do synthesis essays need outside evidence

How to Write a Synthesis Essay: Your Guide From Start to Finish

Today, we're swamped with information, like reading 174 newspapers every day. It comes from all over—news, social media, science, and more. This flood might make you feel overwhelmed and lost in a sea of facts and opinions. But being able to make sense of it all is crucial.

This guide isn't just about handling all that info; it's about using it to write awesome essays. We'll show you step by step how to pick a topic and organize your essay. Let's dive in and learn how to turn scattered facts into powerful essays that really stand out.

What Is a Synthesis Essay

The synthesis essay is a powerful tool in writing. It's not just about gathering facts but about connecting them to make a clear and strong argument.

Writing a synthesis essay allows you to dive deep into ideas. You have to find similarities between different sources—like articles, studies, or arguments—and use them to tell a convincing story.

In today's world, where we're bombarded with information, synthesis essays are more important than ever. They let us explore how different ideas fit together and help us express our thoughts on complex topics. Whether you're writing about literature, science, history, or current events, a synthesis essay shows off your ability to analyze and understand a topic from all angles. And if you're struggling with this task, just ask us to ' write paper for me ,' and we'll handle your assignment for you.

Explanatory vs. Argumentative Synthesis Essays

In synthesis writing, there are two main types: explanatory and argumentative. Understanding these categories is key because they shape how you approach your essay.

Explanatory:

An explanatory synthesis essay does just what it says—it explains. These essays aim to give a balanced view of a topic by gathering information from different sources and presenting it clearly. They don't try to persuade; instead, they focus on providing information and making things easier to understand. They're like comprehensive summaries, breaking down complex ideas for a broader audience. These essays rely heavily on facts and expert opinions, avoiding personal bias.

Argumentative:

On the flip side, argumentative synthesis essays are all about persuasion. Their main goal is to take a stance on an issue and convince the reader. They gather information from various sources not only to present different views but also to build a strong argument. Argumentative essays aim to sway the reader's opinion by using gathered information as evidence. These essays express opinions and use rhetorical strategies to persuade.

And if you're keen on knowing how to write an informative essay , we've got you covered on that, too!

Synthesis Essay Structure

To craft a strong synthesis essay, you need a solid foundation. Here's a structured approach to help you nail it:

Introductory Paragraph:

To kick things off, grab your reader's attention with a catchy hook or interesting fact. Give a bit of background info about your topic and the sources you'll be using, as it can help readers understand your topic better! Then, lay out your main argument in a clear thesis statement.

Body Paragraphs:

Each paragraph should focus on a different aspect of your topic or source. Start with a topic sentence that links back to your thesis. Introduce the source you're discussing and highlight its main points. Also, using quotes, paraphrases, or summaries from your sources can make your arguments stronger.

Synthesis :

This part is where your essay comes together. Look for common themes or differences among your sources. Use your analysis to build a strong argument. Don't forget to address any opposing viewpoints if they're relevant!

Conclusion :

Wrap things up by restating your thesis and summarizing your main points. Explain why your argument is important and what it means in the bigger picture. End with a thought-provoking statement to leave a lasting impression.

References :

Finally, don't forget to list all your sources properly using the right citation style, like MLA or APA. Do you know that different citation styles have different rules? So, make sure you follow the right one!

Choosing a Synthesis Essay Topic

Picking essay topics is just the beginning. To write a great synthesis essay, you need to carefully evaluate and connect different sources to build a strong argument or viewpoint. Here's a step-by-step infographic guide to help you choose the right synthesis essay topics wisely.

How to Write a Synthesis Essay with Easy Steps

Writing a synthesis essay is similar to a compare and contrast essay . It requires a methodical approach to blend information from different sources into a strong and persuasive argument. Here are some crucial steps and tips to help you along the way.

Clarify Your Purpose: First, decide if you're writing an explanatory or argumentative synthesis essay. This choice will set the tone and direction for your essay.
Source Selection and Analysis: Choose credible and relevant sources for your topic, balancing different types like articles, books, and websites. Analyze each source carefully, noting the main ideas and evidence presented.
Formulate a Strong Thesis Statement: Create a clear and concise thesis statement that guides your essay. It should express your main argument or perspective.
Structure Your Essay: Organize your essay with a clear synthesis essay outline, including an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each body paragraph should focus on a specific aspect of your topic.
Employ Effective Transition Sentences: Use transition sentences to connect your ideas and paragraphs smoothly, ensuring a cohesive flow in your essay.
Synthesize Information: Blend information from your sources within your paragraphs. Discuss how each source contributes to your thesis and highlight common themes or differences.
Avoid Simple Summarization: Don't just summarize your sources—analyze them critically and use them to build your argument.
Address Counterarguments (if applicable): Acknowledge opposing viewpoints and counter them with well-supported arguments, showing a deep understanding of the topic.
Craft a Resolute Conclusion: Summarize your main points and restate your thesis in the conclusion. Emphasize the importance of your argument or insights, and end with a thought-provoking statement or call to action. ‍
Revise and Proofread: Check your essay for clarity, coherence, and grammar mistakes. Ensure your citations are correct and follow the chosen citation style, like MLA or APA.

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Synthesis Essay Format

Choosing the right citation style can enhance the credibility and professionalism of your paper. The format of your synthesis paper depends on the specific guidelines given by your instructor. They usually fall into one of the popular styles: MLA, APA, or Chicago, each used in different academic fields.

1. MLA (Modern Language Association):

Uses in-text citations with the author's last name and page number.
Includes a 'Works Cited' page at the end listing all sources.
Focuses on the author and publication date.
Often used in humanities essays, research papers, and literary analyses.

2. APA (American Psychological Association):

Uses in-text citations with the author's last name and publication date in parentheses.
Includes a 'References' page listing all sources alphabetically.
Emphasizes the publication date and scientific precision.
Commonly used in research papers, scholarly articles, and scientific studies.

3. Chicago Style:

Offers two documentation styles: Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date.
Notes-Bibliography uses footnotes or endnotes for citations, while Author-Date uses in-text citations with a reference list.
Suitable for various academic writing, including research papers and historical studies.
Provides flexibility in formatting and citation methods, making it adaptable to different disciplines.

Synthesis Essay Example

Here are two examples of synthesis essays that demonstrate how to apply the synthesis process in real life. They explore interesting topics and offer practical guidance for mastering the art of writing this type of paper.

Synthesis Essay Tips

Crafting a strong synthesis essay requires careful planning and effective techniques. Here are five essential tips to help you write your best paper:

Diverse Source Selection : Choose a range of reliable sources that offer different viewpoints on your topic. Make sure they're recent and relevant to your subject.
Seamless Source Integration : Avoid just summarizing your sources. Instead, blend them into your essay by analyzing and comparing their ideas. Show how they connect to build your argument.
Balanced Tone : Maintain an impartial tone in your writing, even if you have personal opinions. Synthesis essays require objectivity, so they present different viewpoints without bias.
Focus on Synthesis : Remember, synthesis essays are about linking ideas, not just summarizing sources. Explore how your sources relate to each other to create a cohesive argument.
Address Counterarguments : Like in persuasive essays topics , acknowledge opposing viewpoints and explain why your perspective is stronger. This demonstrates your understanding of the topic and adds depth to your argument.

Concluding Thoughts

When writing a synthesis essay, it's essential to pick trustworthy sources, blend them effectively to build your argument and stay objective. Use smooth transitions, address counterarguments thoughtfully, and focus on analyzing rather than just summarizing. By following these steps, you'll create essays that inform, persuade, and engage your readers!

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How Should You Conclude a Synthesis Essay?

6.2 THE BIG PICTURE: Using Outside Sources of Information

do synthesis essays need outside evidence

When you think you found information useful for your academic research essay, stop and ask yourself these questions:

Do you really understand the information from the outside source?
How much of the information source do you need in your essay? A word or phrase? A sentence? A whole paragraph?
Can you paraphrase the information? Or do you need to quote the author’s actual words?

When you are ready to proceed, remember this: Information from outside sources cannot stand alone. You must provide context to your paraphrase or quotation. You must help your reader see how the information is relevant and connected. One easy method is to make a “quotation sandwich.” This method makes sure that information from outside sources is always supporting your own ideas or claims, not taking their place.

The “quotation sandwich”

Writing an academic research essay is like having a conversation with outside sources of information. Just as with a friend or colleague, conversation is a two-way street. This is the “they say / I say” approach to academic writing. It’s a natural back and forth in which you use outsides sources to support your own claims — or as something to argue against — in order to illustrate a point. The “quotation sandwich” is one very effective way to do this. And here’s how it is done.

As you can imagine, most sandwiches have two pieces of bread with a filling in the middle. A “quotation sandwich” is similar. You, your voice, is the bread. The quote, your source’s voice, is the filling. When you put it all together, you’re providing your reader with the necessary context to understand why you are using the quote (relevance) and what it means to your thesis (implication).

Remember, quotes alone don’t make your point for you. Like your instructor, they can’t do your work for you; they can only help you. You have to do the heavy lifting by providing context.

Here’s another way to look at how to make the three ingredients of a “quotation sandwich”:

The first sentence (the top layer of bread) is your claim that you want to make related to your thesis.
The second sentence has two parts (think of it as the peanut butter and the jelly): the introduction to the quotation and the quotation itself
The third sentence (the bottom layer of bread) is an interpretation or explanation of the quotation and how it relates to your claim

Let’s look at an example. Try to identify the three parts of this “quotation sandwich” below:

Great respect is often awarded to people who claim to have a lot of experience, but that experience is not necessarily always filled with success. The prolific Irish playwright and poet Oscar Wilde, for example, suggested that “Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes” (“BrainyQuote”). In other words, the wisdom that is associated with experience is based as much on a person’s failures as it is on their successes. Works Cited “BrainyQuote.” BrainyQuote, BrainyQuote, 2019, www.brainyquote.com/authors/oscar-wilde-quotes. Accessed 1 Dec. 2019.

Here’s the sample “quotation sandwich” again, this time with a description of each layer:

Verbs of attribution

Yourdictionary.com defines attribution as “the act of giving someone credit for doing something.” In the previous sentence, I used the verb “defines” as a verb of attribution. I wanted you to know who or what provided that information.

The verb “to say” does the job of attribution all right, but it’s neither precise nor interesting. And in a long essay with multiple quotes and paraphrases, repeated use of the same verb of attribution can be distracting and boring. Furthermore, some editors restrict the verb “to say” for use only when someone was actually uttered aloud, though in real life we tend to use it even when reporting written communication (for example, The red sign says “Stop.”).

Some common verbs of attribution include:

NOTE: All of these examples are in the present simple verb tense because we usually use the present simple verb tense when using information from outside sources. In some ways, that makes it easier for us to control verb form; however, we must remember to proofread carefully for subject-verb agreement (a singular subject requires a singular form of the verb, while a plural subject requires a plural form of the verb).

Quotation sandwiches are good for you and your writing! Let’s try to make some. First, watch the video below. Then think of your favorite quotation by a famous person or search the internet for one. Share that quotation here in the form of a quotation sandwich. Your should use at least three sentences:

Some sort of claim that you want to make
The quotation that supports your claim (including the person’s name)
Your interpretation or explanation of the quotation

Text adapted from: Guptill, Amy. Writing in College: From Competence to Excellence . 2022. Open SUNY Textbooks, 2016, milneopentextbooks.org/writing-in-college-from-competence-to-excellence/ . Accessed 16 Jan. 2022. CC BY-NC-SA

Video from: Gielissen, Theresa. “How to Do Quote Sandwiches.” www.youtube.com, 17 Nov. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9qzqq1T6AM&feature=emb_imp_woyt . Accessed 17 Jan. 2022.

Synthesis Essays: A Step-by-Step How-To Guide

A synthesis essay is generally a short essay which brings two or more sources (or perspectives) into conversation with each other.

The word “synthesis” confuses every student a little bit. Fortunately, this step-by-step how-to guide will see you through to success!

Here’s a step-by-step how-to guide, with examples, that will help you write yours.

Before drafting your essay:

After reading the sources and before writing your essay, ask yourself these questions:

What is the debate or issue that concerns all of the writers? In other words, what is the question they are trying to answer?
On what points do they agree?
On what points do they disagree?
If they were having a verbal discussion, how would writer number one respond to the arguments of writer number two?

In a way, writing a synthesis essay is similar to composing a summary. But a synthesis essay requires you to read more than one source and to identify the way the writers’ ideas and points of view are related.

Sometimes several sources will reach the same conclusion even though each source approaches the subject from a different point of view.

Other times, sources will discuss the same aspects of the problem/issue/debate but will reach different conclusions.

And sometimes, sources will simply repeat ideas you have read in other sources; however, this is unlikely in a high school or AP situation.

To better organize your thoughts about what you’ve read, do this:

Identify each writer’s thesis/claim/main idea
List the writers supporting ideas (think topic sentences or substantiating ideas)
List the types of support used by the writers that seem important. For example, if the writer uses a lot of statistics to support a claim, note this. If a writer uses historical facts, note this.

There’s one more thing to do before writing: You need to articulate for yourself the relationships and connections among these ideas.

Sometimes the relationships are easy to find. For example, after reading several articles about censorship in newspapers, you may notice that most of the writers refer to or in some way use the First Amendment to help support their arguments and help persuade readers. In this case, you would want to describe the different ways the writers use the First Amendment in their arguments. To do this, ask yourself, “How does this writer exploit the value of the First Amendment/use the First Amendment to help persuade or manipulate the readers into thinking that she is right?

Sometimes articulating the relationships between ideas is not as easy. If you have trouble articulating clear relationships among the shared ideas you have noted, ask yourself these questions:

Do the ideas of one writer support the ideas of another? If so, how?
Do the writers who reach the same conclusion use the same ideas in their writing? If not, is there a different persuasive value to the ideas used by one writer than by the other?
Do the writers who disagree discuss similar points or did they approach the subject from a completely different angle and therefore use different points and different kinds of evidence to support their arguments?
Review your list of ideas. Are any of the ideas you have listed actually the same idea, just written in different words?

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How to Write the AP Lang Synthesis Essay + Example

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What is the ap lang synthesis essay, how will ap scores affect my college chances.

AP English Language and Composition, commonly known as AP Lang, is one of the most engaging and popular AP classes offered at most high schools, with over 535,000 students taking the class . AP Lang tests your ability to analyze written pieces, synthesize information, write rhetorical essays, and create cohesive and concrete arguments. However, the class is rather challenging as only 62% of students were able to score a three or higher on the exam.

The AP Lang exam has two sections. The first consists of 45 multiple choice questions which need to be completed in an hour. This portion counts for around 45% of your total score. These questions ask students to analyze written pieces and answer questions related to each respective passage. All possible answer choices can be found within the text, and no prior knowledge of literature is needed to understand the passages.

The second section contains three free-response questions to be finished in under two hours and 15 minutes. This section counts for 55% of your score and includes the synthesis essay, the rhetorical essay, and the argumentative essay.

The synthesis essay requires you to read 6-7 sources and create an argument using at least three sources.
The rhetorical analysis essay requires you to describe how a piece of writing evokes specific meanings and symbolism.
The argumentative essay requires you to pick a perspective of a debate and create an argument based on the evidence provided.

In this post, we will take a look at the AP Lang synthesis essay and discuss tips and tricks to master this part of the exam. We will also provide an example of a well-written essay for review.

The AP Lang synthesis essay is the first of three essays included in the Free Response section of the AP Lang exam. The exam presents 6-7 sources that are organized around a specific topic, with two of those sources purely visual, including a single quantitative source (like a graph or pie chart). The remaining 4-5 sources are text-based, containing around 500 words each. It’s recommended that students spend an hour on this essay—15 minute reading period, 40 minutes writing, and 5 minutes of spare time to check over work.

