A research synthesis project is the process of integrating support from more than one source for one idea/argument while also identifying how sources are related to each other and to your main idea.
Understanding Research Synthesis
Based on the definition provided, a research synthesis project goes beyond simply summarizing individual sources. It involves a deliberate process of weaving together findings, arguments, or information from various pieces of research to build a cohesive understanding or support a specific point.
It is fundamentally an acknowledgment of how the source material from several sources address the same question/research topic. This means you are looking for common themes, agreements, disagreements, or complementary information across different studies or texts related to your research focus.
Key Aspects of Synthesis
A research synthesis project, as described, includes several core components:
- Integrating Support: Bringing together findings or arguments from multiple sources.
- Multiple Sources: Using more than one piece of research or information.
- One Idea/Argument: Focusing the integration to support a single, overarching concept or thesis.
- Identifying Relationships: Analyzing how the different sources connect to each other (e.g., do they agree, disagree, provide different angles?) and how they relate back to your main idea.
- Addressing the Same Topic: Recognizing that the sources you synthesize all contribute to understanding the same core question or subject area.
Why Synthesize Research?
The purpose of synthesizing research is not just to list what others have said, but to create a new understanding by showing how different contributions fit together. By integrating support from various sources, you build a stronger case for your argument or provide a more comprehensive overview of a topic. Identifying the relationships between sources helps to illuminate the landscape of existing research, showing where there is consensus, where debates lie, or where gaps might exist.
Practical Elements
Engaging in research synthesis typically involves:
- Gathering relevant sources: Finding multiple studies or texts that address your research question or topic.
- Analyzing each source: Understanding its main points and findings.
- Identifying connections: Looking for similarities, differences, or other relationships between the sources.
- Relating sources to your main idea: Explaining how the insights from each source, and their connections to one another, collectively support your central argument or illuminate your topic.
- Presenting the integrated information: Writing or presenting the synthesis in a way that clearly shows how multiple sources contribute to a single idea while highlighting their relationships.
In essence, a research synthesis project is about creating a coherent picture from disparate pieces of information, demonstrating how different sources collectively build understanding around a common theme.
