How to Synthesize Written Information from Multiple Sources

How to Synthesize Written Information from Multiple Sources
By Shona McCombes, published March 28, 2020

Step 1: Organize your sources

After collecting the relevant literature, you’ve got a lot of information to work through, and no clear idea of how it all fits together.

Step 2: Outline your structure
Now you should have a clear overview of the main connections and differences between the sources you’ve read. Next, you need to decide how you’ll group them together and the order in which you’ll discuss them.

Step 3: Write paragraphs with topic sentences
What sets a synthesis apart from a summary is that it combines various sources. The easiest way to think about this is that each paragraph should discuss a few different sources, and you should be able to condense the overall point of the paragraph into one sentence.

Step 4: Revise, edit and proofread
Like any other piece of academic writing, synthesizing literature doesn’t happen all in one go – it involves redrafting, revising, editing and proofreading your work.

Checklist for Synthesis
Do I introduce the paragraph with a clear, focused topic sentence?

Do I discuss more than one source in the paragraph?

Do I mention only the most relevant findings, rather than describing every part of the studies?

Do I discuss the similarities or differences between the sources, rather than summarizing each source in turn?

Do I put the findings or arguments of the sources in my own words?

Is the paragraph organized around a single idea?

Is the paragraph directly relevant to my research question or topic?

Is there a logical transition from this paragraph to the next one?