Overview
Synthesis essays test your ability to read, interpret, and combine multiple sources to form a cohesive argument. Instead of summarizing each source, you must integrate ideas to support your position. In this topic, you'll learn how to plan, organize, and cite effectively while maintaining a strong, original voice.
Steps for Writing a Synthesis Essay
- Read the Sources Carefully: Look for the central arguments, tone, and evidence presented in each.
- Find Common Ground: Identify points of agreement, contradiction, or extension across sources.
- Take a Clear Position: Your essay must have a strong thesis that integrates your view with insights from the sources.
- Use Multiple Sources: Blend support from both sources in most body paragraphs rather than assigning one per paragraph.
- Analyze, Don’t Summarize: Use the sources to support your ideas—not to replace them.
Citation Strategies
- Signal Phrases: Introduce borrowed material with identifiers like "According to Lee" or "In 'The Price of Progress,' Johnson argues..."
- Parenthetical Citations: Follow MLA or APA format when quoting or paraphrasing.
- Balance: Don’t overuse one source. Show that you can engage with both equally and critically.
Example: Although Johnson warns that economic growth often comes at environmental cost, Lee counters that development can coexist with sustainability when proper policies are in place.
Tip: A synthesis essay is not a report—it’s an argument. Your job is to build something new from the pieces others have written.
Practice Prompt
Prompt: Read two short passages about the pros and cons of remote work. Then, write a thesis that integrates both perspectives and list two supporting points for your own position.