C2 Lesson 1: Critical Synthesis from Multiple Sources
Welcome to our C2 series on advanced academic skills. You have mastered summarizing and paraphrasing individual texts. The highest level of this skill is synthesis1: the ability to combine ideas from multiple sources to create your own new, original argument.
This is the central skill used in university essays, literature reviews, and research reports.
Summary vs. Synthesis: A Crucial Distinction
A summary reports on sources one by one. A synthesis weaves them together to support a new idea.
| Summarizing (Reporting) | Synthesizing (Creating a new argument) |
|---|---|
| Source A argues that X is true. Source B argues that Y is true. | While Source A provides evidence for X, Source B's argument for Y suggests that the issue is more complex. |
| Shows you understand the sources. | Shows you can think critically *about* the sources and see the relationships between them. |
The Process of Critical Synthesis
To synthesize effectively, you must become an active participant in the conversation between your sources.
A 4-Step Method
- Analyze Sources: Read each source and identify its main argument and key evidence.
- Find Connections: Ask questions. Do the sources agree or disagree? Does one provide a cause while the other provides an effect? Does one give a specific example of another's general theory?
- Formulate Your Own Thesis: Based on these connections, what new, original point can you make? Your thesis will be the topic sentence of your synthesized paragraph.
- Draft and Integrate: Write your topic sentence first. Then, weave in the paraphrased ideas from your sources to support *your* point, explaining the connections as you go.
Synthesis in Action
Let's synthesize information from two sources about remote work.
Source A: A 2023 Stanford University study found that employees working from home were 13% more productive on individual tasks than their office-based colleagues.
Source B: Sociologist Dr. Anna Jones argues that while individual productivity might rise, remote work can harm long-term team innovation, which relies on spontaneous, informal collaboration.
Deconstructed Synthesized Paragraph:
(Your Topic Sentence) → While remote work appears to boost individual productivity, its long-term impact on a company's collaborative innovation may be a significant concern.
(Integrating Source A) → A recent Stanford study, for example, demonstrated a notable increase in output for individual tasks among employees working from home.
(Integrating Source B + Showing Relationship) → However, as sociologist Dr. Anna Jones points out, this data on individual work may not account for the loss of the spontaneous collaboration that drives team-based innovation.
(Your Concluding Thought) → Therefore, companies must carefully balance the appeal of remote work's flexibility with the critical need for creative, in-person teamwork.
C2 Synthesis Checklist
- ✔️ Does my paragraph begin with my own topic sentence, not an idea taken directly from a source?
- ✔️ Have I combined ideas from more than one source to support my point?
- ✔️ Have I used transition words or phrases to show the relationship between the sources (e.g., "However," "Similarly," "This supports...")?
- ✔️ Is all information from the sources accurately paraphrased and cited?
Practice Quiz: Summary or Synthesis?
Read the paragraph below. Is it an example of summary or synthesis?
Paragraph: "A 2022 report by the Ministry of Environment highlights the increasing threat of plastic pollution to Cambodia's rivers. It notes that major urban centers are the primary source of the pollution. In a separate article, urban planner Dr. Chea argues that a lack of public waste management infrastructure is the main cause of the problem."
Answer: Summary. The paragraph reports what Source A says and then reports what Source B says. It does not connect or combine their ideas to create a new point.
Homework: Write a Synthesized Paragraph
Your homework is to practice the skill of critical synthesis.
Source A: "A government health report states that daily sugar consumption in Cambodia has risen by 25% over the past decade, linking it to a rise in diseases like diabetes."
Source B: "A survey by the Cambodian Food Producers Association shows that young people are increasingly choosing convenient, pre-packaged snacks and sugary drinks over traditional Khmer snacks."
Your Task: Write one cohesive paragraph that synthesizes the information from both sources. Your paragraph must:
- Start with your own topic sentence that makes a new point.
- Integrate paraphrased ideas from both Source A and Source B to support your point.
- Show the logical connection between the two sources.
Vocabulary Glossary
- Synthesis: (Noun) - Khmer: សំយោគ - The process of combining ideas from multiple sources to create a new, more complex understanding or argument. ↩
- Criticality: (Noun) - The practice of engaging in objective analysis and deep evaluation of ideas and arguments. ↩
- To integrate: (Verb) - Khmer: បញ្ចូលគ្នា - To combine two or more things to create a more effective, coherent whole. ↩
- Source: (Noun) - Khmer: ប្រភព - A text, person, or other resource that provides information for your research. ↩
- To paraphrase: (Verb) - Khmer: បកស្រាយ - To restate an idea from a source using your own words and sentence structure.