Synthesis Essay
YOUR ASSIGNMENT IN A NUTSHELL
Find two Peer-reviewed documents with opposing viewpoints related to your topic. You will compare and contrast the two Peer-Reviewed documents outlining the contrasting opinions. One opinion will be in agreement with your viewpoint, and the other against it. The object is to present a document that acknowledges the opposing view, and at the same time supports your view of the subject. If more than 2 sources are used, your paper will be returned ungraded without an opportunity to resubmit. Follow directions. Do not use outdated sources. Be sure that your sources are no more than 5 years old. Do not submit work with over 14% on your Turnitin report.
Purpose: A significant aspect of becoming a better writer is becoming a better reader. When you read critically, you notice and evaluate the strategies and tools authors use to communicate their messages.
Audience: Your audience for this assignment is me—your professor. You can assume that I am familiar with the literary works.
Scope: Choose elements that you can successfully compare and contrast in roughly 3-4 pages (1,000-1,500 words) related to your chosen topic.
Format: The final paper should be at least 3-4 pages long (1,000-1,500 words), double-spaced, not counting any bibliographic information. Follow carefully the MLA guidelines, including page numbering and citation conventions
Research: Before writing your paper, research and perform a very close reading of two (2) literary journal articles that you may want to include in this assignment and your final argument essay. As you read, engage with the text. Look up unfamiliar words, underline interesting passages, and pay particular attention to elements like purpose, credibility, authority, etc. Compare and contrast the two articles looking for strengths and weaknesses. Look for facts to support your main argument and opposing opinions to your argument.
Thesis: Prepare a thesis statement containing a one-sentence summary of a paper’s content. It is similar, actually, to a paper’s conclusion but lacks the conclusion’s concern for broad implications and significance. What is the main idea here? What is the point you are trying to make?
Outline: Prepare an outline of the direction your document will follow. Include the introduction containing your thesis, topic sentences that include your supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion that summarizes your purpose (usually your thesis is reworded with a final sentence to drive your point home).
DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO WRITE SYNTHESIS ESSAYS
Consider your purpose in writing. Read the topic assignment carefully. What are you trying to accomplish in your essay? How will this purpose shape the way you approach your sources?
Select and carefully read your sources, according to your purpose. Re-read the sources, mentally summarizing each. Identify those aspects or parts of your sources that will help you in fulfilling your purpose. When rereading, label or underline the passages for main ideas, key terms, and any details you want to use in the synthesis.
Formulate a thesis. Your thesis is the main idea that you want to present in your synthesis. It must be expressed as a complete sentence and include a statement of the topic and your assertion about that topic. Sometimes the thesis is the first sentence, but more often it is the final sentence of the first paragraph.
Decide how you will use your source material and take notes. How will the information and the ideas in your sources help you to fulfill your purpose? Reread your sources and write down the information from your sources that will best develop and support your thesis.
Develop an organizational plan, according to your thesis. How will you arrange your material? It is not necessary to prepare a formal outline, but you should have some plan in mind that will indicate the order in which you will present your material and that will indicate the relationships among your sources.
Write the first draft of your synthesis, following your organizational plan. Be flexible with your plan; however, and allow yourself room to incorporate new ideas you discover as you write. As you discover and incorporate new ideas, re-read your work frequently to ensure that your thesis still accounts for what follows and that what follows still logically supports your thesis.
Document your sources. Use MLA-style in-text citations and a Works Cited list to credit your sources for all material you quote, paraphrase, or summarize. For example, if I wanted to note in my essay the difference between name-calling and argumentum ad hominem as personal forms of attack, I would credit the article “Politics: The Art of Bamboozling” from WARAC by offering a citation that includes the author’s last name and the exact page number where she discussed this notion (Cross 302). At the end of the essay, I would have a complete bibliographic citation for the “Politics” article.
Revise your synthesis. Insert transitional words and phrases where necessary. Integrate all quotations so they flow smoothly within your sentences. Use attribution phrases to distinguish between your sources’ ideas and your ideas. Make sure the essay reads smoothly, logically, and clearly from beginning to end. Check for grammatical correctness, punctuation, and spelling.
