22 Synthesis in Writing

A synthesis is a piece of writing that connects multiple sources to a thesis. Synthesis is something we do every day. We synthesize when we combine different musical chords to create a song. We synthesize when we use several team members to run a play in football. And when we collect research by various experts to support and develop ideas we have, we synthesize by illustrating the connection between the experts themselves or between the experts and our own ideas.

Synthesis is blending different ideas and opinions with your own to create a new product; for a writing class, this results in a research-based paper.  Multiple sources combine with your ideas to form a unique way of looking at a topic, which then becomes a new view of an existing issue.  The research can agree or disagree with your own ideas, but you include it to show that you understand your topic, to show that you have examined the topic thoroughly, and that you know what you’re talking about.