{"id":292,"date":"2017-04-07T00:53:55","date_gmt":"2017-04-07T00:53:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-english1\/?post_type=chapter&p=292"},"modified":"2017-06-01T15:10:27","modified_gmt":"2017-06-01T15:10:27","slug":"synthesizing-sources","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-english1\/chapter\/synthesizing-sources\/","title":{"raw":"Synthesizing Sources","rendered":"Synthesizing Sources"},"content":{"raw":"

Synthesizing Sources<\/h2>\r\nOnce you have analyzed the texts involved in your research and taken notes, you must turn to the task of writing your essay. The goal is here is not simply to summarize your findings. Critical writing requires that you communicate your analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of those findings to your audience<\/em>.\r\n\r\nYou analyze and synthesize even before you compose your first draft. In an article called, \u201cTeaching Conventions of Academic Discourse,\u201d Teresa Thonney outlines six standard features of academic writing. Use the list to help frame your purpose and to ensure that you are adopting the characteristics of a strong academic writer as you synthesize from various sources:<\/span>\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. Writers respond to what others have said about their topic.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Writers state the value of their work and announce their plan for their papers.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Writers acknowledge that others might disagree with the position they have taken.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Writers adopt a voice of authority.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Writers use academic and discipline-specific vocabulary.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  6. Writers emphasize evidence, often in tables, graphs, and images. (348)<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nLet's return to the example of Marvin, who is working on his research assignment. Marvin already learned from the online professor that he should spend time walking<\/em> (knowing where to find them) and talking<\/em> (knowing who is conversing about them and what they are saying) with sources. Now\u00a0Marvin will learn the importance of cooking<\/em> with his sources, or creating the right recipe for an excellent paper.\r\n
    \r\n

    Cooking With Your Sources<\/h3>\r\n

    O-Prof: Let's take a look at the third metaphor: cooking. <\/i>When you cook <\/i>with sources, you process them in new ways. Cooking, like writing, involves a lot of decisions. For instance, you might decide to combine ingredients in a way that keeps the full flavor and character of each ingredient.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

    Marvin: Kind of like chili cheese fries? I can taste the flavor of the chili, the cheese, and the fries separately.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

    O-Prof: Yes. But other food preparation processes can change the character of the various ingredients. You probably wouldn\u2019t enjoy gobbling down a stick of butter, two raw eggs, a cup of flour, or a cup of sugar (well, maybe the sugar!). But if you mix these ingredients and expose them to a 375-degree temperature, chemical reactions transform them into something good to eat, like a cake.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

    Marvin reaches into his backpack and pulls out a snack.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\r\n

    Marvin: You\u2019re making me hungry. But what do chili cheese fries and cakes have to do with writing?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

    O-Prof: Sometimes, you might use verbatim quotations from your sources, as if you were throwing walnuts whole into a salad. The reader will definitely \u201ctaste\u201d your original source. Other times, you might paraphrase ideas and combine them into an intricate argument. The flavor of the original source might be more subtle in the latter case, with only your source documentation indicating where your ideas came from. In some ways, the writing assignments your professors give you are like recipes. As an apprentice writing cook, <\/i>you should <\/span>analyze your assignments to determine what \u201cingredients\u201d (sources) to use, what \u201ccooking processes\u201d to follow, and what the final \u201cdish\u201d (paper) should look like. Let\u2019s try a few sample assignments. Here\u2019s one:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

    Assignment 1: Critique <\/b>(given in a human development course)<\/span><\/p>\r\n

    We\u2019ve read and studied Freud\u2019s theory of how the human psyche develops; now it\u2019s time to evaluate the theory. Read at least two articles that critique Freud\u2019s theory, chosen from the list I provided in class. Then, write an essay discussing the strengths and weaknesses of Freud\u2019s theory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

    Assume you\u2019re a student in this course. Given this assignment, how would you describe the required ingredients, processes, and product?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

    Marvin thinks for a minute, while chewing and swallowing a mouthful of apple.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\r\n

    Marvin: Let\u2019s see if I can break it down:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

    Ingredients<\/b><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n