{"id":3558,"date":"2016-03-21T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-03-22T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/?p=3558"},"modified":"2020-09-18T13:10:25","modified_gmt":"2020-09-18T20:10:25","slug":"synthesis-essay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/synthesis-essay\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write a Surprisingly Good Synthesis Essay"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Your class has been writing a few <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/argumentative-essay\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">argumentative essays<\/a> here and there, and you have to admit \u2026 you\u2019re getting pretty good at it. But now your instructor says that you need to take it a step further and write a <i>synthesis essay<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>The name might be a little intimidating, but don\u2019t worry\u2014I\u2019ll be here to give you example topics and show you exactly how to write a synthesis essay.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3618\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3618\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3618\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2349630471_edd8819a5c.jpg\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"500\" height=\"332\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2349630471_edd8819a5c.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2349630471_edd8819a5c-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3618 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20332%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"500\" height=\"332\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20332%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2349630471_edd8819a5c.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2349630471_edd8819a5c-300x199.jpg 300w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2349630471_edd8819a5c.jpg\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3618\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/nics_events\/2349630643\/in\/photolist-4zCtka-5wM7SL-ceXNc3-aRmTr4-ceXEu1-6BepUK-5xdnoX-ceYdrh-5xwAq9-dBJKyj-AGso4e-cisdqw-dBJAZG-ceYPHf-4zCtRp-4zCtVk-4zCtox-4zCtde-4zCthc-9eyVKy-4zCtAc-cirr5o-ceXzWj-6Pd2nf-7EiwPd-5xKKuu-cgfgYY-cirSCd-eBqBbf-6BizrL-ceYscw-cfpFKh-diK8ad-ceXXhf-8j3eVp-ceYmZC-5TmVhn-ceYgeJ-wXZw-ceXVxE-4jHTqA-chuEMG-ceXRbE-cft62w-ceYqCy-9tjgpQ-cfp8MG-cgez79-ceXaRw-ceYMrb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nic McPhee<\/a> via flickr (Creative Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>First \u2026 What Is a Synthesis Essay?<\/h2>\n<p>Before we jump right into generating ideas and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.users.drew.edu\/sjamieso\/synthesis.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">writing your synthesis<\/a>, it would be pretty useful to know what a synthesis essay actually is, right?<\/p>\n<p>When you think about a synthesis essay, you can think of it as being kind of like an argumentative essay.<\/p>\n<p><i>There is one key difference, though\u2014your instructor provides you with the sources you are going to use to substantiate your argument.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>This may sound a little bit easier than an argumentative essay. But it\u2019s a different kind of thinking and writing that takes some time to get used to. Synthesis essays are all about presenting a strong position and identifying the relationships between your sources.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-write-a-good-essay-commentary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Don\u2019t fall into the trap of simply summarizing the sources<\/a>. Instead, make your point, and back it up with the evidence found in those sources. (I\u2019ll explain this in more detail when we talk about the writing process.)<\/p>\n<p>Many of your sources will probably have information that could support both sides of an argument. So it\u2019s important to read over them carefully and put them in the perspective of your argument.<\/p>\n<p>If there&#8217;s information that goes against your main points, don\u2019t ignore it. Instead, acknowledge it. Then show how your argument is stronger.<\/p>\n<p>If this all seems a little too theoretical, don\u2019t worry\u2014it\u2019ll all get sorted out. I have a concrete example that takes a page from the Slytherins&#8217; book (yes, of Harry Potter fame) and uses cunning resourcefulness when analyzing sources.<\/p>\n<h2>Great and Not-So-Great Topics for Your Synthesis Essay<\/h2>\n\t<div class=\"blog-cta-simple\">\n\t\t<div class=\"blog-cta-simple-cont\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"blog-cta-simple-header\">Stuck on Your Essay?<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"blog-cta-simple-desc\">Check out these example synthesis essays.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"blog-cta-simple-input\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"blog-cta-simple-cont-btn\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"btn btn-warning\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-examples\/blog-landing-synthesis\" target=\"_blank\">Yes! Show me examples.<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n<p>A great topic for a synthesis essay is one that encourages you to choose a position on a debatable topic. Synthesis topics should <i>not<\/i> be something that\u2019s general knowledge, such as whether vegetables are good for you. Most everyone would agree that vegetables are healthy, and there are many sources to support that.