Each synthesis essay has a topic that all the sources will relate to. A prompt will explaining the topic and provide some background, although the topics are usually broad so you will probably know something related to the issue. It will also present a claim that students will respond to in an essay format using information from at least three of the provided sources. You will need to take a stance, either agreeing or disagreeing with the position provided in the claim.

According to the CollegeBoard, they are looking for essays that “combine different perspectives from sources to form a support of a coherent position.” This means that you must state your claim on the topic and highlight relationships between several sources that support your specific position on the topic. Additionally, you’ll need to cite clear evidence from your sources to prove your point.

The synthesis essay counts for six points on the AP Lang exam. Students can receive 0-1 points for writing a thesis statement, 0-4 based on the incorporation of evidence and commentary, and 0-1 points based on the sophistication of thought and demonstration of complex understanding.

While this essay seems extremely overwhelming, considering there are a total of three free-response essays to complete, with proper time management and practiced skills, this essay is manageable and straightforward. In order to enhance the time management aspect of the test to the best of your ability, it is essential to divide the essay up into five key steps.

Step 1: Analyze the Prompt

As soon as the clock starts, carefully read and analyze what the prompt asks from you. It might be helpful to markup the text to identify the most critical details. You should only spend around 2 minutes reading the prompt so you have enough time to read all the sources and figure out your argument. Don’t feel like you need to immediately pick your stance on the claim right after reading the prompt. You should read the sources before you commit to your argument.

Step 2: Read the Sources Carefully

Although you are only required to use 3 of the 6-7 sources provides, make sure you read ALL of the sources. This will allow you to better understand the topic and make the most educated decision of which sources to use in your essay. Since there are a lot of sources to get through, you will need to read quickly and carefully.

Annotating will be your best friend during the reading period. Highlight and mark important concepts or lines from each passage that would be helpful in your essay. Your argument will probably begin forming in your head as you go through the passages, so you will save yourself a lot of time later on if you take a few seconds to write down notes in the margins. After you’ve finished reading a source, reflect on whether the source defends, challenges, or qualifies your argument.

You will have around 13 minutes to read through all the sources, but it’s very possible you will finish earlier if you are a fast reader. Take the leftover time to start developing your thesis and organizing your thoughts into an outline so you have more time to write.

Step 3: Write a Strong Thesis Statement

In order to write a good thesis statement, all you have to do is decide your stance on the claim provided in the prompt and give an overview of your evidence. You essentially have three choices on how to frame your thesis statement: You can defend, challenge or qualify a claim that’s been provided by the prompt.

If you are defending the claim, your job will be to prove that the claim is correct .
If you are challenging the claim, your job will be to prove that the claim is incorrect .
If you choose to qualify the claim, your job will be to agree to a part of the claim and disagree with another part of the claim.

A strong thesis statement will clearly state your stance without summarizing the issue or regurgitating the claim. The CollegeBoard is looking for a thesis statement that “states a defensible position and establishes a line of reasoning on the issue provided in the prompt.”

Step 4: Create a Minimal Essay Outline

Developing an outline might seem like a waste of time when you are up against the clock, but believe us, taking 5-10 minutes to outline your essay will be much more useful in the long run than jumping right into the essay.

Your outline should include your thesis statement and three main pieces of evidence that will constitute each body paragraph. Under each piece of evidence should be 2-3 details from the sources that you will use to back up your claim and some commentary on how that evidence proves your thesis.

Step 5: Write your Essay

Use the remaining 30-35 minutes to write your essay. This should be relatively easy if you took the time to mark up the sources and have a detailed outline. Remember to add special consideration and emphasis to the commentary sections of the supporting arguments outlined in your thesis. These sentences are critical to the overall flow of the essay and where you will be explaining how the evidence supports or undermines the claim in the prompt.

Also, when referencing your sources, write the in-text citations as follows: “Source 1,” “Source 2,” “Source 3,” etc. Make sure to pay attention to which source is which in order to not incorrectly cite your sources. In-text citations will impact your score on the essay and are an integral part of the process.

After you finish writing, read through your essay for any grammatical errors or mistakes before you move onto the next essay.

Here are six must-have tips and tricks to get a good score on the synthesis essay:

Cite at least four sources , even though the minimum requirement is three. Remember not to plagiarize and cite everything you use in your arguments.
Make sure to develop a solid and clear thesis . Develop a stable stance for the claim and stick with it throughout the entire paper.
Don’t summarize the sources. The summary of the sources does not count as an argument.
You don’t necessarily have to agree with the sources in order to cite them. Using a source to support a counterargument is still a good use of a source.
Cite the sources that you understand entirely . If you don’t, it could come back to bite you in the end.
Use small quotes , do not quote entire paragraphs. Make sure the quote does not disrupt the flow or grammar of the sentence you write.

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Here is an example prompt and essay from 2019 that received 5 of the 6 total points available:

In response to our society’s increasing demand for energy, large-scale wind power has drawn attention from governments and consumers as a potential alternative to traditional materials that fuel our power grids, such as coal, oil, natural gas, water, or even newer sources such as nuclear or solar power. Yet the establishment of large-scale, commercial-grade wind farms is often the subject of controversy for a variety of reasons.

Carefully read the six sources, found on the AP English Language and Composition 2019 Exam (Question 1), including the introductory information for each source. Write an essay that synthesizes material from at least three of the sources and develops your position on the most important factors that an individual or agency should consider when deciding whether to establish a wind farm.

Source A (photo)

Source B (Layton)

Source C (Seltenrich)

Source D (Brown)

Source E (Rule)

Source F (Molla)

In your response you should do the following:

Respond to the prompt with a thesis presents a defensible position.
Select and use evidence from at least 3 of the provided sources to support your line of reasoning. Indicate clearly the sources used through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. Sources may be cited as Source A, Source B, etc., or by using the description in parentheses.
Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning.
Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.

[1] The situation has been known for years, and still very little is being done: alternative power is the only way to reliably power the changing world. The draw of power coming from industry and private life is overwhelming current sources of non-renewable power, and with dwindling supplies of fossil fuels, it is merely a matter of time before coal and gas fuel plants are no longer in operation. So one viable alternative is wind power. But as with all things, there are pros and cons. The main factors for power companies to consider when building wind farms are environmental boon, aesthetic, and economic factors.

[2] The environmental benefits of using wind power are well-known and proven. Wind power is, as qualified by Source B, undeniably clean and renewable. From their production requiring very little in the way of dangerous materials to their lack of fuel, besides that which occurs naturally, wind power is by far one of the least environmentally impactful sources of power available. In addition, wind power by way of gearbox and advanced blade materials, has the highest percentage of energy retention. According to Source F, wind power retains 1,164% of the energy put into the system – meaning that it increases the energy converted from fuel (wind) to electricity 10 times! No other method of electricity production is even half that efficient. The efficiency and clean nature of wind power are important to consider, especially because they contribute back to power companies economically.

[3] Economically, wind power is both a boon and a bone to electric companies and other users. For consumers, wind power is very cheap, leading to lower bills than from any other source. Consumers also get an indirect reimbursement by way of taxes (Source D). In one Texan town, McCamey, tax revenue increased 30% from a wind farm being erected in the town. This helps to finance improvements to the town. But, there is no doubt that wind power is also hurting the power companies. Although, as renewable power goes, wind is incredibly cheap, it is still significantly more expensive than fossil fuels. So, while it is helping to cut down on emissions, it costs electric companies more than traditional fossil fuel plants. While the general economic trend is positive, there are some setbacks which must be overcome before wind power can take over as truly more effective than fossil fuels.

[4] Aesthetics may be the greatest setback for power companies. Although there may be significant economic and environmental benefit to wind power, people will always fight to preserve pure, unspoiled land. Unfortunately, not much can be done to improve the visual aesthetics of the turbines. White paint is the most common choice because it “[is] associated with cleanliness.” (Source E). But, this can make it stand out like a sore thumb, and make the gargantuan machines seem more out of place. The site can also not be altered because it affects generating capacity. Sound is almost worse of a concern because it interrupts personal productivity by interrupting people’s sleep patterns. One thing for power companies to consider is working with turbine manufacturing to make the machines less aesthetically impactful, so as to garner greater public support.

[5] As with most things, wind power has no easy answer. It is the responsibility of the companies building them to weigh the benefits and the consequences. But, by balancing economics, efficiency, and aesthetics, power companies can create a solution which balances human impact with environmental preservation.

More examples can be found here at College Board.

While AP Scores help to boost your weighted GPA, or give you the option to get college credit, AP Scores don’t have a strong effect on your admissions chances . However, colleges can still see your self-reported scores, so you might not want to automatically send scores to colleges if they are lower than a 3. That being said, admissions officers care far more about your grade in an AP class than your score on the exam.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to write a perfect synthesis essay for the ap language exam.

Advanced Placement (AP)

If you're planning to take the AP Language (or AP Lang) exam , you might already know that 55% of your overall exam score will be based on three essays. The first of the three essays you'll have to write on the AP Language exam is called the "synthesis essay." If you want to earn full points on this portion of the AP Lang Exam, you need to know what a synthesis essay is and what skills are assessed by the AP Lang synthesis essay.

In this article, we'll explain the different aspects of the AP Lang synthesis essay, including what skills you need to demonstrate in your synthesis essay response in order to achieve a good score. We'll also give you a full breakdown of a real AP Lang Synthesis Essay prompt, provide an analysis of an AP Lang synthesis essay example, and give you four tips for how to write a synthesis essay.

Let's get started by taking a closer look at how the AP Lang synthesis essay works!

Synthesis Essay AP Lang: What It Is and How It Works

The AP Lang synthesis essay is the first of three essays included in the Free Response section of the AP Lang exam.

The AP Lang synthesis essay portion of the Free Response section lasts for one hour total . This hour consists of a recommended 15 minute reading period and a 40 minute writing period. Keep in mind that these time allotments are merely recommendations, and that exam takers can parse out the allotted 60 minutes to complete the synthesis essay however they choose.

Now, here's what the structure of the AP Lang synthesis essay looks like. The exam presents six to seven sources that are organized around a specific topic (like alternative energy or eminent domain, which are both past synthesis exam topics).

Of these six to seven sources, at least two are visual , including at least one quantitative source (like a graph or pie chart, for example). The remaining four to five sources are print text-based, and each one contains approximately 500 words.

In addition to six to seven sources, the AP Lang exam provides a written prompt that consists of three paragraphs. The prompt will briefly explain the essay topic, then present a claim that students will respond to in an essay that synthesizes material from at least three of the sources provided.

Here's an example prompt provided by the College Board:

Directions : The following prompt is based on the accompanying six sources.

This question requires you to integrate a variety of sources into a coherent, well-written essay. Refer to the sources to support your position; avoid mere paraphrase or summary. Your argument should be central; the sources should support this argument .

Remember to attribute both direct and indirect citations.

Introduction

Television has been influential in United States presidential elections since the 1960's. But just what is this influence, and how has it affected who is elected? Has it made elections fairer and more accessible, or has it moved candidates from pursuing issues to pursuing image?

Read the following sources (including any introductory information) carefully. Then, in an essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources for support, take a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies the claim that television has had a positive impact on presidential elections.

Refer to the sources as Source A, Source B, etc.; titles are included for your convenience.

Source A (Campbell) Source B (Hart and Triece) Source C (Menand) Source D (Chart) Source E (Ranney) Source F (Koppel)

Like we mentioned earlier, this prompt gives you a topic — which it briefly explains — then asks you to take a position. In this case, you'll have to choose a stance on whether television has positively or negatively affected U.S. elections. You're also given six sources to evaluate and use in your response. Now that you have everything you need, now your job is to write an amazing synthesis essay.

But what does "synthesize" mean, exactly? According to the CollegeBoard, when an essay prompt asks you to synthesize, it means that you should "combine different perspectives from sources to form a support of a coherent position" in writing. In other words, a synthesis essay asks you to state your claim on a topic, then highlight the relationships between several sources that support your claim on that topic. Additionally, you'll need to cite specific evidence from your sources to prove your point.

The synthesis essay counts for six of the total points on the AP Lang exam . Students can receive 0-1 points for writing a thesis statement in the essay, 0-4 based on incorporation of evidence and commentary, and 0-1 points based on sophistication of thought and demonstrated complex understanding of the topic.

You'll be evaluated based on how effectively you do the following in your AP Lang synthesis essay:

Write a thesis that responds to the exam prompt with a defensible position

Provide specific evidence that to support all claims in your line of reasoning from at least three of the sources provided, and clearly and consistently explain how the evidence you include supports your line of reasoning

Demonstrate sophistication of thought by either crafting a thoughtful argument, situating the argument in a broader context, explaining the limitations of an argument

Make rhetorical choices that strengthen your argument and/or employ a vivid and persuasive style throughout your essay.

If your synthesis essay meets the criteria above, then there's a good chance you'll score well on this portion of the AP Lang exam!

If you're looking for even more information on scoring, the College Board has posted the AP Lang Free Response grading rubric on its website. ( You can find it here. ) We recommend taking a close look at it since it includes additional details about the synthesis essay scoring.

Don't be intimidated...we're going to teach you how to break down even the hardest AP synthesis essay prompt.

Full Breakdown of a Real AP Lang Synthesis Essay Prompt

In this section, we'll teach you how to analyze and respond to a synthesis essay prompt in five easy steps, including suggested time frames for each step of the process.

Step 1: Analyze the Prompt

The very first thing to do when the clock starts running is read and analyze the prompt. To demonstrate how to do this, we'll look at the sample AP Lang synthesis essay prompt below. This prompt comes straight from the 2018 AP Lang exam:

Eminent domain is the power governments have to acquire property from private owners for public use. The rationale behind eminent domain is that governments have greater legal authority over lands within their dominion than do private owners. Eminent domain has been instituted in one way or another throughout the world for hundreds of years.

Carefully read the following six sources, including the introductory information for each source. Then synthesize material from at least three of the sources and incorporate it into a coherent, well-developed essay that defends, challenges, or qualifies the notion that eminent domain is productive and beneficial.

Your argument should be the focus of your essay. Use the sources to develop your argument and explain the reasoning for it. Avoid merely summarizing the sources. Indicate clearly which sources you are drawing from, whether through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. You may cite the sources as Source A, Source B, etc., or by using the descriptions in parentheses.

On first read, you might be nervous about how to answer this prompt...especially if you don't know what eminent domain is! But if you break the prompt down into chunks, you'll be able to figure out what the prompt is asking you to do in no time flat.

To get a full understanding of what this prompt wants you to do, you need to identify the most important details in this prompt, paragraph by paragraph. Here's what each paragraph is asking you to do:

Paragraph 1: The prompt presents and briefly explains the topic that you'll be writing your synthesis essay about. That topic is the concept of eminent domain.
Paragraph 2: The prompt presents a specific claim about the concept of eminent domain in this paragraph: Eminent domain is productive and beneficial. This paragraph instructs you to decide whether you want to defend, challenge, or qualify that claim in your synthesis essay , and use material from at least three of the sources provided in order to do so.
Paragraph 3: In the last paragraph of the prompt, the exam gives you clear instructions about how to approach writing your synthesis essay . First, make your argument the focus of the essay. Second, use material from at least three of the sources to develop and explain your argument. Third, provide commentary on the material you include, and provide proper citations when you incorporate quotations, paraphrases, or summaries from the sources provided.

