Synthesis Part II

Developing and Organizing Support for Your

Arguments

Provide Evidence in the Form of Facts, Statistics and Expert Opinion

Summarize Paraphrase Quote Make sure to adopt a documentation style

that is standard in your field. If you don’t know or have a style that is common, use MLA documentation style for this course.

Appeal to Both Reason and Emotions

Engage the Reader Emotionally by Appealing to Self Interest

Erotomania can be defined as a psychological disorder in which the afflicted relentlessly pursues the notion that the object of his/her affection reciprocates his/her romantic feelings and/or fantasies. Strangely the erotomaniac fails altogether to see the victim's lack of interest.

Use Climatic Order

Make your strongest point last and the second most memorable point first.

Use Logical or Conventional Order

Problem/Solution Two sides of a controversy Comparison-and-contrast Following the conventions of the discipline

(lab reports, business plans and so forth)

Present and Respond to Counterarguments

Introduction and claim Main opposing

argument Refutation of opposing

argument Main positive argument

Use Concession

Introduction and claim Important opposing

argument Concession of opposing

argument validity Positive arguments

The Comparison and Contrast Synthesis

Compare: look for similarities

Contrast: look for differences

Discover the significant criteria for analysis

q

How do you develop a comparison and contrast synthesis?

Organizing by Source or Subject

First, summarize each of your sources or subjects

Next, discuss the significant similarities and differences between them

Organization by Source Will Look Like This:

1. Introduce the paper; lead to thesis

2. Summarize the source of Subject A by discussing its significant features.

3. Summarize the source of Subject B by discussing its significant features.

4. Write a paragraph where you discuss the significant points of comparison and contrast between sources or subjects A & B

5. End with a conclusion where you summarize your points and raise pertinent questions

Organization by Criteria

1. Introduce the paper and lead to the thesis

2. Criterion 1: Discuss what author one says and discuss what author two says as a comparison and contrast or present what author one says and present author two in light of the first author’s opinion and present differences

3. Criterion 2 and so forth, repeat the above step.

4. End by summarizing key points and raising key pertinent questions

Avoid the “So What” or “Why did I bother reading this” ending

Conclusions should be meaningful to your reader.

Comparison and contrast is not an ends to itself

Raise pertinent questions

Avoid Common Fallacies

The Explanatory Synthesis: Help Readers Understand a Topic

Divide a Component into Its Parts and Present Them to a Reader

Description that recreates an event, place, emotion or state of affairs

Appear to be reasonably objective in manner

Emphasizes the sources themselves and not the writer’s opinions

Goal is to inform and not to persuade

Exercise

Brainstorm of list of topics for the synthesis essay. Locate two sources of information for your essay. What type of synthesis will you develop? Explanatory or

Argument? Explain your purpose? What is the “so what” factor that will conclude your

essay? How will you organize your material? Post your answers in the form of an entry on your blog.