<\/p>\n<p><b><i>Bad<\/i><\/b> synthesis topics can come in a variety of forms. Sometimes, the topic won\u2019t be clear enough. In these situations, the topic is too broad to allow for you to form a proper argument. Here are a few example bad synthesis essay topics:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2902\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/red-x-e1419626342132.png\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2902 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2015%2015%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/red-x-e1419626342132.png\"> Synthesis on gender<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2902\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/red-x-e1419626342132.png\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2902 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2015%2015%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/red-x-e1419626342132.png\"> Write about education<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2902\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/red-x-e1419626342132.png\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2902 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2015%2015%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/red-x-e1419626342132.png\"> Form an argument about obesity<\/p>\n<p>Other not-so-great examples are topics that clearly have only one correct side of the argument. What you need is a topic that has several sources that can support more than one position.<\/p>\n<p>Now that you know what a bad topic looks like, it\u2019s time to talk about what a good topic looks like.<\/p>\n<p>Many <b><i>great<\/i><\/b> synthesis essay topics are concentrated around social issues. There&#8217;s a lot of gray area and general debate on those issues\u2014which is what makes them great topics for your synthesis. Here are a few topics you could write about:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-examples\/sociology\/violence-in-society-3348\/video-games-and-violence-4872\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2901\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/green-check-e1419626314539.png\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2901 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2015%2015%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/green-check-e1419626314539.png\"><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-examples\/sociology\/violence-in-society-3348\/video-games-and-violence-4872\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Do video games promote violence?<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-examples\/sociology\/violence-in-society-3348\/video-games-and-violence-4872\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2901\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/green-check-e1419626314539.png\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2901 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2015%2015%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/green-check-e1419626314539.png\"><\/a> Is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-examples\/legal-studies-and-law\/capital-punishment-1446\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">death penalty<\/a> an effective way to deter crime?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-examples\/sociology\/violence-in-society-3348\/video-games-and-violence-4872\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2901\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/green-check-e1419626314539.png\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2901 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2015%2015%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/green-check-e1419626314539.png\"><\/a> Should young children be allowed to have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-examples\/students-should-be-able-to-use-cell-phones-because-it-helps-them-study-stay-safe-and-gain-responsibility-zoP9kGRg\">cell phones<\/a>?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-examples\/sociology\/violence-in-society-3348\/video-games-and-violence-4872\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2901\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/green-check-e1419626314539.png\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2901 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2015%2015%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/green-check-e1419626314539.png\"><\/a> Do children benefit more from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-examples\/teaching-and-education\/homeschooling-5488\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">homeschooling<\/a> or public school?<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/50-argumentative-essay-topics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">list of good topics<\/a> goes on and on. When looking at your topic, be sure to present a strong opinion for one side or the other. Straddling the fence makes your synthesis essay look much weaker.<\/p>\n<p>Now that you have an idea of what kinds of topics you can expect to see, let\u2019s get down to how to actually write your synthesis essay. To make this a little more interesting, I\u2019m going to pick the following example topic:<\/p>\n<p><i>Are Slytherin House members more evil than members of other houses?<\/i><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/slytherin_by_sherlingtondunnen.jpg\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3927\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/slytherin_by_sherlingtondunnen.jpg\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"400\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/slytherin_by_sherlingtondunnen.jpg 773w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/slytherin_by_sherlingtondunnen-226x300.jpg 226w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/slytherin_by_sherlingtondunnen-768x1017.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3927 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20400%20530%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"400\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20400%20530%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/slytherin_by_sherlingtondunnen.jpg 773w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/slytherin_by_sherlingtondunnen-226x300.jpg 226w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/slytherin_by_sherlingtondunnen-768x1017.jpg 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/slytherin_by_sherlingtondunnen.jpg\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Steps to Writing an Impressive Synthesis Essay<\/h2>\n<p>As with any good essay, organization is critical. With these five simple steps, writing a surprisingly good synthesis essay is surprisingly easy.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 1: Read your sources.