So basically, you'll have to agree with, disagree with, or qualify the claim stated in the prompt, then use at least three sources substantiate your answer. Since you probably don't know much about eminent domain, you'll probably decide on your position after you read the provided sources.

To make good use of your time on the exam, you should spend around 2 minutes reading the prompt and making note of what it's asking you to do. That will leave you plenty of time to read the sources provided, which is the next step to writing a synthesis essay.

Step 2: Read the Sources Carefully

After you closely read the prompt and make note of the most important details, you need to read all of the sources provided. It's tempting to skip one or two sources to save time--but we recommend you don't do this. That's because you'll need a thorough understanding of the topic before you can accurately address the prompt!

For the sample exam prompt included above, there are six sources provided. We're not going to include all of the sources in this article, but you can view the six sources from this question on the 2018 AP Lang exam here . The sources include five print-text sources and one visual source, which is a cartoon.

As you read the sources, it's important to read quickly and carefully. Don't rush! Keep your pencil in hand to quickly mark important passages that you might want to use as evidence in your synthesis. While you're reading the sources and marking passages, you want to think about how the information you're reading influences your stance on the issue (in this case, eminent domain).

When you finish reading, take a few seconds to summarize, in a phrase or sentence, whether the source defends, challenges, or qualifies whether eminent domain is beneficial (which is the claim in the prompt) . Though it might not feel like you have time for this, it's important to give yourself these notes about each source so you know how you can use each one as evidence in your essay.

Here's what we mean: say you want to challenge the idea that eminent domain is useful. If you've jotted down notes about each source and what it's saying, it will be easier for you to pull the relevant information into your outline and your essay.

So how much time should you spend reading the provided sources? The AP Lang exam recommends taking 15 minutes to read the sources . If you spend around two of those minutes reading and breaking down the essay prompt, it makes sense to spend the remaining 13 minutes reading and annotating the sources.

If you finish reading and annotating early, you can always move on to drafting your synthesis essay. But make sure you're taking your time and reading carefully! It's better to use a little extra time reading and understanding the sources now so that you don't have to go back and re-read the sources later.

A strong thesis will do a lot of heavy lifting in your essay. (See what we did there?)

Step 3: Write a Strong Thesis Statement

After you've analyzed the prompt and thoroughly read the sources, the next thing you need to do in order to write a good synthesis essay is write a strong thesis statement .

The great news about writing a thesis statement for this synthesis essay is that you have all the tools you need to do it at your fingertips. All you have to do in order to write your thesis statement is decide what your stance is in relationship to the topic provided.

In the example prompt provided earlier, you're essentially given three choices for how to frame your thesis statement: you can either defend, challenge, or qualify a claim that's been provided by the prompt, that eminent domain is productive and beneficial . Here's what that means for each option:

If you choose to defend the claim, your job will be to prove that the claim is correct . In this case, you'll have to show that eminent domain is a good thing.

If you choose to challenge the claim, you'll argue that the claim is incorrect. In other words, you'll argue that eminent domain isn't productive or beneficial.

If you choose to qualify, that means you'll agree with part of the claim, but disagree with another part of the claim. For instance, you may argue that eminent domain can be a productive tool for governments, but it's not beneficial for property owners. Or maybe you argue that eminent domain is useful in certain circumstances, but not in others.

When you decide whether you want your synthesis essay to defend, challenge, or qualify that claim, you need to convey that stance clearly in your thesis statement. You want to avoid simply restating the claim provided in the prompt, summarizing the issue without making a coherent claim, or writing a thesis that doesn't respond to the prompt.

Here's an example of a thesis statement that received full points on the eminent domain synthesis essay:

Although eminent domain can be misused to benefit private interests at the expense of citizens, it is a vital tool of any government that intends to have any influence on the land it governs beyond that of written law.

This thesis statement received full points because it states a defensible position and establishes a line of reasoning on the issue of eminent domain. It states the author's position (that some parts of eminent domain are good, but others are bad), then goes on to explain why the author thinks that (it's good because it allows the government to do its job, but it's bad because the government can misuse its power.)

Because this example thesis statement states a defensible position and establishes a line of reasoning, it can be elaborated upon in the body of the essay through sub-claims, supporting evidence, and commentary. And a solid argument is key to getting a six on your synthesis essay for AP Lang!

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Step 4: Create a Bare-Bones Essay Outline

Once you've got your thesis statement drafted, you have the foundation you need to develop a bare bones outline for your synthesis essay. Developing an outline might seem like it's a waste of your precious time, but if you develop your outline well, it will actually save you time when you start writing your essay.

With that in mind, we recommend spending 5 to 10 minutes outlining your synthesis essay . If you use a bare-bones outline like the one below, labeling each piece of content that you need to include in your essay draft, you should be able to develop out the most important pieces of the synthesis before you even draft the actual essay.

To help you see how this can work on test day, we've created a sample outline for you. You can even memorize this outline to help you out on test day! In the outline below, you'll find places to fill in a thesis statement, body paragraph topic sentences, evidence from the sources provided, and commentary :

Present the context surrounding the essay topic in a couple of sentences (this is a good place to use what you learned about the major opinions or controversies about the topic from reading your sources).
Write a straightforward, clear, and concise thesis statement that presents your stance on the topic
Topic sentence presenting first supporting point or claim
Evidence #1
Commentary on Evidence #1
Evidence #2 (if needed)
Commentary on Evidence #2 (if needed)
Topic sentence presenting second supporting point or claim
Topic sentence presenting three supporting point or claim
Sums up the main line of reasoning that you developed and defended throughout the essay
Reiterates the thesis statement

Taking the time to develop these crucial pieces of the synthesis in a bare-bones outline will give you a map for your final essay. Once you have a map, writing the essay will be much easier.

Step 5: Draft Your Essay Response

The great thing about taking a few minutes to develop an outline is that you can develop it out into your essay draft. After you take about 5 to 10 minutes to outline your synthesis essay, you can use the remaining 30 to 35 minutes to draft your essay and review it.

Since you'll outline your essay before you start drafting, writing the essay should be pretty straightforward. You'll already know how many paragraphs you're going to write, what the topic of each paragraph will be, and what quotations, paraphrases, or summaries you're going to include in each paragraph from the sources provided. You'll just have to fill in one of the most important parts of your synthesis—your commentary.

Commentaries are your explanation of why your evidence supports the argument you've outlined in your thesis. Your commentary is where you actually make your argument, which is why it's such a critical part of your synthesis essay.

When thinking about what to say in your commentary, remember one thing the AP Lang synthesis essay prompt specifies: don't just summarize the sources. Instead, as you provide commentary on the evidence you incorporate, you need to explain how that evidence supports or undermines your thesis statement . You should include commentary that offers a thoughtful or novel perspective on the evidence from your sources to develop your argument.

One very important thing to remember as you draft out your essay is to cite your sources. The AP Lang exam synthesis essay prompt indicates that you can use generic labels for the sources provided (e.g. "Source 1," "Source 2," "Source 3," etc.). The exam prompt will indicate which label corresponds with which source, so you'll need to make sure you pay attention and cite sources accurately. You can cite your sources in the sentence where you introduce a quote, summary, or paraphrase, or you can use a parenthetical citation. Citing your sources affects your score on the synthesis essay, so remembering to do this is important.

Keep reading for a real-life example of a great AP synthesis essay response!

Real-Life AP Synthesis Essay Example and Analysis

If you're still wondering how to write a synthesis essay, examples of real essays from past AP Lang exams can make things clearer. These real-life student AP synthesis essay responses can be great for helping you understand how to write a synthesis essay that will knock the graders' socks off .

While there are multiple essay examples online, we've chosen one to take a closer look at. We're going to give you a brief analysis of one of these example student synthesis essays from the 2019 AP Lang Exam below!

Example Synthesis Essay AP Lang Response

To get started, let's look at the official prompt for the 2019 synthesis essay:

In response to our society's increasing demand for energy, large-scale wind power has drawn attention from governments and consumers as a potential alternative to traditional materials that fuel our power grids, such as coal, oil, natural gas, water, or even newer sources such as nuclear or solar power. Yet the establishment of large-scale, commercial-grade wind farms is often the subject of controversy for a variety of reasons.

Source A (photo) Source B (Layton) Source C (Seltenrich) Source D (Brown) Source E (Rule) Source F (Molla)

In your response you should do the following:

Respond to the prompt with a thesis presents a defensible position.
Select and use evidence from at least 3 of the provided sources to support your line of reasoning. Indicate clearly the sources used through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. Sources may be cited as Source A, Source B, etc., or by using the description in parentheses.
Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning.
Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.

Now that you know exactly what the prompt asked students to do on the 2019 AP Lang synthesis essay, here's an AP Lang synthesis essay example, written by a real student on the AP Lang exam in 2019:

[4] Aesthetics may be the greatest setback for power companies. Although there may be significant economic and environmental benefit to wind power, people will always fight to preserve pure, unspoiled land. Unfortunately, not much can be done to improve the visual aesthetics of the turbines. White paint is the most common choice because it "[is] associated with cleanliness." (Source E). But, this can make it stand out like a sore thumb, and make the gargantuan machines seem more out of place. The site can also not be altered because it affects generating capacity. Sound is almost worse of a concern because it interrupts personal productivity by interrupting people's sleep patterns. One thing for power companies to consider is working with turbine manufacturing to make the machines less aesthetically impactful, so as to garner greater public support.

And that's an entire AP Lang synthesis essay example, written in response to a real AP Lang exam prompt! It's important to remember AP Lang exam synthesis essay prompts are always similarly structured and worded, and students often respond in around the same number of paragraphs as what you see in the example essay response above.

Next, let's analyze this example essay and talk about what it does effectively, where it could be improved upon, and what score past exam scorers awarded it.

To get started on an analysis of the sample synthesis essay, let's look at the scoring commentary provided by the College Board:

For development of thesis, the essay received 1 out of 1 possible points
For evidence and commentary, the essay received 4 out of 4 possible points
For sophistication of thought, the essay received 0 out of 1 possible points.

This means that the final score for this example essay was a 5 out of 6 possible points . Let's look more closely at the content of the example essay to figure out why it received this score breakdown.

Thesis Development

The thesis statement is one of the three main categories that is taken into consideration when you're awarded points on this portion of the exam. This sample essay received 1 out of 1 total points.

Now, here's why: the thesis statement clearly and concisely conveys a position on the topic presented in the prompt--alternative energy and wind power--and defines the most important factors that power companies should consider when deciding whether to establish a wind farm.

Evidence and Commentary

The second key category taken into consideration when synthesis exams are evaluated is incorporation of evidence and commentary. This sample received 4 out of 4 possible points for this portion of the synthesis essay. At bare minimum, this sample essay meets the requirement mentioned in the prompt that the writer incorporate evidence from at least three of the sources provided.

On top of that, the writer does a good job of connecting the incorporated evidence back to the claim made in the thesis statement through effective commentary. The commentary in this sample essay is effective because it goes beyond just summarizing what the provided sources say. Instead, it explains and analyzes the evidence presented in the selected sources and connects them back to supporting points the writer makes in each body paragraph.

Finally, the writer of the essay also received points for evidence and commentary because the writer developed and supported a consistent line of reasoning throughout the essay . This line of reasoning is summed up in the fourth paragraph in the following sentence: "One thing for power companies to consider is working with turbine manufacturing to make the machines less aesthetically impactful, so as to garner greater public support."

Because the writer did a good job consistently developing their argument and incorporating evidence, they received full marks in this category. So far, so good!

Sophistication of Thought

Now, we know that this essay received a score of 5 out of 6 total points, and the place where the writer lost a point was on the basis of sophistication of thought, for which the writer received 0 out of 1 points. That's because this sample essay makes several generalizations and vague claims where it could have instead made specific claims that support a more balanced argument.

For example, in the following sentence from the 5th paragraph of the sample essay, the writer misses the opportunity to state specific possibilities that power companies should consider for wind energy . Instead, the writer is ambiguous and non-committal, saying, "As with most things, wind power has no easy answer. It is the responsibility of the companies building them to weigh the benefits and consequences."

If the writer of this essay was interested in trying to get that 6th point on the synthesis essay response, they could consider making more specific claims. For instance, they could state the specific benefits and consequences power companies should consider when deciding whether to establish a wind farm. These could include things like environmental impacts, economic impacts, or even population density!

Despite losing one point in the last category, this example synthesis essay is a strong one. It's well-developed, thoughtfully written, and advances an argument on the exam topic using evidence and support throughout.

4 Tips for How to Write a Synthesis Essay

AP Lang is a timed exam, so you have to pick and choose what you want to focus on in the limited time you're given to write the synthesis essay. Keep reading to get our expert advice on what you should focus on during your exam.

Tip 1: Read the Prompt First

It may sound obvious, but when you're pressed for time, it's easy to get flustered. Just remember: when it comes time to write the synthesis essay, read the prompt first !

Why is it so important to read the prompt before you read the sources? Because when you're aware of what kind of question you're trying to answer, you'll be able to read the sources more strategically. The prompt will help give you a sense of what claims, points, facts, or opinions to be looking for as you read the sources.

Reading the sources without having read the prompt first is kind of like trying to drive while wearing a blindfold: you can probably do it, but it's likely not going to end well!

Tip 2: Make Notes While You Read

During the 15-minute reading period at the beginning of the synthesis essay, you'll be reading through the sources as quickly as you can. After all, you're probably anxious to start writing!

While it's definitely important to make good use of your time, it's also important to read closely enough that you understand your sources. Careful reading will allow you to identify parts of the sources that will help you support your thesis statement in your essay, too.

As you read the sources, consider marking helpful passages with a star or check mark in the margins of the exam so you know which parts of the text to quickly re-read as you form your synthesis essay. You might also consider summing up the key points or position of each source in a sentence or a few words when you finish reading each source during the reading period. Doing so will help you know where each source stands on the topic given and help you pick the three (or more!) that will bolster your synthesis argument.

Tip 3: Start With the Thesis Statement

If you don't start your synthesis essay with a strong thesis statement, it's going to be tough to write an effective synthesis essay. As soon as you finish reading and annotating the provided sources, the thing you want to do next is write a strong thesis statement.

According to the CollegeBoard grading guidelines for the AP Lang synthesis essay, a strong thesis statement will respond to the prompt— not restate or rephrase the prompt. A good thesis will take a clear, defensible position on the topic presented in the prompt and the sources.

In other words, to write a solid thesis statement to guide the rest of your synthesis essay, you need to think about your position on the topic at hand and then make a claim about the topic based on your position. This position will either be defending, challenging, or qualifying the claim made in the essay's prompt.

The defensible position that you establish in your thesis statement will guide your argument in the rest of the essay, so it's important to do this first. Once you have a strong thesis statement, you can begin outlining your essay.

Tip 4: Focus on Your Commentary

Writing thoughtful, original commentary that explains your argument and your sources is important. In fact, doing this well will earn you four points (out of a total of six)!

AP Lang provides six to seven sources for you on the exam, and you'll be expected to incorporate quotations, paraphrases, or summaries from at least three of those sources into your synthesis essay and interpret that evidence for the reader.

While incorporating evidence is very important, in order to get the extra point for "sophistication of thought" on the synthesis essay, it's important to spend more time thinking about your commentary on the evidence you choose to incorporate. The commentary is your chance to show original thinking, strong rhetorical skills, and clearly explain how the evidence you've included supports the stance you laid out in your thesis statement.

To earn the 6th possible point on the synthesis essay, make sure your commentary demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the source material, explains this nuanced understanding, and places the evidence incorporated from the sources in conversation with each other. To do this, make sure you're avoiding vague language. Be specific when you can, and always tie your commentary back to your thesis!

