Synthesis Writing

1. Synthesis Writing

2. Informative Synthesis • Purpose: to convey information through summarizing in a clear, concise, organized manner (154) • Use source material to support your thesis • Must be fair, unbiased, and open-minded; no opinion

3. Structure: Block vs Alternating • Block: Discuss one author’s points in relation to your thesis before moving on to the next author’s points (156-57). • Alternating: Discuss each of the author’s stance regarding the specific issues outlined in your thesis --works well with closed thesis

4. Thesis Statement • Closed: list specific issues to be addressed in essay (156) --avoid including too much information • Open: indicate the topic and general structure of your paper (156) --works well for longer essays

5. Quotations and Documentation • “Check any material you quoted against the source text to be sure you have accurately transcribed the information” (161). • “Pay special attention to any passages where you have added language to or taken language out of a quotation: those changes should not alter the meaning of the source text” (161). • “Remember that all paraphrased and quoted material in your paper should be documented” (161). • “…be sure it is always clear to your reader which source text you are referring to in your documentation” (161).

6. Argumentative Synthesis • Purpose: “…use material from various reading to support and illustrate an argument of your own, usually concerning the quality of writing the source texts or an issue they address” (167). • Critique all sources to determine strengths and weaknesses (167).

7. Elements of Argument • Claim: “…an assertion you want your readers to accept” (168) --this is your thesis statement • Grounds: “…evidence you use to support a claim” (169) --facts, statistics, testimony, opinion --“The quality of your essay often depends on the quality of the grounds you employ to support your claims” (169). --Must be relevant, reliable, and appropriate • Warrants: “…a warrant is a line of reasoning, set of assumptions, or explanation that links a claim to its grounds” (172) --unstated or stated --logical and reasonable --clear, fully explained, and supported

8. Argument and Persuasion • Appeals Based on Reason --logos --depend on the quality of your claims, grounds and warrants --clear, limited claims --relevant, credible, and timely --explain reasoning process

9. Appeals Based on Emotion --pathos --avoid bathos --use sparingly and appropriately --grounds or language --appeal to reader’s interests --appeal to reader’s needs or fears --employ evocative or captivating language (175)

10. Appeals Based on Character and Credibility --ethos --involves trust and character: “through quality of claims, grounds, and warrants you employ in your writing that you are a trustworthy, knowledgeable, fair-minded individual” (176) --quality of prose: no misspellings, grammatical problems, typos, or other surface errors --present informed, balanced arguments --demonstrate credibility of source texts --employ fair, balanced language --PROOFREAD

11. Thesis • “In an argumentative synthesis you advance a position of your own on either the quality or the topic of the readings” (179).