When you are asked to synthesize research, you are being asked to consider how multiple sources on a similar topic relate to one another. Instead of presenting a summary of each source separately, you can create synthesis by identifying themes, commonalities, and differences between the sources to create a new whole. To practice synthesis…

1. Read and understand the main points of each source separately.
   1. Capture this information in a spreadsheet (Literature Review Matrix): reference information, research question, sample population, methodology, findings, gaps, and others as you find helpful.
2. Compare the main points among sources to identify similarities, differences, and gaps.
   1. Your spreadsheet provides a quick visual to identify similarities and differences between the sources.
   2. Consider color-coding content based on themes you see among your sources.
3. Organize your paper according to the themes you have identified in the research.  
   1. Each theme should have its own paragraph, section, or heading.
   2. Within each paragraph, present a main point, evidence to support the main point, your analysis of the evidence, and a transition. The MEAL Plan will help you develop this skill.
      • Study the MEAL plan and note that synthesis typically takes place in the Evidence and Analysis parts of the paragraph.  

Throughout these steps, remind yourself that the goal of synthesis is to combine many sources and present the themes you discover among those sources in a new, meaningful way.