What's Next?

There's a lot more to the AP Language exam than just the synthesis essay. Be sure to check out our expert guide to the entire exam , then learn more about the tricky multiple choice section .

Is the AP Lang exam hard...or is it easy? See how it stacks up to other AP tests on our list of the hardest AP exams .

Did you know there are technically two English AP exams? You can learn more about the second English AP test, the AP Literature exam, in this article . And if you're confused about whether you should take the AP Lang or AP Lit test , we can help you make that decision, too.

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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Synthesis Essay

Writing a Perfect Synthesis Essay: Definition & Examples

16 min read

Published on: Mar 1, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 31, 2024

What is a Synthesis Essay?

Synthesis essay definition states:

It is a piece of writing that takes a unique perspective on a central idea, topic, or theme. Then backs it up with evidence from multiple sources.

A synthesis essay is an important part of academic writing. The main purpose of this essay is to show your ability to prove an argument.

To make sense of these arguments, you need to use different credible sources. It demonstrates your basic understanding of the main subject. This type of essay help to enhance your critical, analytical, and research skills.

A synthesis essay is made up of ideas and conclusions based on the information reviewed. Also, this essay asks you to summarize the topic and add your own thoughts about it in relation to what you have read.

Furthermore, the synthesis essays can be similar to analytical essays , argumentative essays , or compare and contrast essays .

Synthesis Essay Types

There are three types of a synthesis essay:

1. Argument Synthesis Essay

This essay's purpose is to debate or argue on a certain topic or issue. It justifies its claims by providing evidence in the body of the essay.

In contrast to the explanatory essay, you will perform the same thing as if you were writing a typical argumentative paper. First, state your argument, make supporting statements, and back up each claim with reliable facts.

2. Review Essay

A review essay is frequently written as a preparatory essay to an argument synthesis. Review essays are commonly used in social science and medicine classes.

It is a discussion of what has already been published on a topic, with a critical examination of the sources mentioned.

An unwritten thesis statement is added to it, which is not final and indicates that further study is needed in that area.

3. Explanatory Synthesis Essay

In this essay, the writer helps the reader to grasp deeper knowledge about the topic. Rather than arguing or debating on some points, the goal of this essay is to explain a certain topic.

Like any other essay, it needs backing up with supporting claims and credible sources.

How to Start a Synthesis Essay?

The following are some helpful techniques for writing an essay. These will help you start the process and avoid common errors that plague many writers.

1. Choosing a Synthesis Essay Topic

A prompt for a synthesis paper must be arguable. Based on your project, you may be required to select primary content. Select a book that may include contrasting perspectives. Here are some important tips for choosing a topic for a synthesis essay.

Look through the themes and ideas. Read from sources and investigate specific topics thoroughly to see if any of them catch your interest.
Select a topic and collect relevant and valuable references for your synthesis paper.
Outline your synthesis essay using concepts or ideas from the sources. This should make writing a lot simpler and save you a lot of time.

It is necessary to find an arguable topic to make your synthesis essay effective. Another reason is that these topics have been discussed in public for decades.

Examples of good synthesis essay topics are;

The process of hiring in the age of social media
Social networks promote suicide
Should higher education be free?
Is it necessary to remove marks in education
The importance of getting a good education
3D printers are not used efficiently nowadays.
Is technology really helping people?
Why has technology made surgery safe and effective?
What is the cause of widespread obesity in teens?
What is the role of gender today?

2. Analyze Your Topic

Here's how you can fully understand your synthesis essay topic.

Grasp the Idea of a Synthesis Essay

A synthesis essay's purpose is to establish meaningful connections between sections of a work. When conducting research on a topic, you have to look for connections to build a strong viewpoint on the subject. The ultimate goal of the essay is to present and prove a claim about a topic .

Select a Topic Appropriate for a Synthesis Essay

The subject and topic must be extensive enough to include multiple relevant sources. If you have a free hand in deciding what to write about, some preparatory research may assist you in researching and choosing the right topic.

Select and Study Your Sources Carefully

Research and find relevant information and sources. Generally, choose at least three references for your essay. It's a good idea to learn one or two additional sources for better understanding but no matter what it is, make sure that you study it properly.

Remember that it is better to read three sources properly than five sources poorly.

Compile each source by writing notes in the margins. This allows you to keep track of your thoughts, fresh ideas, and so on.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

Reread the Source Material

Reread your source material for elements that will help to support your argument.

Examine your sources for important statements, figures, thoughts, and facts that support your thesis. Make a note of them when you come across them. This will be very useful throughout your writing process.

3. Develop a Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement will be the central idea of your essay. It should cover the topic and express your viewpoint on it. After reading the sources and conducting your research, form an opinion on your topic.

It should be stated as a complete sentence. Based on the essay, your thesis statement could be the first sentence of the essay or the last sentence of the first paragraph.

Structure Your Thesis Statement Creatively

To present your thesis, use a more creative structure. You can use a more elaborate structure than the one outlined above. You can develop your essay using the following approaches:

Straw man: In this approach, you will present the counter-arguments first. Then demonstrate their weaknesses and flaws.

Such an approach demonstrates your awareness of the opposition as well as your readiness to respond to it. You present the counter-argument immediately following your thesis statement, followed by evidence to refute it. And conclude with a positive argument that supports your thesis.

Concession: In structure, concessions in essays are similar to the straw man. But this approach acknowledges the validity of the counter-argument while demonstrating that your argument is stronger. This structure is suitable for presenting papers to readers who hold opposing views.

Illustration/ Example: It could be a thorough narrative, synopsis, or quotation from your source material that provides support for your position. However, you should not make your paper a collection of examples at the expense of supporting your thesis statement.

Comparison and Contrast: In this approach, similarities and differences between two subjects or sources demonstrate both aspects. It requires a thorough reading of your source material to identify both subtle and major points of comparison.

This type of essay can present its arguments source by source or by points of similarity or difference.

4. Create an Outline for Your Essay

An essay outline is a method for outlining the framework of your essay. Hereâs what you have to do. Outlining can help you structure and plan your synthesis paper.

The standard outline of a synthesis essay is divided into three sections:

Need detailed guidance on how to write a synthesis essay? Check out this video?

How to Write a Synthesis Essay?

For writing a great essay, you have to do extensive research on your subject. This essay connects sections of multiple works and develops a strong viewpoint on a subject.

There are some major steps of the process:

1. Start Writing Your Essay

After getting done with the preparation part, start to write your synthesis essay.

2. Write Your First Draft Using Your Outline as a Guide

But be prepared to change your strategy if you discover fresh ideas and information. And make sure it supports your thesis and the source material.

Your essay should have an introduction paragraph with your thesis statement at the end of it. A body with evidence that supports your main topic and thesis statement. Lastly, a conclusion that summarizes your point of view.

3. Use Transitions

To make the content flow logically, use transitions between paragraphs. Transition words are an excellent method to highlight areas where your sources complement one another.

Longer quotes of three lines or more should be presented as block quotes to draw emphasis to them.

4. Wrap Up Your Essay

Here you have completed the writing process, but still, you need to make sure that your essay is flawless.

5. Revise Your Essay

This is the time to enhance transitions between points and paragraphs and to reinforce arguments. You should strive to make your argument as concise and clear to understand as possible. It is beneficial to read your essay aloud so you can spot problematic phrases or unclear ideas.

Request someone else to proofread your paper. Have you heard the clichÃ© "two heads are better than one"? Is it still valid?

Ask a friend or coworker what they would add or eliminate from the paper. Most importantly, does your thesis statement make sense, and are your references clearly supporting it?

Answer these questions in your essay.

6. Proofread Your Content

Examine your document for any grammatical, punctuation, or spelling mistakes.

Are all the terms, names, and words accurately spelled? Are there any extraneous English language or sentence fragments? As you go, correct them.

Read the essay loudly to ensure that you don't accidentally add or remove words when reading in your mind. If possible, ask a friend or classmate to edit your writing.

7. Must Cite Sources

Use footnotes to mention information in the body paragraph and bibliography of cited books at the conclusion. Footnotes and in-text citations should be used for any information that is quoted, paraphrased, or cited.

8. Title Your Essay

The point of view expressed in your thesis statement and supporting arguments should be reflected in your title. Therefore, choose a title that suits your essay rather than constructing your essay to fit the title.

Synthesis Essay Format

The format of your synthesis paper is chosen by your high school, college, or university professor. MLA, APA, and Chicago styles are the most often used styles.

The APA format is followed in the disciplines of science, education, and psychology. Chicago is commonly followed in the field of history, fine arts, and business. And MLA is the style of citation used in the humanities.

APA Style Format

The following are some APA style important details:

Add a page header to the top of each page.
Times New Roman, 1â margins, 12 pt. Font, double-spaced.
The format of a synthesis essay should be separated into four sections: title page, abstract, main body, and references.
Insert a page number in the upper right corner.

Chicago Style Format

The following are some Chicago style key points:

Use double-spacing between the paper's lines.
Make margins of one inch.
Font size: 12 pt. Times New Roman font style.
Create text that is left-justified with a rugged edge.
Mention the full name of a person, place, or organization.
At the start of the paragraph, use half-inch indents.
The bibliography should be on its own page.

MLA Style Format

The following are some MLA style significant points:

The title must be centered.
Font: Times New Roman, 1â margins, 12 pt font size, double-spaced
Mention your name, professor's name, the course number, and the date (dd/mm/yy).
On each page, the top right corner displays the last name and page number.
The final page provides a âWorks Citedâ list.

Synthesis Essay Rubric

A rubric is essentially a list of criteria that your professor will use to grade your paper.

Knowing how each criterion is weighted can help make sure you get the best grade possible on your synthesis essay.

The Basics of the Synthesis Essay Rubric

The basic elements of any synthesis essay rubric include organization, focus/development, and language use/style.

Organization refers to how well you structure your paper. It should flow logically and have clear transitions between sections.
Focus/development looks at how well you develop your argument throughout the paper. Are you able to clearly explain why each point supports your thesis?
Language use/style focuses on grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Was the paper proofread thoroughly or did careless errors slip in?

For example , your synthesis essay thesis statement is

âCapital punishment should be abolished in all states."

Do you provide evidence from different angles, such as legal history, religious beliefs, or moral arguments to back up this claim?

Does this evidence prove why capital punishment should be abolished?

How to Write a Synthesis Essay - Ap Lang

Are you an AP Lang student whoâs been assigned the dreaded synthesis essay? Hereâs how to write a successful synthesis essay for AP Lang.

Understand the Prompt

The first step in writing any synthesis essay is to read and understand the prompt. Itâs also important to note any specific requirements such as word count, formatting style, or sources that must be used in your essay.

Organize Your Argument

Once you have all the information necessary, itâs time to start organizing your argument.

Start by identifying any common themes or ideas between the various sources of evidence and create an outline with these points at its core.

Write Your Essay

Now comes the fun partâwriting!

You should now have a comprehensive outline of all the points and evidence you want to include in your essay. So use this as a guide when crafting your argument.

Make sure that each point has supporting evidence from credible sources and that everything flows logically from one point to another.

Finally, donât forget to proofread and edit before submitting so that there are no errors in grammar or spelling. These small details can make all the difference!

Synthesis Essay Tips

Working on a synthesis paper requires a thorough study of a particular given prompt. To evaluate it properly, you must first understand the promptâs goal, argument, authorâs claim, and rhetoric.

To compose a successful synthesis essay, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind.

Use Multiple Reasons

It is well recognized that the use of various reasons (generally two) is a very successful approach.

Present one argument against your strong thesis statement. This type of evidence presents an introduction and description. The advantage of this method is to teach awareness of the other side of the argument. It is followed by the opposing view and a decisive factor.

This is one of the most basic ways of organizing. It enables you to summarise the sources that are most relevant to you. The problem is that this technique excludes any of your individual thinking.

Compare and Contrast

Comparing reveals similarities, while contrasting reveals distinctions. It is feasible to show an in-depth analysis of your chosen topic. It allows writers to compare and contrast two sources at the same time.

Write quotations from sources in your own words. This approach also allows the usage of quotable sources. Ensure to cite the reference when you use the reference.

This method depicts the opposing point of view. It demonstrates that the positives outweigh the negatives.

Writing a synthesis essay is not as difficult as it may seem. You can also try our AI essay writer to generate plagiarism-free content and make the process easier.

However, if you are having trouble understanding the concepts or writing a synthesis essay, it is best to hire professionals.

Our synthesis essay writing service is the perfect solution to your problems. We have a team of skilled writers who will help you through each step of the essay-writing process.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you end a synthesis essay.

A strong ending fulfills these 3 things:

Restate your thesis.
Summarize or synthesize key points.
Make your argument's context explicit.

What is a synthesis paragraph?

A synthesis is a textual debate that includes support from multiple sources with opposing viewpoints. This type of work requires analysis by using different sources and determining their relevance to your thesis.

Why is synthesis important?

It is important because it allows us to:

Test and validate hypotheses.
Comprehend key processes.
Plan future research efforts.

How to conclude a synthesis essay?

Synthesize rather than summarize your argument. No need to go over your entire paper again. Instead, include a brief summary of the main points of the paper and explain to your reader how you've made points.

What is an example of a synthesis?

Making connections or putting things together is all that is required. We naturally synthesize information to assist others in seeing connections between things. For example, synthesis occurs when you report to a friend what other friends have said about a film or book.

How many paragraphs is a synthesis essay?

According to the standard outline provided, you should stick to the basic five-to-six paragraph structure. In rare cases, there may be more paragraphs in the main body.

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Capstone Form and Style

Evidence-based arguments: synthesis, paraphrasing and synthesis.

Synthesis is important in scholarly writing as it is the combination of ideas on a given topic or subject area. Synthesis is different from summary. Summary consists of a brief description of one idea, piece of text, etc. Synthesis involves combining ideas together.

Summary: Overview of important general information in your own words and sentence structure. Paraphrase: Articulation of a specific passage or idea in your own words and sentence structure. Synthesis: New interpretation of summarized or paraphrased details in your own words and sentence structure.

In the capstone, writers should aim for synthesis in all areas of the document, especially the literature review. Synthesis combines paraphrased information, where the writer presents information from multiple sources. Synthesis demonstrates scholarship; it demonstrates an understanding of the literature and information, as well as the writer’s ability to connect ideas and develop an argument.

Example Paraphrase

From allan and zed (2012, p. 195).

Supervision, one practice in transactional leadership theory, is especially effective for small business owners. Improved retention not only contributes to an efficient workplace, but it promotes local commercial stability and cultural unity. Other management styles informed by transactional theory can also benefit communities.

Sample Paraphrase

Allan and Zed (2012) noted that supervision and other transactional leadership strategies provide advantages for small business owners and their surrounding communities.

This paraphrase DOES:

include the main idea,
summarize the key information using fewer words than the original text, and
include a citation to credit the source.

Synthesis Language

Synthesis is achieved by comparing and contrasting paraphrased information on a given topic. Discussions of the literature should be focused not on study-by-study summaries (see the Creating a Literature Review Outline SMRTguide). Writers should begin by using comparison language (indicated in bold and highlighted text in the examples below) to combine ideas on a given topic:

Keller (2012) found that X occurred. Likewise, Daal (2013) found that X occurred but also noted that the effects of X differed from those suggested by Keller (2012).
Schwester (2013) reported results consistent with findings in Hill’s (2011) and Yao’s (2012) studies.
Although Mehmad (2012) suggested X, O’Donnell (2013) recommended a different approach.

Again, the focus of synthesis is to combine ideas on a given topic and for the writer to use that to review the existing literature or support an overall argument (i.e., in the problem statement, rationale and justification for the method, etc.).

