{"id":726,"date":"2013-07-25T14:11:52","date_gmt":"2013-07-25T14:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/transfer.writingcommons.org\/2013\/07\/25\/synthesizing-your-research-findings\/"},"modified":"2020-01-29T16:50:01","modified_gmt":"2020-01-29T16:50:01","slug":"synthesizing-your-research-findings","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/article\/synthesizing-your-research-findings\/","title":{"rendered":"Synthesizing Your Research Findings"},"content":{"rendered":"

Synthesis is something you already do in your everyday life.  For example, if you are shopping for a new car, the research question you are trying to answer is, “Which car should I buy”?  You explore available models, prices, options, and consumer reviews, and you make comparisons.  For example:  Car X costs more than car Y but gets better mileage.  Or:  Reviewers A, B, and C all prefer Car X, but their praise is based primarily on design features that aren\u2019t important to you.  It is this analysis across<\/em> sources that moves you towards an answer to your question.<\/p>\n

Early in an academic research project you are likely to find yourself making initial comparisons\u2014for example, you may notice that Source A arrives at a conclusion very different from that of Source B\u2014but the task of synthesis will become central to your work when you begin drafting your research paper or presentation. <\/p>\n

Remember, when you synthesize, you are not just compiling information.  You are organizing that information around a specific argument or question, and this work\u2014your own intellectual work\u2014is central to research writing.<\/p>\n

Below are some questions that highlight ways in which the act of synthesizing brings together ideas and generates new knowledge. <\/p>\n

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