappear," effective supporting ideas could be:
- Homes near the ocean will be underwater, necessitating relocation.
- Jobs will be lost, forcing people to move.
- Fear of staying will drive people to relocate.
Integrating Source Material: For each supporting idea, incorporate details and evidence from your sources. This is crucial for strong paragraphs:
- Quotations: Directly transcribed text.
- Paraphrases: Your own rendering of source information.
- Citation: All borrowed information must be properly cited.
Details and Examples: Enhance each supporting idea with specific examples and details from your research.

For "Homes near the ocean will be underwater":
- Detail: Mention countries with large coastal populations, such as Sri Lanka or Indonesia.
- Quote Example: "Indonesia has already lost 24 small islands off Aceh, North Sumatra, Papua, and Riau between 2005 and 2007 to rising sea levels due to climate change." (Source: International Business Times).
For "Jobs will be lost":
- Detail: Discuss the impact on tourism and fishermen's livelihoods.
- Source Example: Reference President Obama's visit to Dillingham, Alaska, to highlight global warming's effects on fishermen. (Source: CNN's website).
For "People will be afraid to stay":
- Detail: Explain fear related to high waters and storm surge.
- Quote Example: "The risk in South Florida of storm surge flooding will be far higher by 2030." (Source: Weather Channel article).

Quote Frequency: Aim for at least two quotes in each body paragraph if possible, or use a mix of quotes and specific examples.
Value of Outside Quotes: Quotes are essential for academic writing as they show your ideas are supported by experts, not just your opinion.
Source Material Limit: Generally, source material (quotes and paraphrases) should not exceed about 10 to 12 percent of your essay; your analysis should be prominent.
Overall Purpose: The synthesis essay teaches effective source use to combine complex ideas into a coherent argument, helping readers understand intricate topics.

A synthesis essay ultimately combines complex ideas from various sources to form a coherent and sensible argument, illustrating complex topics for the reader.