For more information and examples on synthesis, paragraph structure, and the MEAL Plan strategy for writing review additional Form and Style resources:

SMRTguide on Reverse Outlining and the MEAL Plan
SMRTguide on Prioritizing Parenthetical Citations
Reading to Write
Previous Page: Quoting
Next Page: MEAL Plan
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57 Synthesis

Synthesis writing.

Although at its most basic level a synthesis involves combining two or more summaries, synthesis writing is more difficult than it might at first appear because this combining must be done in a meaningful way and the final essay must generally be thesis-driven. In composition courses, “synthesis” commonly refers to writing about printed texts, drawing together particular themes or traits that you observe in those texts and organizing the material from each text according to those themes or traits. Sometimes you may be asked to synthesize your own ideas, theory, or research with those of the texts you have been assigned. In your other college classes you’ll probably find yourself synthesizing information from graphs and tables, pieces of music, and art works as well. The key to any kind of synthesis is the same.

Synthesis in Every Day Life

Whenever you report to a friend the things several other friends have said about a film or CD you engage in synthesis. People synthesize information naturally to help other see the connections between things they learn; for example, you have probably stored up a mental data bank of the various things you’ve heard about particular professors. If your data bank contains several negative comments, you might synthesize that information and use it to help you decide not to take a class from that particular professor. Synthesis is related to but not the same as classification, division, or comparison and contrast. Instead of attending to categories or finding similarities and differences, synthesizing sources is a matter of pulling them together into some kind of harmony. Synthesis searches for links between materials for the purpose of constructing a thesis or theory.

Synthesis Writing Outside of College

The basic research report (described below as a background synthesis) is very common in the business world. Whether one is proposing to open a new store or expand a product line, the report that must inevitably be written will synthesize information and arrange it by topic rather than by source. Whether you want to present information on child rearing to a new mother, or details about your town to a new resident, you’ll find yourself synthesizing too. And just as in college, the quality and usefulness of your synthesis will depend on your accuracy and organization.

Key Features of a Synthesis

(1) It accurately reports information from the sources using different phrases and sentences; (2) It is organized in such a way that readers can immediately see where the information from the sources overlap;. (3) It makes sense of the sources and helps the reader understand them in greater depth.

The Background Synthesis

In the process of writing his or her background synthesis, the student explored the sources in a new way and become an expert on the topic. Only when one has reached this degree of expertise is one ready to formulate a thesis. Frequently writers of background synthesis papers develop a thesis before they have finished. In the previous example, the student might notice that no two colleges seem to agree on what constitutes “co-curricular,” and decide to research this question in more depth, perhaps examining trends in higher education and offering an argument about what this newest trend seems to reveal. [ More information on developing a research thesis .] The background synthesis requires that you bring together background information on a topic and organize it by topic rather than by source. Instructors often assign background syntheses at the early stages of the research process, before students have developed a thesis–and they can be helpful to students conducting large research projects even if they are not assigned. In a background synthesis of Internet information that could help prospective students select a college, for example, one paragraph might discuss residential life and synthesize brief descriptions of the kinds of things students might find out about living on campus (cited of course), another might discuss the academic program, again synthesizing information from the web sites of several colleges, while a third might synthesize information about co-curricular activities. The completed paper would be a wonderful introduction to internet college searching. It contains no thesis, but it does have a purpose: to present the information that is out there in a helpful and logical way.

[See also “ Preparing to Write the Synthesis Essay ,” “ Writing the Synthesis Essa y,” and “ Revision .”]

A Thesis-driven Synthesis

On the other hand, all research papers are also synthesis papers in that they combine the information you have found in ways that help readers to see that information and the topic in question in a new way. A research paper with a weak thesis (such as: “media images of women help to shape women’s sense of how they should look”) will organize its findings to show how this is so without having to spend much time discussing other arguments (in this case, other things that also help to shape women’s sense of how they should look). A paper with a strong thesis (such as “the media is the single most important factor in shaping women’s sense of how they should look”) will spend more time discussing arguments that it rejects (in this case, each paragraph will show how the media is more influential than other Sometimes there is very little obvious difference between a background synthesis and a thesis-driven synthesis, especially if the paper answers the question “what information must we know in order to understand this topic, and why?” The answer to that question forms the thesis of the resulting paper, but it may not be a particularly controversial thesis. There may be some debate about what background information is required, or about why, but in most cases the papers will still seem more like a report than an argument. The difference will be most visible in the topic sentences to each paragraph because instead of simply introducing the material for the paragraph that will follow, they will also link back to the thesis and assert that this information is essential because…

factors in that particular aspect of women’s sense of how they should look”).

[See also thesis-driven research papers .] [See also “ Preparing to Write the Synthesis Essay ,” “ Writing the Synthesis Essa y,” and “ Revision .”]

A Synthesis of the Literature

Because each discipline has specific rules and expectations, you should consult your professor or a guide book for that specific discipline if you are asked to write a review of the literature and aren’t sure how to do it. In many upper level social sciences classes you may be asked to begin research papers with a synthesis of the sources. This part of the paper which may be one paragraph or several pages depending on the length of the paper–is similar to the background synthesis . Your primary purpose is to show readers that you are familiar with the field and are thus qualified to offer your own opinions. But your larger purpose is to show that in spite of all this wonderful research, no one has addressed the problem in the way that you intend to in your paper. This gives your synthesis a purpose, and even a thesis of sorts.

Preparing to write your Synthesis Essay

Sometimes the wording of your assignment will direct you to what sorts of themes or traits you should look for in your synthesis. At other times, though, you may be assigned two or more sources and told to synthesize them. In such cases you need to formulate your own purpose, and develop your own perspectives and interpretations. A systematic preliminary comparison will help. Begin by summarizing briefly the points, themes, or traits that the texts have in common (you might find summary-outline notes useful here). Explore different ways to organize the information depending on what you find or what you want to demonstrate ( see above ). You might find it helpful to make several different outlines or plans before you decide which to use. As the most important aspect of a synthesis is its organization, you can’t spend too long on this aspect of your paper! Regardless of whether you are synthesizing information from prose sources, from laboratory data, or from tables and graphs, your preparation for the synthesis will very likely involve comparison . It may involve analysis , as well, along with classification, and division as you work on your organization.

Writing the Synthesis Essay

The introduction (usually one paragraph :

A synthesis essay should be organized so that others can understand the sources and evaluate your comprehension of them and their presentation of specific data, themes, etc. The following format works well:

Contains a one-sentence statement that sums up the focus of your synthesis. 2. Also introduces the texts to be synthesized: (i) Gives the title of each source (following the citation guidelines of whatever style sheet you are using); (ii) Provides the name of each author; (ii) Sometimes also provides pertinent background information about the authors, about the texts to be summarized, or about the general topic from which the texts are drawn.

The body of a synthesis essay :

This should be organized by theme, point, similarity, or aspect of the topic. Your organization will be determined by the assignment or by the patterns you see in the material you are synthesizing. The organization is the most important part of a synthesis, so try out more than one format. Be sure that each paragraph : 1. Begins with a sentence or phrase that informs readers of the topic of the paragraph; 2. Includes information from more than one source; 3. Clearly indicates which material comes from which source using lead in phrases and in-text citations. [Beware of plagiarism: Accidental plagiarism most often occurs when students are synthesizing sources and do not indicate where the synthesis ends and their own comments begin or vice verse.] 4. Shows the similarities or differences between the different sources in ways that make the paper as informative as possible; 5. Represents the texts fairly–even if that seems to weaken the paper! Look upon yourself as a synthesizing machine; you are simply repeating what the source says, in fewer words and in your own words. But the fact that you are using your own words does not mean that you are in anyway changing what the source says.

Conclusion :

When you have finished your paper, write a conclusion reminding readers of the most significant themes you have found and the ways they connect to the overall topic. You may also want to suggest further research or comment on things that it was not possible for you to discuss in the paper. If you are writing a background synthesis, in some cases it may be appropriate for you to offer an interpretation of the material or take a position (thesis). Check this option with your instructor before you write the final draft of your paper.

Checking your own writing or that of your peers

Read a peer’s synthesis and then answer the questions below. The information provided will help the writer check that his or her paper does what he or she intended (for example, it is not necessarily wrong for a synthesis to include any of the writer’s opinions, indeed, in a thesis-driven paper this is essential; however, the reader must be able to identify which opinions originated with the writer of the paper and which came from the sources).

What do you like best about your peer’s synthesis? (Why? How might he or she do more of it?);
Is it clear what is being synthesized? (i.e.: Did your peer list the source(s), and cite it/them correctly?);
Is it always clear which source your peer is talking about at any given moment? (Mark any places where it is not clear);
Is the thesis of each original text clear in the synthesis? (Write out what you think each thesis is);
did you identify the same theses as your peer? (If not, how do they differ?);
did your peer miss any key points from his or her synthesis? (If so, what are they?);
did your peer include any of his own opinions in his or her synthesis? (If so, what are they?);
Where there any points in the synthesis where you were lost because a transition was missing or material seems to have been omitted? (If so, where and how might it be fixed?);
What is the organizational structure of the synthesis essay? (It might help to draw a plan/diagram);
Does this structure work? (If not, how might your peer revise it?);
How is each paragraph structured? (It might help to draw a plan/diagram);
Is this method effective? (If not, how should your peer revise?);
Was there a mechanical, grammatical, or spelling error that annoyed you as you read the paper? (If so, how could the author fix it? Did you notice this error occurring more than once?) Do not comment on every typographical or other error you see. It is a waste of time to carefully edit a paper before it is revised!
What other advice do you have for the author of this paper?

Write What Matters Copyright © 2020 by Liza Long; Amy Minervini; and Joel Gladd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Synthesize Written Information from Multiple Sources

Shona McCombes

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B.A., English Literature, University of Glasgow

Shona McCombes is the content manager at Scribbr, Netherlands.

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Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

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When you write a literature review or essay, you have to go beyond just summarizing the articles you’ve read – you need to synthesize the literature to show how it all fits together (and how your own research fits in).

Synthesizing simply means combining. Instead of summarizing the main points of each source in turn, you put together the ideas and findings of multiple sources in order to make an overall point.

At the most basic level, this involves looking for similarities and differences between your sources. Your synthesis should show the reader where the sources overlap and where they diverge.

Unsynthesized Example

Franz (2008) studied undergraduate online students. He looked at 17 females and 18 males and found that none of them liked APA. According to Franz, the evidence suggested that all students are reluctant to learn citations style. Perez (2010) also studies undergraduate students. She looked at 42 females and 50 males and found that males were significantly more inclined to use citation software ( p < .05). Findings suggest that females might graduate sooner. Goldstein (2012) looked at British undergraduates. Among a sample of 50, all females, all confident in their abilities to cite and were eager to write their dissertations.

Synthesized Example

Studies of undergraduate students reveal conflicting conclusions regarding relationships between advanced scholarly study and citation efficacy. Although Franz (2008) found that no participants enjoyed learning citation style, Goldstein (2012) determined in a larger study that all participants watched felt comfortable citing sources, suggesting that variables among participant and control group populations must be examined more closely. Although Perez (2010) expanded on Franz’s original study with a larger, more diverse sample…

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.

Before you can start writing, you need to organize your notes in a way that allows you to see the relationships between sources.

One way to begin synthesizing the literature is to put your notes into a table. Depending on your topic and the type of literature you’re dealing with, there are a couple of different ways you can organize this.

Summary table

A summary table collates the key points of each source under consistent headings. This is a good approach if your sources tend to have a similar structure – for instance, if they’re all empirical papers.

Each row in the table lists one source, and each column identifies a specific part of the source. You can decide which headings to include based on what’s most relevant to the literature you’re dealing with.

For example, you might include columns for things like aims, methods, variables, population, sample size, and conclusion.

For each study, you briefly summarize each of these aspects. You can also include columns for your own evaluation and analysis.

summary table for synthesizing the literature

The summary table gives you a quick overview of the key points of each source. This allows you to group sources by relevant similarities, as well as noticing important differences or contradictions in their findings.

Synthesis matrix

A synthesis matrix is useful when your sources are more varied in their purpose and structure – for example, when you’re dealing with books and essays making various different arguments about a topic.

Each column in the table lists one source. Each row is labeled with a specific concept, topic or theme that recurs across all or most of the sources.

Then, for each source, you summarize the main points or arguments related to the theme.

The purposes of the table is to identify the common points that connect the sources, as well as identifying points where they diverge or disagree.

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.

For shorter papers, your outline can just identify the focus of each paragraph; for longer papers, you might want to divide it into sections with headings.

There are a few different approaches you can take to help you structure your synthesis.

If your sources cover a broad time period, and you found patterns in how researchers approached the topic over time, you can organize your discussion chronologically .

That doesn’t mean you just summarize each paper in chronological order; instead, you should group articles into time periods and identify what they have in common, as well as signalling important turning points or developments in the literature.

If the literature covers various different topics, you can organize it thematically .

That means that each paragraph or section focuses on a specific theme and explains how that theme is approached in the literature.

synthesizing the literature using themes

Source Used with Permission: The Chicago School

If you’re drawing on literature from various different fields or they use a wide variety of research methods, you can organize your sources methodologically .

That means grouping together studies based on the type of research they did and discussing the findings that emerged from each method.

If your topic involves a debate between different schools of thought, you can organize it theoretically .

That means comparing the different theories that have been developed and grouping together papers based on the position or perspective they take on the topic, as well as evaluating which arguments are most convincing.

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.

This is called a topic sentence , and it usually appears at the start of the paragraph. The topic sentence signals what the whole paragraph is about; every sentence in the paragraph should be clearly related to it.

A topic sentence can be a simple summary of the paragraph’s content:

“Early research on [x] focused heavily on [y].”

For an effective synthesis, you can use topic sentences to link back to the previous paragraph, highlighting a point of debate or critique:

“Several scholars have pointed out the flaws in this approach.” “While recent research has attempted to address the problem, many of these studies have methodological flaws that limit their validity.”

By using topic sentences, you can ensure that your paragraphs are coherent and clearly show the connections between the articles you are discussing.

As you write your paragraphs, avoid quoting directly from sources: use your own words to explain the commonalities and differences that you found in the literature.

Don’t try to cover every single point from every single source – the key to synthesizing is to extract the most important and relevant information and combine it to give your reader an overall picture of the state of knowledge on your topic.

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?

Further Information

How to Synthesise: a Step-by-Step Approach

Help…I”ve Been Asked to Synthesize!

Learn how to Synthesise (combine information from sources)

How to write a Psychology Essay

How to Write a Synthesis Essay: Examples, Topics, & Outline

A synthesis essay requires you to work with multiple sources. You combine the information gathered from them to present a well-rounded argument on a topic. Are you looking for the ultimate guide on synthesis essay writing? You’ve come to the right place!

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In this guide by our custom writing team, you will find:

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📚 Synthesis Essay Definition
📝 Essay Types
✅ Step-by-Step Guide
✍️ Topics & Prompts
📑 Example & Formatting Tips

📚 What Is a Synthesis Essay?

A synthesis essay is an assignment that requires a unique interpretation of a particular topic using several reliable sources. To write it, you need to understand, analyze, and synthesize information. That is why this type of essay is used in the AP Lang exam to assess students’ reasoning skills.

The key features of the synthesis essay are:

Debatable topic . If your goal is to write a good synthesis essay, it’s necessary to choose an arguable topic. It’s best to choose something that people have different opinions about. This will allow you to use many sources with various viewpoints for your synthesis.
Clear thesis statement. It’s a sentence that briefly describes the main idea of your essay.
Reliable sources to prove your thesis . For a synthesis essay, your opinion is not enough. You also need to find the evidence. Keep in mind that simply reading an online encyclopedia won’t do; make sure to choose only reliable sources.

