In the synthesis paper, you want to keep finding sources and tie them into your own research topic/question. To synthesize means to assemble parts into a new whole. The parts are the different sources, each representing a distinct view or views on a particular topic. The “whole” is your essay in which you explain your position, considering views from the sources that show sides of the issue. So, while the synthesis paper requires you to read, summarize, and analyze your sources, you are not just doing a summary and analysis of these sources (such as in an annotated bibliography). Instead, you are going beyond and consider a) how these sources respond to each other?; and b) how do they respond to the issue at hand? Basically, you need to ask yourself how these sources advance your research. How do they change your research topic and question? How do they shed light on your current question(s)? How do they bring up new questions and gaps that will need to be filled with your researched argument? In order to write the synthesis paper, you are expected to use three (3) scholarly sources. Organization: Introduction: Introduce your topic and end in a research question & hypothesis. Paragraph #1: Introduce and summarize your first source Paragraph #2: Introduce and summarize your second source Paragraph #3: Introduce and summarize your third source Paragraph #4: What are important points of connection between the sources? What are similarities? Paragraph #5: What are differences between the three sources and why are they important to note? Paragraph #6: How have these three sources advanced your research question? In other words, how have they helped you answer your research question, and what is still missing? What new questions arose and how would you go about answering them? Conclusion: Wrap up the findings from the three sources and state what you need to do next to answer your research question The paper should be 4-5 pages and include in-text citations in APA as well as a proper reference page. Please format the paper in MLA (header, double-spaced, indented paragraphs, etc.)
