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What is a Synthesis?A synthesis is a written discussion drawing on two or more sources that presents summaries of the sources involved, judgments of those sources, and an indication of what the relationship is between the sources. Writing a synthesis involves finding relationships between sources, both written and non-written. In an academic synthesis, you make explicit the relationships that you have found among separate sources. In writing a synthesis, choose your sources carefully, looking for important relationships based on the purpose of your essay.How to Write SynthesesHere are a few guidelines to follow that will help you organize and write a synthesis:Remember that all writing is a recursive process; in writing your synthesis, you may or may not follow these guidelines step by step. There are two main types of syntheses: the explanatory synthesis (discussed in Chapter 4) and the argument synthesis (discussed in Chapter 5). Whereas an argument synthesis argues a particular point, an explanatory synthesis helps readers understand a topic. To explore a subject, divide it into its component parts and present these to the reader in a clear and orderly fashion. The information must be presented objectively and without judgment. You will need a clear thesis statement on which to base your information, one that is clearly supported in all of your sources. Note: Internet sources are generally transitory, so if a link given for an activity is no longer available, notify the administrator of this site. The link will be fixed or replaced with a suitable source for the activity.
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