What Does It Mean to Synthesize Information?

Synthesis is a process that has huge importance in nature, science, and our everyday life. The word stems from Ancient Greek “synthesis,” which means “putting together.” In general, synthesis is the combination of components to form a connected whole.

The picture shows examples of synthesis usage in various spheres: biochemistry, physics, and sound creation.

In everyday life, we usually resort to it to synthesize information . This means taking the data from different sources and bringing it together. This process is the opposite of analyzing:

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For an analysis , you break problems into pieces,
For a synthesis , you combine separate elements into a whole.

We use synthesis for analysis papers, research papers, argument papers, and business reports.

What Does Synthesis Mean in Writing?

Synthesis in writing means summarizing and connecting different sources considering a particular topic. Although synthesis and analysis are two opposite things, they usually go together in synthesis essays. The process consists of 2 stages:

Conduct the analysis. For that, you break down a problem into parts and analyze the sources. It’s helpful to highlight everything regarding your topic while reading.
Carry out the synthesis. The next step is to formulate an opinion and combine the highlighted information from the sources.

Synthesis is not only used in writing but also in reading comprehension . It’s useful to do this kind of reading while studying your sources. There are three reading comprehension stages:

Your previous knowledge about the topic.
Expansion of your knowledge while you are reading.
Understanding of the problem when you have finished reading.

So, synthesized reading comprehension means combining three stages in one and formulating one statement.

Synthesis vs Summary: What Is the Difference?

A summary is a paraphrasing of the written source in your own words. For a good summary, it’s necessary to include all of the text’s key elements. Meanwhile, synthesis means combining different ideas from different sources. You don’t have to include all the key points; just choose everything related to your topic.

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The picture explains the difference between a synthesis and a summary.

Both of these techniques are used for the synthesis essay:

The summary goes in the conclusion. You briefly sum up your paper’s main ideas.
Synthesis goes in the body paragraphs. Here, you combine multiple sources to prove a point.

📝 Synthesis Essay Types

There are two main types of a synthesis essay: argument and explanatory synthesis.

Both of them require working with multiple reliable sources and analyzing information. The only difference is that an argument synthesis essay requires your own opinion, while an explanatory synthesis essay does not.

Argument Synthesis Essay: Outline and Definition

As you already know, an argument synthesis essay requires you to state your own opinion about the given topic and back it up with several reliable sources. The purpose of such an essay is to persuade the reader that your point is correct.

Here’s what an argument synthesis essay consists of:

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Explanatory Synthesis Essay: Definition and How to Write

An explanatory informative synthesis essay requires you to stay neutral towards the problem you are discussing. This means you cannot express your own opinion considering the given question or a problem. Your task is just to inform the reader. That’s why this essay type is also called informative synthesis.

Check out this explanatory essay outline:

✅ How to Write a Synthesis Essay Step by Step

When it comes to the synthesis essay outline, it’s not too different from other assignments. Have a look at this template:

The picture shows a synthesis essay outline: introduction, main body, and conclusion.

How to Synthesize: Working with Sources

After you’ve decided on your topic, it’s time to figure out how to synthesize articles into one text. This is how you do it:

Choose reliable sources: the ones printed in journals or published on academic websites.
Become familiar with them and see if they fit into your essay.
Try to find a few sources for each point. It will increase your essay’s reliability.
Relate each source to your arguments and see similarities between them.
Don’t forget to list every source in the references.

When you are done with a comprehensive analysis of related literature, try to step back and imagine a person who has a different opinion on this topic. Think of some arguments that they can provide to prove their opinion. After you have the list of arguments, find the written evidence of why they are wrong and put them in your essay.

Analyzing and organizing sources is the first and very important step for the synthesis essay. So make sure you do understand what the text means before using it as a reference.

Synthesis Essay Outline: How to Write

For structuring your essay, it’s useful to try mapping . This technique means combining the information from different sources and rearranging it to create a new direction. To do it, you need to analyze the authors’ ideas and come up with your own conclusions.

The best way to do that is called synthesis matrix or graphic organizer. It’s a chart that you can make when you start working on your essay. Here you have a horizontal column that states the main ideas and a few vertical columns that present sources. Your task is to take sources you have chosen and write down the main ideas from them.

Here’s an example of a matrix chart:

While doing that, you will see how many sources contain the same ideas. When you analyze them, you will be able to formulate your thesis backed up with evidence. The synthesis matrix also helps to see new arguments you can cover in your synthesis paper.

How to Write an Introduction for a Synthesis Essay

Now it’s time to start writing the paper. In the introductory part of the essay, you can include:

A short yet catchy sentence or a quotation that would present the topic. The start of your essay should make people interested. It’s best to make the first sentence not only informative but also easy to understand.
The texts that are used for the essay. Provide the titles and the authors’ names (use the appropriate guidelines depending on the writing style.)
The background information which is needed to understand your essay. Definitions of terms or unknown words considering the topic can be included in this part. Otherwise, people may find it hard to understand what they are reading about.

How to Write a Thesis for a Synthesis Essay

A thesis statement is a point of view on a certain problem that you will defend in your essay. It should contain the key points that you want to include in your paper. Here’s how to create a perfect thesis statement:

Find several central ideas in the chart.
Choose the ones that are repeated the most often and the ones that you feel need to be in your essay.
Combine them, and you have a thesis statement with all the key points.
Make a draft of the thesis statement. Try to formulate the main idea you want to present in your essay.
Elaborate on this idea. Add some details and expand it a bit further.

If the whole picture is coherent, and it conveys exactly what you wanted, then this is your perfect thesis statement. See the example below:

Gender inequality still exists at the workplace: women are less likely to get the most responsible positions, easily lose careers due to maternity leave, and often receive less pay for the same amount of work.

How to Write Synthesis Paragraphs for the Main Body

Your essay’s main body consists of a few paragraphs. Each of them presents a different argument considering the topic. When you start a paragraph, make sure to begin with a topic sentence, which informs the reader about the paragraph’s main idea. Then, include the synthesized sources and elaborate on them.

Here’s what you should and shouldn’t do when writing the main body:

You can use the following words to present the ideas from your sources. They will help you reflect the authors’ tone:

How to Conclude a Synthesis Essay

There are quite a few ways to conclude the synthesis paper. Have a look at some of the options:

Paraphrase the thesis. As you remember, the thesis is the main idea of your essay. The conclusion is a good place to remind your readers about it. When they are done with the reading, they remember the most important thing from your essay.
Synthesize the arguments. There is no need to repeat everything you wrote in your essay. Just briefly summarize the most crucial points.
Answer the “So what” question. Tell the readers why this topic matters, why you’ve chosen it, and why it’s valuable for the reader.
Provide a closure. It’s an effective strategy when you want to make the reader think. Leave them with a strong statement at the end of your essay.

Synthesis Paper Proofreading Tips

When you have finally written your paper, there is still one important thing left to do. You need to check your paper for any grammatical and contextual mistakes. You certainly can do it yourself, but it would be perfect if you could ask somebody else to read it.

The first thing you need to check grammar-wise is the tense you are using. There is no single tense you need to use for the synthesis essay. It depends on the format:

If you’re writing in MLA format, use the present tense;
For APA essays, you use the past tense.

The next step is to check whether your synthesis essay has everything that’s required. For that, we have prepared the checklist of questions you can ask yourself to proofread your essays.

Is there a clear thesis statement?
Did you include all of the key points from the synthesis?
Are there clear transitions between paragraphs?
Did you organize a paragraph around a single idea?
Did you use reliable and up-to-date sources?
Did you analyze sources rather than just summarize them?
Did you mention every source you’ve used?

If you’ve answered “yes” to all the questions—congratulations, you are done with the essay! Otherwise, you need to come back and fix everything that you’ve answered “no” to.

✍️ Synthesis Essay Topics and Prompts

Sometimes, when you don’t have a topic , it is tough to come up with a suitable idea. That is why we have prepared two lists of topics that you can use for any synthesis essay type.

Explanatory Synthesis Essay Topics

The topics below are suitable for an explanatory synthesis essay:

The beginning of Hollywood cinema . Cinema is a huge industry in the USA. Tell the readers about its history. Describe what it was like in the beginning, which movie was the first one, and who started this industry.
Tactics on dealing with noisy children. Sometimes kids can be very loud, especially in public places. Write about different tactics that can help with this issue.
The effects of climate change  on the water cycle.  Climate change has affected the water cycle significantly. Your task is to explain how.
The best American cities to live in. Provide the list of the best cities and explain why you’ve included them.
The importance of a healthy diet . Keeping a healthy diet is beneficial in many ways. Write about all the advantages it brings.
Who can become an entrepreneur? Entrepreneurship is not for everybody. In this essay, you can describe the qualities needed for having your own business.
The correlation between overpopulation and poverty . Describe how overpopulation leads to poverty and vice versa.
The advantages of taking an active vacation.
Cultural shock as a part of moving to a different country.
The consequences of the first wave of feminism .
Synthesis of Tan and Rodriguez’ essays ideas.
Difficulties you may encounter during the job interview.
How does reading prevent Alzheimer’s disease ?
The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses .
The connection between  religion and politics  in ruling the country.
What can non-verbal signals tell you about a person ?
The psychology of leadership .
The origins of the most common  stereotypes  about Americans.
Role of social media in business communication .
The synthesis of personal nursing philosophy concept.
Behavioral components of schizophrenia and psychosis.
Main components of successful entrepreneurship.
Critical components of scientific research.
Change in religion and human beliefs throughout history.
The effect of global warming on modern life.

Argument Synthesis Paper Topics

The list of topics for the Argument Synthesis Essay:

Vaping is better than smoking . People are starting to exchange cigarettes for vapes and e-cigarettes. In what ways are they less harmful?
Rich people should pay higher taxes. The same percentage of money doesn’t equal for rich and poor people. Explain why the ones who can afford more should share with others.
Depression is a disease . Prove that psychological problems must be recognized as real health issues that should be cured and not ignored.
Social media affects young people’s lives. Social media has a massive influence on people. In this essay, you can discuss which life spheres are the most affected.
Beauty pageants should be banned. Provide the reasons why they should be banned and tell the reader about psychological problems they can cause.
People should cut meat from their diet to stop global warming . Describe how the meat industry influences climate change.
The voting age should be 25+. Your task is to show the reasons why the votes of people under 25 should not be taken into account during elections.
A healthy lifestyle requires a lot of money.
Each healthy man should serve in the military.
School bullying should be punished by immediate exclusion.
Does friendship exist between men and women?
Drinking coffee is a bad habit.
Working hard is more important than being talented.
Everybody should visit a therapist at least once.
Should universities be free ?
Artificial intelligence will cause huge unemployment rates.
Gaming should not be allowed to children under 18.
Components and strategies of social responsibility
Integration of relevant ethical theory and conceptual principles in health care
Children under 10 should be banned from gadgets .
Social media platforms facilitate cyberbullying.
Issues of distance education .
Social media addiction is a serious disease.
Deforestation critically contributes to global warming.
Healthcare should be free for everyone.

📑 Synthesis Essay Example & Synthesis Essay Format Tips

Now let’s talk about formatting. There are two writing styles you can use for a synthesis essay: APA or MLA. You need to choose the one that is required for your assignment.

We will start with the paper in APA format. It is usually used in science and education.

And these are MLA formatting rules:

Finally, we’ve prepared a synthesis essay sample for you to check out. Feel free to download the PDF file below:

First introduced in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, affirmative action policies aim to mitigate the discrepancy in opportunities available for underrepresented social groups by taking into account one’s minority background. The policies have become a pressing public issue that obstructs previously marginalized individuals, particularly in the educational environment.

Thank you for reading the ultimate guide on synthesis essay writing. We hope you found it helpful. Don’t forget to share it with your friends. Good luck with your assignments!

🔍 References

Writing a Synthesis Essay: Bowling Green State University
What Is Synthesis: University of Manitoba
Synthesis: Biology Online
Reading Strategies: Difference Summarizing and Synthesizing: WordPress
Summary, Analysis, Synthesis Definitions: University of Utah
Argumentative Synthesis: University of Arkansas
How to Synthesize Written Information: Simply Psychology
Mapping of Synthesis Essay: University of Nevada, Reno
Writing a Literature Review and Using a Synthesis Matrix: Florida International University
Synthesis Essay: Cleveland State University
Literature Review: Synthesizing Multiple Sources: Louisiana State University
Writing a Conclusion: Texas Women’s University
General APA Guidelines: Purdue University
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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, writing a synthesis essay for ap lang.

I have to write a synthesis essay this week for my AP Lang class, but I'm not 100% sure what exactly that entails. Can someone explain what the process is like and maybe share some tips on how to write a strong synthesis essay?

Sure, a synthesis essay is a type of essay that requires you to use multiple sources to create an argument. In an AP Lang synthesis essay, you'll typically be provided with the sources and will need to analyze them, identify the main ideas, and then connect those ideas to your central argument or thesis.

Here's a step-by-step breakdown of how to write a strong synthesis essay for AP Lang:

1. Understand the prompt : Carefully read the prompt and make sure you understand what's being asked. Identify the main issue or topic you'll be addressing.

2. Develop a thesis statement : Your thesis statement should make a clear and specific claim about the topic. It should be an arguable point that you'll support using evidence from the sources provided.

3. Read and analyze the sources : Read through each source, taking notes on key ideas, evidence, and arguments related to your thesis. Think about how each source contributes to your argument and look for connections between sources.

4. Outline your essay : Create an outline that organizes your ideas and evidence into a logical sequence. Typically, a synthesis essay will have an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each body paragraph should focus on a specific point related to your thesis and include evidence from multiple sources to support the point.

5. Write the introduction : Begin with a hook to engage the reader and introduce the topic. Then, give some brief background information about the issue before presenting your thesis statement.

6. Write the body paragraphs : In each body paragraph, start with a topic sentence that introduces the main point of the paragraph. Then, provide evidence and analysis from the sources to support the point, making sure to cite your sources according to the citation style required by your instructor. Try to incorporate evidence from multiple sources and emphasize the connections between them.

7. Address counterarguments : It's important to address any opposing views or counterarguments to show that you've considered different perspectives. You can either refute counterarguments or concede some validity while still maintaining your overall argument.

8. Write the conclusion : Summarize your main points and restate your thesis statement in a new way. You can also suggest further implications of your argument or propose a call to action. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion.

Some additional tips for writing a strong synthesis essay:

- Make sure your analysis connects effectively to your thesis statement.

- Clearly explain how the evidence from the sources supports your argument.

- Use appropriate transitions to guide your reader through the essay and help them understand the connections between ideas.

- Edit and revise your essay for clarity, grammar, and punctuation.

Good luck with your AP Lang synthesis essay!

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10-Writing Tips

Synthesis of Your Own Ideas

Professors want to see evidence of your own thinking in your essays and papers. Even so, it will be your thoughts in reaction to your sources:

What was the author really trying to say?
What parts of them do you agree with?
What parts of them do you disagree with?
Did they leave anything out?
What does an author’s work lead you to say?

It’s wise to not only analyze—take apart for study—the sources, but also to try to combine your own ideas with ideas you found in class and in the sources.

Professors frequently expect you to interpret, make inferences, and otherwise synthesize—bring ideas together to make something new or find a new way of looking at something old. (It might help to think of synthesis as the opposite of analysis.)

