SYNTHESIZING TEXTS

Combining writers
 Synthesizing the sources
Some reports focus on the sources
themselves i.e. the writer. This type of
report makes explicit reference to the
source e.g.
 Source A writes / states…
 Source B claims / alleges…
 Source C contends / argues…
 According to Source D…
 Background : Writing a brief,
objective synthesis of 3 sources

You are going to synthesize the reports of 3

Professors of Physics about their attempts
to achieve nuclear fusion in desktop
devices using Sonofusion.

What is Sonofusion?
 Sonofusion, or Bubble fusion
A nuclear fusion reaction that is believed to occur
when small gas bubbles in a liquid are blasted
with sound waves above 18,000 cycles per
second. The formation, growth and implosion of
these bubbles generates intense local heat.
Scientists hope that the ability to produce nuclear
fusion will lead to a new source of clean energy.
We asked several physicists to explain how their
devices operate.
A desktop device
 STEP 1
Read Source A : Seth Putterman’s interview
Using a pencil, underline important
information
Then summarize the main ideas

Remember the task is to describe the device

at UCLA and explain how it operates
 STEP 1 continued
Read Source B : Mathias Fink’s interview
Using a pencil, underline important
information
Then summarize the main ideas

Remember the task is to describe the device

at Université Denis Diderot and to explain
how it operates
 Step 1 continued
Read Source C : Rusi Taleyarkhan’s
interview Using a pencil, underline
important information
Then summarize the main ideas

Remember the task is to describe the device

at Purdue and to explain how it operates
 STEP 2
Provide an introduction to the article e.g.

Imagine a plentiful supply of energy that does not

add to the greenhouse effect or produce
radioactive waste. That is the promise of nuclear
fusion. Research into Sonofusion, a process
causing bubbles to expand, implode and
generate extreme temperatures, attempts to
achieve this elusive goal.
 STEP 3
For the second paragraph, use your
paraphrasing skills to combine the ideas
relating to this task from Source A. Begin
by acknowledging the source e.g.

Professor of Physics at UCLA, Seth

Putterman maintains / claims …..
 Step 3 continued
For the third paragraph, use your
paraphrasing skills to combine the ideas
relating to this task from Source B. Begin
by acknowledging the source e.g.

At Université Denis Diderot, Professor

Mathias Fink explains / describes …..
 Step 3 continued
For the fourth paragraph, use your
paraphrasing skills to combine the ideas
relating to this task from Source C. Begin
by acknowledging the source e.g.

Professor Rusi Taleyarkhan at Purdue

maintains / alleges …..
 Step 4
For your conclusion, refer back to points made in
the introduction e.g.
The physicists in the USA remain optimistic that
they can turn their desktop devices into useable
systems. However, creating a fusion reactor that
consumes less energy than it generates remains
the challenge. For this reason, the French
scientists remain cautious and regard their work
as purely academic.
 Similar opinions / 1
It is possible to see similarities between
some viewpoints e.g.

 Putterman and Taleyarkhan use a clear

cylinder
 Similar opinions / 2
For academic synthesizing, combine similar
viewpoints within the text e.g.

Putterman ( 2007) and Taleyarkhan ( 2004)

both use a clear cylindrical device
whereas Fink’s team (2002) uses a
spherical glass cell.
 A reminder about synthesizing
sources
Always acknowledge the work of other
writers by:
 Using parenthetic notes within the text and
including a reference list or bibliography of
works cited at the end
 Making it clear within the text that the
opinions and ideas are those of others