The Elements of Writing Proficiency
Synthesize a key theme or idea that is developed in the multiple sources.
Synthesis: When you are working with a reading set, you have a series of readings that are related by topic. One of your key tasks is to be able to pull together the various positions to demonstrate your ability to read critically. Whereas analysis looks at the relation between the parts and the whole of a problem or text, synthesis looks at the relation between various authors ideas and the problem under consideration. Synthesis is a "macro" reading of the texts in the set. Another way of saying this is that you are thinking about the relationship between the various authors' positions; you are thinking closely about the relationships in the reading set; then, you are inferring or selecting a path to follow that will allow you to combine ideas and interpret the issue under consideration.
A way to demonstrate that you can synthesize is to develop your own perspective that compares, classifies, and orders an idea, an issue, a pattern of meaning, or a concept that runs through the reading set. In other words, synthesis identifies and investigates connections and patterns of meaning between readings. While synthesis can be used to explain complex relationships, in the context of the WPE, its purpose is to set the stage for you to be able identify patterns, to draw conclusions, to make judgments, and to establish your central idea, hypothesis, or thesis. In other words, the persuasive purpose of synthesis is to find and use evidence that provides support for your central idea, hypothesis, or thesis; it provides the material from which you develop the claim that is inherent in your position. When you synthesize, it is essential to paraphrase, summarize, and select appropriate quotations from the reading set as supporting evidence.