Activity: Creative Thinking

Synthesis is a creative act. Are there places, things, activities, or situations that you already use to spark your creativity? Sometimes even simple things can help us be more creative. Take a look at the article 5 Ways to Spark Your Creativity for some tips.

The book Thinker Toys , by Michael Michalko, can help you expand your ability to think creatively. The author’s web page contains fun but challenging thinking exercises, including this one that lets you practice making associations between seemingly disparate concepts.

Getting Better at Synthesis

To get an A on essays and papers in many courses, such as literature and history, what you write in reaction to others’ work should use synthesis to create new meaning or show a deeper understanding of what you learned.

To do so, it helps to look for connections and patterns. One way to synthesize when writing an argument essay, paper, or other project is to look for themes among your sources. So try categorizing ideas by topic rather than by resource—making associations across sources.

Synthesis can seem difficult, particularly if you are used to analyzing others’ points but not used to making your own. Like most things, however, it gets easier as you get more experienced at it. So don’t be hard on yourself if it seems difficult at first.

Example: Synthesis in an Argument

Imagine that you have to write an argument essay about Woody Allen’s 2011 movie Midnight in Paris . Your topic is “nostalgia,” and the movie is the only resource you can use.In the movie, a successful young screenwriter named Gil is visiting Paris with his girlfriend and her parents, who are more politically conservative than he is. Inexplicably, every midnight he time-travels back to the 1920’s Paris, a time period he’s always found fascinating, especially because of the writers and painters—Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Picasso—that he’s now on a first-name basis with. Gil is enchanted and always wants to stay. But every morning, he’s back in real time—feeling out of sync with his girlfriend and her parents.

You’ve tried to come up with a narrower topic, but so far nothing seems right. Suddenly, you start paying more attention to the girlfriend’s parents’ dialogue about politics, which amount to such phrases as “we have to go back to…,” “it was a better time,” “Americans used to be able to…” and “the way it used to be.”

And then it clicks with you that the girlfriend’s parents are like Gil—longing for a different time, whether real or imagined. That kind of idea generation is synthesis.

You decide to write your essay to answer the research question: How is the motivation of Gil’s girlfriend’s parents similar to Gil’s? Your thesis becomes “Despite seeming to be not very much alike, Gil and the parents are similarly motivated, and Woody Allen meant Midnight in Paris ‘s message about nostalgia to be applied to all of them.”

Of course, you’ll have to try to convince your readers that your thesis is valid and you may or not be successful—but that’s true with all theses. And your professor will be glad to see the synthesis.

There is a lot more you can learn about creating synthesis in scholarly writing. One place synthesis is usually required is in literature reviews for honors’ theses, master’s theses, and Ph.D. dissertations. In all those cases, literature reviews are intended to contribute more than annotated bibliographies do and to be arguments for the research conducted for the theses or dissertations. If you are writing an honors thesis, master’s thesis, or Ph.D. dissertation, you will find more help with Susan Imel’s Writing a Literature Review .

Activity: Balancing Sources and Synthesis

Here’s a technique to quickly assess whether there is enough of your original thought in your essay or paper, as opposed to information from your sources: Highlight what you have included as quotes, paraphrases, and summaries from your sources. Next, highlight in another color what you have written yourself. Then take a look at the pages and decide whether there is enough you in them.

For the mocked-up pages below, assume that the yellow-highlighted lines were written by the writer and the pink-highlighted lines are quotes, paraphrases, and summaries she pulled from her sources. Which page most demonstrates the writer’s own ideas? See the bottom of the page for the answer.

Three sample showing 1) mostly quotes with little original thought, 2) mostly original thought supported by quotes, and 3) equal split between quotes and original thought.

Source: Joy McGregor. “A Visual Approach: Teaching Synthesis,” School Library Monthly, Volume XXVII, Number 8/May-June 2011.

Answer to Activity: Balancing Sources and Synthesis

The answer to the “Balancing Sources and Synthesis” Activity above is:

The Middle Sample.

The yellow-highlighted sections in The Middle Sample show more contributions from the author than from quotes, paraphrases, and summaries of other sources.

Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research by Teaching & Learning, Ohio State University Libraries is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Synthesis is when you use individual ideas or elements that help you draw a whole picture. This does not mean that you have to compare or analyze any differences. Your main task is to combine. A synthesis essay is a type of essay that requires students to critically analyze and mix information from various sources to form a coherent perspective.

In thios blog, we will talk about how to write a synthesis essay and combine infromation to furmulate a solid viewpoint. Remember that you can hire an online essay writer at StudyCrumb and receive professional help with your synthesis essay.

What Is a Synthesis Essay: Definition

Synthesis essay definition doesn't cause difficulties or misunderstandings. A synthesis essay is a detailed discussion that covers diverse opinions (often, opposing) on a subject matter. You need to analyze as many sources as possible to figure out existing views on your topic. You can choose several ideas and synthesize them, offering your readers a complete "picture" of some issue. All work should be transparent and clear, so that any reader can highlight important information for themselves. Do not forget that each sentence should be a logical continuation of the previous one. Ideas that you discuss should be completely consistent with your thesis statement.

Synthesis Essay Types

There are several types of synthesis . They depend on the type of academic writing you are required to submit. In general, synthesis is typically applied in such academic works:

Argumentative papers Here, you should prove your point by making an undeniable argument. You can mention any counter argument and refute it to justify your position.
Expository essays Students should study available information on the relevant topic. An objective evaluation will help you create an astounding essay where you summarize information.
Research papers Your task is to integrate as many sources as possible. This helps you build a theoretical ground for your study. Read more on how to write a research paper to do it right.

Let’s talk more about the first 2 types.

Explanatory Synthesis Essay

Explanatory research synthesis essay is the best way to delve into a particular topic of work. A student engaged in writing this essay will easily study some background. For this purpose, several sources are used. All references should contain detailed information. Everything is systematized according to several criteria, after which it is synthesized into one paper. Careful analysis helps organize credible information. After this whole process you will become a real expert in the chosen field, and readers will broaden their horizons. The main thing is not to get distracted in your reasoning and not to publish contradictory information.

Argument Synthesis Essay

One can choose a different line of work and write an argumentative synthesis essay. Here, students should have an argumentative thesis statement on some topic. The paper's idea is to provide convincing points, carefully grouping them into several paragraphs. Regular and well-known judgments sometimes have an unusual explanation. This will interest readers, and you will create fascinating paper with valuable facts. Research as many sources as possible and present justifications for your thesis statement.

How to Write a Synthesis Essay Outline

Synthesis essay outline structure differs depending on which type of writing students choose. Main sections do not change, they are as follows:

Introduction Specifies your focus and thesis statement.
Body section Covers critical points on your topic.
Conclusion Paraphrases your thesis and make a summary.

To create a quality paper, you should consider an approximate format of your text. Each idea must be fully disclosed. It is necessary to use vocabulary that is understandable to your target audience. Complex terms require little explanation. They should be fully consistent with the chosen topic.

How to Write a Synthesis Essay: Step-by-Step

When writing a synthesis essay, it is necessary to thoroughly research information offered in various sources. These can be printed or digital publications. Focus on findings other authors have shared. Your main idea should be thoroughly researched and studied. Only then, you can give a brief explanation. The more books and references you study, the more detailed an essay will be. Here are several steps you should take to make the right synthesis essay.

Step 1. Researching the Topic for Your Synthesis Essay

The first step in writing a paper will be choosing synthesis essay topics . To do this, it is worth researching as many sources as possible. Encyclopedias, scholarly journals, dictionaries - each good publication can offer up-to-date information on the topic you are working on. Use a title maker for essay to generate a catchy topic. Pay attention to information reliability. If there is any conflicting information, try not to use it in your work. An essay is a structured article that carries one idea. Opposing data misleads readers. You should spend some time on collecting information, but take your time - every point can be useful in your research.

Step 2. Creating a Synthesis Essay Outline

When writing any type of essay, it is important to come up with a rough structure, a draft, or an outline. It is always possible to see any Synthesis essay outline contains several paragraphs that will become a basis for writing your whole text. You will know if additional information will be needed. Try to properly outline each thought and organize your ideas. Synthesis paper requires thorough preparation before writing. You should study as much information as possible, and choose the most relevant and reliable facts. When all data is collected, you should systematize information and structure your text. Think about what to include in each essay paragraph. Remember that introduction is where you state your thesis. Then, you will provide main ideas. The final step is to summarize your arguments.

Step 3. Developing a Thesis Statement for Synthesis Essay

Synthesis essay thesis statement should encourage readers to read a whole text. If the first lines are not interesting enough, no one will want to waste time looking at your essay. Try to use catchy words that will attract the attention of even the most picky readers. Focus on the topic you want to synthesize. You can mention what ideas you want to discuss later on.

Step 4. Start a Synthesis Essay with a Hook

Synthesis essay introduction is the first thing readers will pay attention to while reading a paper. You should use a hook for an essay - a catchy phrase that everyone will like. It can be an enticing fact related to your thesi. An article's beginning should not be misleading. In order to attract readers, it is necessary to make a maximum effort. After all, an essay doesn't take many pages, but no one will waste time reading uninteresting material. A strong start is a key to victory. Use this beautiful opportunity to make readers absorb your writing.

Step 5. Write Body Paragraphs for Your Synthesis Essay

Synthesis paper body consists of 3 paragraphs, each one being an addition to the previous one. A well-designed structure will help create a quality paper. If you don't think through the main questions you want to examine, you may miss important points. Each part of your work should highlight your main idea. Set a small goal that you will go toward as you write next paragraphs. Take your time to work on each part of your paper.

Step 6. Write a Conclusion for a Synthesis Paper

The last part of your paper is a synthesis essay conclusion. In this section, you should summarize all points mentioned before. Rephrase your thesis statement to remind readers of your key focus in a synthesis conclusion of an essay . Summarize main points used in your text. This final essay part will help you understand your work’s value. The better the facts are collected and explained, the more fans an article will gain. Should you need help with paraphrasing, use our free rephraser and get an instant result.

Step 7. Proofread Your Synthesis Paper

Don’t forget to check your synthesis essay for mistakes once it’s done. Remember even a small inconsistency can create a negative impression about your work. Get some rest before proofreading so you can easily detect all errors and make corrections. This way, you will get rid of minor typos, inaccuracies, and other problems that arise as you write any paper. Use a spelling checker to easily detect accidental typos in your synthesis essay.

How to Format a Synthesis Essay

To create an excellent essay, you must do much more than just research some basic information on the topic and interpret it. The synthesis essay format is equally important. Universities require certain rules of text formatting and borrowed fragments citation. Therefore, students should choose one format and use it consistently. The most common paper formats are APA, MLA, and Chicago format .

Synthesis Essay Template

Writing a quality paper from scratch may be challenging. You will need a template for synthesis essay that will help you structure information. The details taken from textbooks, online magazines and other sources will be intelligently organized and divided into several paragraphs. This way, you can cover all specific points in your work. The text should demonstrate evidence that you have deeply researched the chosen topic. It is necessary to give indisputable proofs for each argument. The main thing is not to forget about the structure, which consists of an introduction, the main part and a conclusion.

Synthesis Essay Example

You can focus on synthesis essay examples. They will be a support in writing a paper for those who are just getting acquainted with scholarly papers. It will be easier if you understand how to systematize information and which key aspects are worth highlighting. Instead of going through the web pages in search of the best paper, check our example and write your own essay.

Synthesis Essay: Final Thoughts

Synthesis paper is the best way to summarize lots of information by conveying the main idea in several sentences. You can offer strong arguments that support your own point of view. Readers who like your statement can use your ideas for reference and explore more information on the chosen topic. You, in turn, will gain invaluable experience in writing this type of work.

Turn to our custom essay writing service. Our platform is created by former students who at once also faced similar difficulties when writing essays. Now, we have gathered the top talent who will help you tackle any academic assignment.

Frequently Asked Questions About Synthesis Paper

1. can i have a title on a synthesis paper.

Synthesis paper title is a part of the paper that should definitely be used. The title will help both readers and you understand key information. Choose a fascinating title for your paper. This will get readers engaged. They will start absorbing your essay only if your title is compelling enough.

2. What is the function of the introductory paragraph of a synthesis essay?

Introductory paragraph of the synthesis essay is the first section that informs your topic. Here, you will include a catchy hook and smoothly proceed to the background information. After that, you will create a strong thesis statement that let’s readers know what your work focuses on. You will give your readers a starting point to think about and help them understand your paper's topic. Your thesis statement should be presented as clearly as possible.

3. What is the claim of a synthesis essay based on?

Working on a synthesis essay claim involves examining various sources that offer information on the topic. But the main goal is to offer your own opinion. Your claims should be unique and reflect your own viewpoint. Choose the most pertinent information and support your claims with evidence from different sources.

4. How many paragraphs should be in synthesis essay?

Synthesis essay paragraphs should describe information on the chosen topic as clearly and transparently as possible. This type of paper is about 5-6 paragraphs long. The better you study the data in your sources, the more in detail you will be able to describe specific concepts. Try to use different sources to make your writing more extensive and in-depth.

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

Evidence Synthesis - What is it and why do we need it?

We come across 'evidence syntheses' on an almost day-to-day basis, but do we know what it is and why it's so imporant?

Cochrane Ireland and Evidence Synthesis Ireland are working together to create awareness and increase knowledge and capacity in evidence synthesis methods.

Evidence synthesis, sometimes called “systematic reviews”, involves combining information from multiple studies investigating the same topic to comprehensively understand their findings. This helps determine how effective a particular treatment or drug is, or how people have experienced a particular health condition or treatment. By using evidence synthesis effectively, policymakers, healthcare institutions, clinicians, researchers, and the public can make more informed decisions about health and healthcare.

Watch this short video to learn more about evidence synthesis and why we need it:

This video was created using a user-centred design approach, using members of the public at multiple stages. You can read more about its development in this paper: Development of a video-based evidence synthesis knowledge translation resource: Drawing on a user-centred design approach. Additional Resources:

Search Cochrane's Plain Language Summaries of health evidence
Visit the Cochrane Ireland website
Visit the Evidence Synthesis website

Writing Resources

Student Paper Template
Grammar Guidelines
Punctuation Guidelines
Writing Guidelines
Creating a Title
Outlining and Annotating
Using Generative AI (Chat GPT and others)
Thesis Statement
Strategies for Citations
Determining the Resource This link opens in a new window
Citation Examples
Paragraph Development
Paraphrasing
Inclusive Language
International Center for Academic Integrity

How to Synthesize and Analyze

Synthesis and Analysis Practice
Synthesis and Analysis Group Sessions
Decoding the Assignment Prompt
Annotated Bibliography
Comparative Analysis
Conducting an Interview
Infographics
Office Memo
Policy Brief
Poster Presentations
PowerPoint Presentation
White Paper
Writing a Blog
Research Writing: The 5 Step Approach
Step 1: Seek Out Evidence
Step 2: Explain
Step 3: The Big Picture
Step 4: Own It
Step 5: Illustrate
MLA Resources
Time Management
Integrate sources focusing on one idea into one paragraph and show how each one adds to the idea
Have a clear topic sentence that show the idea being synthesized
Utilize transitions to show how the ideas relate and how the authors complement or refute one another's ideas
Analyze and show how/why these ideas are valid, add to the conversation, and present a multi-faceted perspective

What Not to do: Book Report

When attempting to synthesize and analyze, do not do the following:

Omit a clear topic sentence about the main point fo the paragraph
List what the author of each article said without connecting ideas together
Leave out transitions to show how the ideas relate or refute one another

Using the "book report" mentality and simply presenting several author's ideas in the same paragraph without connecting and linking ideas to a main point is a common mistake. Try taking those same ideas and presenting them under a unified idea with clear transitions and analysis to show how these ideas fit together.

