How to Write a Synthesis Essay

Why Synthesis Writing? In L2, you will be asked to write a synthesis of three articles taken
from authentic sources. Synthesis writing is an important skill that you will be able to apply
in your future professional lives. Being able to synthesize information cultivates your critical
thinking skills, allows you to deepen your reading comprehension skills, and you will learn
how to connect and analyze information across various authentic sources. (Please note:
these skills are also measured on the TOEIC)

What is Synthesis Writing?

The goal of synthesis writing is to identify common ideas from different sources, write a
thesis statement that emerges from the articles (that shows your stance on the matter),
develop two or three main areas of study, and give your opinion in the conclusion.

When?
In class, you will study and practice synthesis writing methodology. The rubric in this
handout will be used to grade your in-class TD and the synthesis essay on your DE. You will
have one hour for your in-class synthesis which will take place in lesson 10. On the DE,
which will last two hours, you will read three texts, answer comprehension questions, and
plan and write your synthesis. Make sure you leave yourself time to reread your work.

How to Structure a Synthesis Essay

A. The Introduction
The introduction must include three things:
1. An introductory sentence (‘a hook’) that prepares the reader for the theme of the
synthesis essay;
2. The titles of the texts, the authors, the publication dates and a brief explanation of
the main idea/theme of each source. It may also provide relevant background
information about the authors and the sources of the texts;
3. A strong thesis statement, which you need to underline.
• In a synthesis essay, a thesis statement shows the common thread which
emerges from the articles.
• A thesis statement is not a question. It is the overall claim you chose to
defend based on evidence from the articles.
• Be careful, in a synthesis essay you are NOT giving an outline of your synthesis
in the introduction (e.g.: In the first part I will talk about the advantages, in
the second part I will focus on the disadvantages and then I will finish by the
conclusion.)
• Remember, this is not the same as an argumentative essay. You will NOT
focus on the advantages in one part, and the disadvantages in the second
part.

In the example introduction paragraph below, we can see that the student is going to
focus on two main areas: the ways stereotypes affect individuals and the economy. The
thesis statement is underlined and highlighted in yellow.

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For example:

Stereotypes have different negative impacts on society, but is there such a thing as
a “positive stereotype”? Here, we will see three articles that tackle this issue. On February
17, 2018, Kumari Devarajan published an article entitled “‘Strong’ Black Woman ? ‘Smart’
Asian Man ? The Downside To Positive Stereotypes” which deals with the negative effects
of the so-called “positive stereotypes”. Similarly, the article written by Professor Julia
Higgins on March 2, 2018 and entitled “Gender stereotypes are still pervasive in our
culture” deals with the way stereotypes impact girls at an early age. Finally, the article
written by Karen Gardiner and published on February 3, 2021, named “Stereotypes have
fueled a tourism boom in Europe’s icy North. Can things change ?” focuses on the tourism
boom that occurred in northern Europe due to stereotypes. These documents highlight the
fact that stereotypes, even “positive” ones, can have lasting effects on individuals and the
economy.

In this paragraph we can see the student started with a hook, introduced each article
(title, author, date of publication, and short description of the main purpose of the article)
and finished the introduction with a clear thesis statement that shows the reader two
areas the paper will focus on.

B. The Main Body of Your Synthesis

The organisation of the main body of your synthesis will be determined by the key
themes/points present in each source and their relation to one another in terms of
similarities, differences, contradictions, and juxtapositions, etc. You must choose the most
effective structure to represent the claim of your synthesis.

To help you organize your synthesis essay, you can use the chart on the last page of this
handout.

Make sure that each paragraph:

• Begins with a sentence or phrase that informs readers of the purpose of the
paragraph (topic sentence);
• Clearly indicates where each theme/point comes from using transitions to aid
general cohesion;
• Uses appropriate quotes, with the sources of the quotes clearly identified.

You must also make sure that you do not plagiarise! If you use correct citations this should
not be a problem. In the paragraph below, you can see that the student correctly
introduces citations from all three texts, gives enough evidence to support their topic
sentence, and introduces a contradictory statement (in yellow).