<\/h3>\n<p>Even before you decide on your position, be sure to thoroughly read your sources. Look for common information among them, and start making connections in your mind as you read.<\/p>\n<p>For the purposes of my Slytherin synthesis example, let\u2019s say I have four different sources.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Source A is a data table that lists the houses of all members of the Death Eaters.<\/li>\n<li>Source B is a complete <a href=\"http:\/\/harrypotter.wikia.com\/wiki\/Slytherin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">history of the Slytherin House<\/a>, including the life and views of Salazar Slytherin.<\/li>\n<li>Source C is a document containing the names of students who were sorted into a different house than what the Sorting Hat had originally assigned to them.<\/li>\n<li>Source D is a history of the Battle of Hogwarts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Step 2: Decide what your position is.<\/h3>\n<p>After you work through your sources, decide what position you are going to take. You don\u2019t actually have to believe your position\u2014what\u2019s more important is being able to support your argument as effectively as possible.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tm-tweet-clear\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tm-click-to-tweet\">\n<div class=\"tm-ctt-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=You+don%E2%80%99t+actually+have+to+believe+your+position.+But+be+able+to+support+your+argument.&#038;via=kibin&#038;related=kibin&#038;url=https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/synthesis-essay\/\" target=\"_blank\">You don\u2019t actually have to believe your position. But be able to support your argument.<\/a><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=You+don%E2%80%99t+actually+have+to+believe+your+position.+But+be+able+to+support+your+argument.&#038;via=kibin&#038;related=kibin&#038;url=https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/synthesis-essay\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"tm-ctt-btn\">Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"tm-ctt-tip\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Also, remember that once you pick a position, stick with it. You want your argument and your synthesis to be as strong as possible. Sticking to your position is the best way to achieve that.<\/p>\n<p>Back to our example &#8230; after reading through my documents, I decide that the students and alumni of the Slytherin House are <i>not<\/i> more evil than students in the other houses.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 3: Write an awesome thesis statement.<\/h3>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve decided on a position, you need to express it in your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-write-a-thesis-statement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">thesis statement<\/a>. This is critical since you will be backing up your thesis statement throughout your synthesis essay.<\/p>\n<p>In my example, my thesis statement would read something like this:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i>Students and alumni from Slytherin are not more evil than students in the other houses because they fill the whole spectrum of morality, evil wizards are found in all houses, and their house traits of cunning, resourcefulness, and ambition do not equate to an evil nature.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Step 4: Draft a killer outline.<\/h3>\n<p>Now that you have your argument down in words, you need to figure out how you want to organize and support that argument. A great way to do this is to create a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/create-synthesis-essay-outline\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">synthesis essay outline<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>When you write your outline, write your thesis statement at the top. Then, list each of your sub-arguments. Under each sub-argument, list your support. Part of my outline would look like this:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Thesis statement: <i>Students and alumni from Slytherin are not more evil than students in the other houses because they fill the whole spectrum of morality, evil wizards are found in all houses, and their house traits of cunning, resourcefulness, and ambition do not equate to an evil nature.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>I. Evil wizards are found in all houses.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">A. Source A: Examples of Death Eaters from other houses<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">B. Source D: Examples of what Death Eaters from other houses did at the Battle of Hogwarts<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In my outline, I used my sources as the second level of my outline to give the names of the sources and, from each, concrete evidence of how evil non-Slytherin wizards can be.<\/p>\n<p>This is only an example of one paragraph in my outline. You\u2019ll want to do this for each paragraph\/sub-argument you plan on writing.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 5: Use your sources wisely.<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3928\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3928\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Wise-owl1.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-3928\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3928\" title=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Eurasian_Eagle-Owl_Maurice_van_Bruggen.JPG\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Wise-owl1.jpg\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Wise-owl1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Wise-owl1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Wise-owl1-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3928 lazyload\" title=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Eurasian_Eagle-Owl_Maurice_van_Bruggen.JPG\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20333%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20333%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Wise-owl1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Wise-owl1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Wise-owl1-768x512.jpg 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Wise-owl1.jpg\"><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3928\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eurasian Eagle-Owl. Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Eurasian_Eagle-Owl_Maurice_van_Bruggen.JPG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Maurice van Bruggen<\/a>. (Creative Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When thinking about how to use your sources as support for your argument, you should avoid a couple mistakes\u2014and do a couple of things instead.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2902\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/red-x-e1419626342132.png\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2902 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2015%2015%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/red-x-e1419626342132.png\"> Don\u2019t summarize the sources.<\/b> For example, this would be <i>summarizing<\/i> your source: \u201cSource A indicates which houses the Death Eaters belong to. It shows that evil wizards come from all houses.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2901\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/green-check-e1419626314539.png\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2901 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2015%2015%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/green-check-e1419626314539.png\"> Do analyze the sources.<\/b> Instead, write something like this: \u201cAlthough many Death Eaters are from Slytherin, there are still a large number of dark wizards, such as Quirinus Quirrell and Peter Pettigrew, from other houses (Source A).\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2902\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/red-x-e1419626342132.png\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2902 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2015%2015%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/red-x-e1419626342132.png\"> Don\u2019t structure your paragraphs around your sources<\/b>. Using one source per paragraph may seem like the most logical way to get things done (especially if you\u2019re only using three or four sources). But that runs the risk of summarizing instead of drawing relationships between the sources.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2901\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/green-check-e1419626314539.png\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2901 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2015%2015%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"synthesis essay\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/green-check-e1419626314539.png\"> Do structure your paragraphs around your arguments<\/b>. Formulate various points of your argument. Use two or more sources per paragraph to support those arguments.<\/p>\n<h3>Step 6: Get to writing.<\/h3>\n<p>Once you have a comprehensive outline, all you have to do is fill in the information and make it sound pretty. You\u2019ve done all the hard work already. The writing process should just be about clearly expressing your ideas. As you write, always keep your thesis statement in mind, so your synthesis essay has a clear sense of direction.<\/p>\n<p>Now that you know what a synthesis essay is and have a pretty good idea how to write one, it doesn\u2019t seem so intimidating anymore, does it?<\/p>\n<p>If your synthesis essay still isn\u2019t coming together quite as well as you had hoped, you can trust the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-editing-proofreading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kibin editors<\/a> to make the edits and suggestions that will push it to greatness.<\/p>\n<p>Happy writing!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your class has been writing a few argumentative essays here and there, and you have to admit \u2026 you\u2019re getting pretty good at it. But now your instructor says that you need to take it a step further and write a synthesis essay. The name might be a little intimidating, but don\u2019t worry\u2014I\u2019ll be here &hellip; <\/p>\n<div class=\"blog-read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/synthesis-essay\/\" class=\"more-link btn btn-primary\"><b>Read more<\/b><span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;How to Write a Surprisingly Good Synthesis Essay&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":7766,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[57,58,185,49],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Write a Surprisingly Good Synthesis Essay<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Not sure where to start with your synthesis essay? Don&#039;t distress. It&#039;s just like an argumentative essay with one key difference.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/synthesis-essay\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Write a Surprisingly Good Synthesis Essay\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Not sure where to start with your synthesis essay? Don&#039;t distress. It&#039;s just like an argumentative essay with one key difference.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/synthesis-essay\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Kibin Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-03-22T00:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-09-18T20:10:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/synthesisessay2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"355\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Eden Meirow\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Eden Meirow\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/synthesis-essay\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/synthesis-essay\/\",\"name\":\"How to Write a Surprisingly Good Synthesis Essay\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-03-22T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-09-18T20:10:25+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/16816b6513faf75da88f2ae8c61e82d8\"},\"description\":\"Not sure where to start with your synthesis essay? 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