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Last Updated: Apr 8, 2024 9:16 AM
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Why every student (and researcher) should know about evidence synthesis

The ability to collect, summarise and analyse data is especially vital for students and researchers in medical and healthcare-related fields, writes Alessio Bellato. Here, he explains what it is and how to access training

Alessio Bellato

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In an era when fake news and AI-created photos and videos populate the digital world, the ability to recognise what is valid and solid evidence (and what is not) is increasingly important. This is particularly relevant in medical and healthcare-related disciplines (including psychology), because work in these fields directly affects the lives and well-being of many people. Students and researchers need to be able to bring together and assess data and results from multiple sources – synthesising evidence – to come to valid, evidenced conclusions and use them to inform their work.

In this article, I will discuss what evidence synthesis is, why it should be incorporated into undergraduate curricula and postgraduate training, and how free training can be sought and accessed.

What is evidence synthesis?

Evidence synthesis is defined as the process of systematically selecting, summarising and appraising data from multiple sources. It involves gathering data from past studies to draw conclusions, assess the support or refutation of theories, and identify research gaps that need addressing before solid conclusions can be drawn. The importance of evidence synthesis in fields such as psychology, psychiatry and healthcare has grown significantly. Studies such as systematic reviews and meta-analyses are in fact instrumental in helping clinicians, policymakers and researchers make informed decisions and recommendations for clinical practice. For example, in the UK, experts within the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) consult published evidence synthesis studies (or conduct their own) to develop clinical guidelines and evidence-based recommendations for health and care.

Why should I learn about evidence synthesis?

Knowledge about evidence synthesis has benefits for both students and educators. As a student (including undergraduates), mastery of evidence synthesis can significantly enhance your academic profile. If you have expertise in conducting these studies, highlight it on your CV. Attending training programmes on specific evidence synthesis methodologies can also expand your knowledge and network with potential co-authors and collaborators for future publications and projects.

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For lecturers, evidence synthesis can become a component of your teaching. Consider creating new modules or workshops for master’s and PhD students specifically focused on evidence synthesis. In my experience, these offerings have been in high demand, indicating a strong student interest in learning these skills at university.

If you’re not an expert in evidence synthesis, you can still integrate it into your lectures using meta-analyses, umbrella reviews or narrative reviews as references to support concepts or theories. This approach will help students understand the importance of evidence synthesis and encourage them to consult these types of studies when working on their essays and research projects, ultimately improving the quality and value of their work.

How to conduct evidence synthesis – and what do I need?

Evidence synthesis can be done by using systematic or non-systematic approaches. When you conduct evidence synthesis systematically (for example, when you do a systematic review instead of a literature review), there are precise steps you follow (see Figure 1).

First, formulate the research question (for example, what is the population, intervention or outcome of interest?) and prepare the protocol. Then, retrieve the papers from relevant databases based on your discipline and screen them one by one. Data extraction or coding and assessment of study quality and risk of bias will follow. All these steps require you to be familiar with the chosen area of research and the specific methodology you are using (I’ve included suggestions about free training opportunities in evidence synthesis further down in this article).

List of steps to perform evidence synthesis

Synthesise the data to find the bigger picture and address questions such as: how many studies did I find? What do they look like in terms of design, sample/study characteristics and main findings? Are most studies in favour of or against my hypotheses? Report results with meta-analysis or thematic synthesis, if applicable. Finally, prepare infographics, lay summaries or videos, explaining your study and its importance in simple terms.

Evidence synthesis can be done anywhere in the world and is cost effective. I am based in the UK, but I have worked with researchers from Italy, Spain, France, Brazil, the USA, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea. I recommend working with other students or academics with expertise in evidence synthesis; they will mentor and guide you through the stages of the project. You can use online software for screening (such as Rayyan or Covidence ) or data extraction ( Google Sheets ). Accessing the full text of some papers could be challenging, especially if you are not affiliated with any university or research centre, or if your institution is not well resourced. Networking with people working at different institutions, requesting inter-library loans or contacting the authors can help to overcome this hurdle.

How can I learn to do evidence synthesis?

Courses and online guides can help educators, students and researchers learn about evidence synthesis. Online and in-person evidence synthesis courses can be too advanced or costly for some students, especially those in resource-limited institutions or low- to middle-income countries. However, free training opportunities are available.

If you are new to evidence synthesis or unsure about the difference between a literature review and a systematic review, watch this three-minute video: Evidence Synthesis – What is it and why do we need it?

Some of you might be thinking about doing a systematic review or meta-analysis, but there are many other ways to synthesise evidence. The University of Melbourne Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences library provides a comprehensive online guide to review types to help you better understand these methods (including reviews of reviews and qualitative methods for evidence synthesis).

If you are interested in learning more about systematic reviews and meta-analysis and the specific steps to completing such projects, watch How to Conduct a Systematic Review and Write-Up in 7 Steps or join the online training course Introduction to Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis .

For those who have started working on a systematic review, the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions or the e-book Doing Meta-Analysis with R: A Hands-On Guide dive deeply into the methodological aspects of these techniques. If you have funding available to support your training, type “training evidence synthesis 2024” into Google to search for courses or workshops.

Have I provided sufficient evidence to persuade you of the importance of evidence synthesis for students and researchers working in psychology, medicine or healthcare? I believe so, but what do you think?

Alessio Bellato is a lecturer in child and adolescent mental health at the University of Southampton and an honorary assistant professor of psychology at the University of Nottingham Malaysia.

If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, sign up for the Campus newsletter .

For further information from Alessio Bellato on this topic, listen to the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health podcast Evidence Synthesis Studies, and Autonomic Dysregulation and Self-injurious Thoughts and Behaviour or read the paper “Evidence-based child and adolescent mental health care: The role of high-quality and transparently reported evidence synthesis studies” .

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How to Write a Synthesis Essay
How to Write a Synthesis Essay: Examples, Topics, & Synthesis Essay Outline
How to Write a Synthesis Essay: Examples, Topics, & Synthesis Essay Outline
Synthesis Essay Writing
How to Write a Synthesis Essay
How to Write a Synthesis Essay

VIDEO

Center for Clinical Trials and Evidence Synthesis Journal Club 2/22/24
Part 1: Evidence synthesis
How to Prove the Bible is Reliable (Using Outside Evidence
AI in Evidence Synthesis: Two Case Studies
Synthesizing literature in 5 STEPS (with examples)
The ONLY WAY to Make YOUR Argument Thesis COMPLEX!

COMMENTS

PDF Creating Effective Synthesis Essays
Integrate evidence. Outside material needs to be fully integrated into the flow of your ideas in your essay. Writers need to connect the evidence — expert testimony, studies, statistics, charts, etc. — from outside sources to the purpose of paragraph and essay overall to communicate a unified message clearly. Connect your claims to the ...
Guide to Synthesis Essays: How to Write a Synthesis Essay
A great synthesis essay walks readers through a series of ideas and sources to prove or explain a larger point. Follow this step-by-step guide for writing your essay. 1. Choose a topic you're curious about. Brainstorm a few ideas for your synthesis essay topic, prioritizing the subjects you feel passionate about. 2.
How to Write a Synthesis Essay: The Ultimate Handbook
Clarify Your Purpose: First, decide if you're writing an explanatory or argumentative synthesis essay. This choice will set the tone and direction for your essay. Source Selection and Analysis: Choose credible and relevant sources for your topic, balancing different types like articles, books, and websites.
6.2 THE BIG PICTURE: Using Outside Sources of Information
6.2 THE BIG PICTURE: Using Outside Sources of Information. A strong academic research essay needs strong evidence (proof). The credibility of your sources of outside information is one key part of this evidence. However, the way that you use outside sources of information is also important. Sometimes you're citing a source that provides ...
Synthesis Essays: A Step-by-Step How- To Guide
How to write body paragraphs for synthesis essays: 1.Pick three points to write about from your list of points about which the writers agreed or disagreed. When picking three to write about, pick the three that offer you ample evidence. 2.Decide the order of the three points to be written about in your body paragraphs.
How to Write the AP Lang Synthesis Essay + Example
The synthesis essay requires you to read 6-7 sources and create an argument using at least three sources. The rhetorical analysis essay requires you to describe how a piece of writing evokes specific meanings and symbolism. The argumentative essay requires you to pick a perspective of a debate and create an argument based on the evidence ...
Synthesis
Synthesis is a crucial skill for academic writing, as it allows you to use evidence from multiple sources to support your own arguments. In this guide, you will learn how to summarize, paraphrase, cite, and integrate sources in your papers. You will also find video tutorials, examples, and exercises to help you master synthesis.
Demystifying The Synthesis Essay: A Complete Guide
Understanding the synthesis essay concept is essential for mastering the art of essay writing. In this comprehensive guide, we will unravel the intricacies of the synthesis essay, providing you with a step-by-step approach to crafting a compelling and well-structured piece of writing. At its core, a synthesis essay goes beyond mere summarization.
How to Write a Synthesis Essay: Tips and Techniques
In your introduction, you should give an overview of the topic you're covering and state your thesis. In the middle paragraphs, you will choose a subtopic or theme for each. When writing the conclusion of a synthesis essay, you will summarize the points you've made and restate your thesis. Draft a bibliography.
How to Write a Perfect Synthesis Essay for the AP Language Exam
Paragraph 1: The prompt presents and briefly explains the topic that you'll be writing your synthesis essay about. That topic is the concept of eminent domain. Paragraph 2: The prompt presents a specific claim about the concept of eminent domain in this paragraph: Eminent domain is productive and beneficial.This paragraph instructs you to decide whether you want to defend, challenge, or ...
How to Write a Synthesis Essay: Step-by-Step Guide
First, state your argument, make supporting statements, and back up each claim with reliable facts. 2. Review Essay. A review essay is frequently written as a preparatory essay to an argument synthesis. Review essays are commonly used in social science and medicine classes.
Academic Guides: Evidence-Based Arguments: Synthesis
Synthesis is different from summary. Summary consists of a brief description of one idea, piece of text, etc. Synthesis involves combining ideas together. Summary: Overview of important general information in your own words and sentence structure. Paraphrase: Articulation of a specific passage or idea in your own words and sentence structure.
Synthesis
Writing the Synthesis Essay. The introduction (usually one paragraph: A synthesis essay should be organized so that others can understand the sources and evaluate your comprehension of them and their presentation of specific data, themes, etc. The following format works well: Contains a one-sentence statement that sums up the focus of your ...
How To Write Synthesis In Research: Example Steps
On This Page: Step 1 Organize your sources. Step 2 Outline your structure. Step 3 Write paragraphs with topic sentences. Step 4 Revise, edit and proofread. When you write a literature review or essay, you have to go beyond just summarizing the articles you've read - you need to synthesize the literature to show how it all fits together (and ...
How to Write a Synthesis Essay: Examples, Topics, & Outline
Find several central ideas in the chart. Choose the ones that are repeated the most often and the ones that you feel need to be in your essay. Combine them, and you have a thesis statement with all the key points. Make a draft of the thesis statement. Try to formulate the main idea you want to present in your essay.
Synthesis
When asked to synthesize sources and research, many writers start to summarize individual sources. However, this is not the same as synthesis. In a summary, you share the key points from an individual source and then move on and summarize another source. In synthesis, you need to combine the information from those multiple sources and add your ...
Writing a synthesis essay for AP Lang
Sure, a synthesis essay is a type of essay that requires you to use multiple sources to create an argument. In an AP Lang synthesis essay, you'll typically be provided with the sources and will need to analyze them, identify the main ideas, and then connect those ideas to your central argument or thesis. Here's a step-by-step breakdown of how to write a strong synthesis essay for AP Lang: 1.
Synthesis of Your Own Ideas
To do so, it helps to look for connections and patterns. One way to synthesize when writing an argument essay, paper, or other project is to look for themes among your sources. So try categorizing ideas by topic rather than by resource—making associations across sources. Synthesis can seem difficult, particularly if you are used to analyzing ...
Synthesis Essay: Writing Guide & Definition; Examples
Synthesis is when you use individual ideas or elements that help you draw a whole picture. This does not mean that you have to compare or analyze any differences. Your main task is to combine. A synthesis essay is a type of essay that requires students to critically analyze and mix information from various sources to form a coherent perspective.
Evidence Synthesis
Evidence synthesis, sometimes called "systematic reviews", involves combining information from multiple studies investigating the same topic to comprehensively understand their findings. This helps determine how effective a particular treatment or drug is, or how people have experienced a particular health condition or treatment.
LibGuides: Writing Resources: How to Synthesize and Analyze
When attempting to synthesize and analyze, do not do the following: Omit a clear topic sentence about the main point fo the paragraph. List what the author of each article said without connecting ideas together. Leave out transitions to show how the ideas relate or refute one another. Using the "book report" mentality and simply presenting ...
Why every student (and researcher) should know about evidence synthesis
If you are new to evidence synthesis or unsure about the difference between a literature review and a systematic review, watch this three-minute video: Evidence Synthesis - What is it and why do we need it? Some of you might be thinking about doing a systematic review or meta-analysis, but there are many other ways to synthesise evidence.

How to Write a Synthesis Essay: Your Guide From Start to Finish

What Is a Synthesis Essay

Explanatory vs. Argumentative Synthesis Essays

Synthesis Essay Structure

Choosing a Synthesis Essay Topic

How to Write a Synthesis Essay with Easy Steps

Ready to Transform Your Synthesis Essay from Bland to Grand?

Synthesis Essay Format

Synthesis Essay Example

Synthesis Essay Tips

Concluding Thoughts

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How Should You Conclude a Synthesis Essay?

6.2 THE BIG PICTURE: Using Outside Sources of Information

The “quotation sandwich”

Verbs of attribution

Synthesis Essays: A Step-by-Step How-To Guide

The word “synthesis” confuses every student a little bit. Fortunately, this step-by-step how-to guide will see you through to success!

Before drafting your essay:

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How to Write the AP Lang Synthesis Essay + Example

What’s Covered:

Step 1: Analyze the Prompt

Step 2: Read the Sources Carefully

Step 3: Write a Strong Thesis Statement

Step 4: Create a Minimal Essay Outline

Step 5: Write your Essay

Here are six must-have tips and tricks to get a good score on the synthesis essay:

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Here is an example prompt and essay from 2019 that received 5 of the 6 total points available:

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Synthesis Essay AP Lang: What It Is and How It Works

Full Breakdown of a Real AP Lang Synthesis Essay Prompt

Step 1: Analyze the Prompt

Step 2: Read the Sources Carefully

Step 3: Write a Strong Thesis Statement

Step 4: Create a Bare-Bones Essay Outline

Step 5: Draft Your Essay Response

Real-Life AP Synthesis Essay Example and Analysis

Example Synthesis Essay AP Lang Response

Thesis Development

Evidence and Commentary

Sophistication of Thought

4 Tips for How to Write a Synthesis Essay

Tip 1: Read the Prompt First

Tip 2: Make Notes While You Read

Tip 3: Start With the Thesis Statement

Tip 4: Focus on Your Commentary

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Writing a Perfect Synthesis Essay: Definition & Examples

What is a Synthesis Essay?

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4. Create an Outline for Your Essay

How to Write a Synthesis Essay?

Synthesis Essay Format

APA Style Format

Chicago Style Format

MLA Style Format

Synthesis Essay Rubric

The Basics of the Synthesis Essay Rubric

How to Write a Synthesis Essay - Ap Lang

Synthesis Essay Tips

Frequently Asked Questions

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