For example:

Now that we have seen how stereotypes affect the economy, we will now see the
negative consequences they can have on people. In the first article, even though
stereotypes about the Sápmi have boosted tourism, and therefore economic benefits for
the country, they endanger the Sápmi culture. For example, the escaping dogs used in
dog sledding can be the source of the killing of reindeer which are a part of their culture
(Gardiner, 2021). Furthermore, all these stereotypical activities can have “major
consequences on the Sápmi livelihood” (Gardiner, 2021). In the second article, the author
explains that not only do positive stereotypes affect the way people are perceived by
others, but they also influence the way people view themselves (Devarajan, 2018). Like it
was explained in the text, those stereotypes set many standards for these people because

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if they do not fulfill them they “might feel like failures” (Devarajan, 2018). Ironically, if they
do succeed in achieving them, they might not get credit for it because of the fact that
people expect it from them which can be very discouraging and unfair (Devarajan, 2018).
Lastly, Higgins mentions that these positive stereotypes are always tied to negative ones
and gives the example of black people and sports implying that people assume they are
good at sports so intellectual subjects must not be their strong suit (Higgins, 2018).

C. Conclusion
The conclusion provides a final perspective that reflects the focus of the synthesis and
allows for independence of thought. You must give your own opinion!

How to Use Citations

For your in-class synthesis and for the synthesis essay on the DE, only ONE citation style will
be accepted: (author’s last name, date of publication) e.g. (Musk, 2021).*
* IT ALWAYS COMES AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE BEFORE THE PERIOD.

You must use evidence from all three texts to support/defend/explain the topic of each
paragraph. There are two ways to do this:
1. Direct quotes: A direct quote is when you take text directly from a source without
changing anything and you put parentheses around the chosen text. This ALWAYS
requires a citation.
• e.g.: According to Elon Musk, “the London research lab DeepMind is a “top
concern” when it comes to artificial intelligence” (Musk, 2021).
• e.g.: Similar to OpenAI, “the London research lab DeepMind is a “top
concern” when it comes to artificial intelligence” (Musk, 2021).
2. Paraphrasing: explain something the author said in your own words. Be careful,
paraphrasing ALWAYS requires a citation. Even if you are using your own words, the
idea still belongs to someone else.
• e.g.: The studies on AI being done at the DeepMind lab require critical
consideration, according to Elon Musk (Musk, 2021).
• e.g.: Some research into AI, notably the DeepMind lab, needs close
monitoring (Musk, 2021).

Key Take-Aways
In summary, imagine you are presented three articles about AI (one explains how AI is
used in the medical field, one that explains how an algorithm is used to suggest shows and
movies on Netflix, and another explains how facial recognition is biased). You read all
three articles and find the main idea of each article and look for common themes and
ideas across the texts. Then, you write your introduction which includes a thesis statement.
For example: AI has a positive impact on our lives, not only on our personal lives but also
in the workplace.
Then, you will write your body paragraphs (two to four) using and correctly citing
evidence from all three articles. Your first paragraph might explain how AI helps us in our
daily lives. Your second paragraph could show how AI facilitates tasks in the workplace. To
encourage critical thinking, you must consider at least one opposing viewpoint. For
example, in your paragraph about AI in the workplace, you might consider the potential
negative impact on employment (if this is mentioned in one of the texts). You can decide
where it fits best. Finally, your conclusion will quickly summarize what you said before and
you will include your personal opinion on the topic.

Good luck!

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 Grading
Your instructor will grade your synthesis according to the grid below. Please note, half
points can be awarded.
Structure (7 points)
 Introduces the theme of
synthesis (hook) 1pt.
 Introduces each text (title,
author, date, .5/text) 1.5pts.
 Provides explanation for each
source( .5/text)1.5pts.
 Introduces quotes correctly
1pt.
 Uses correct citation of
sources 1pt.
 Uses correct overall structure
(Introduction, body,
conclusion) 1pt.
____/7
Corrector’s Comments:
Content (7 points) Language (6 points)
 Provides clear thesis  Grammar 2pts.
(underlined) 1pt.  Syntax 1.5pts.
 Gives opinion in conclusion  Vocabulary 1.5pts.
1pt.  Punctuation 1pt.
 Provides evidence of at least
one opposing argument 1pt.
 Cites all three sources 1pt.
 Demonstrates overall
cohesion (transitions,
relevancy, arguments,
analysis, etc.) 3pts.
____/7 ____/6
Corrector’s Comments: Corrector’s Comments:
TOTAL: /20
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 Text 1: title, author, date Text 2: title, author, date Text 3: title, author, date
Theme (last name, date) (last name, date) (last name, date)

Contradiction/Differences

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