This is the point where you sort articles by themes or categories in preparation for writing your lit review. You may find a synthesis matrix (see the example in the third box below) or this Synthesis Worksheet to be helpful in understanding how to synthesize multiple sources of information. Download the MS Word file for a copy of the worksheet:
You can sort the literature in various ways, for example:
by themes or concepts
historically or chronologically (tracing a research question across time),or
by methodology
The Four Examples of Student Writing come from a synthesis exercise created by Candice Benjes-Small. Thanks also to Colleen Warwick for some of the original materials for this page that were adapted by J. Cleavenger 9/2011. Thanks also to Kristin Buxton and Annie Zeidman-Karpinski for introducing them to UO Libraries.
In the four examples below, only ONE shows a good example of synthesis: the fourth column, or Student D. For a web accessible version, click the link below the image.
Student A uses quotes from only ONE source and fails to use her own voice to make any arguments
Student B cherry picks quotes from THREE sources and uses block quotes instead of making his own point
Student C quotes from THREE sources but does not show how the sources interact or converse with one another and does not provide sources for their arguments in the final paragraph
Student D synthesizes from FIVE sources, shows how they relate to one another, and makes their own point about the amount of royalties Taylor Swift should receive from Spotify
