1. Synthesizing Sources

2. We want to avoid this. How?
A professor’s complaint . . .

3. Synthesizing Sources
Assume your audience hasn’t read the articles
you’re reading BUT
Realize you only have a short space to explain
the arguments to them AND
Organize paragraphs to give a general idea of
the argument

4. Writing Argumentative Paragraphs
• All argumentative paragraphs should have:
– An introduction
– A body
– A conclusion
• The introduction should be about a sentence (maybe
two)
• The body should be about 7-8 sentences
• The conclusion should be about a sentence or two
• At no point should a paragraph be shorter than six
sentences or longer than twelve.

5. Paragraphs need to be ordered
• A paragraph needs to have an entrance and an
exit.
• The introduction is your entrance, and it
should transition from the previous
paragraph.
• The conclusion is your exit, and it should tie
together the paragraph and prepare the
reader for the next one.

6. Paragraphs need to be coherent
• Paragraphs need to be ordered around points.
• In your introduction, you can set up one or
two points that you are going to discuss.
• The best way to think about the introduction
is as a “claim.”
• A solid claim sets up the structure of the
paragraph. Every sentence needs to refer back
to it in some way.

7. Claim
• A claim should be exploratory and not
explanatory.
• Here is a bad claim: “Some people accuse
Lebron James of being selfish.”
• Here is another bad claim: “In Measure of a
Champion by Phil Taylor, . . .”
• Here is a better claim: “While some see
Lebron as being selfish, others see him as
being driven by greatness.”

8. Don’t just write a claim that introduces one
piece of research or states a quote.
That is the sign of a “C” (or lower) paper.

9. Introducing Outside Sources
See pp. 19 – the end of the course packet

10. Overarching principles
• Research should be introduced, explained,
and justified.
– For any piece of research, you need to explain:
• Who it is
• Why it’s important
• Why it’s essential to your argument
– There’s some exceptions, but they’re rare.

13. Don’t
• Just list facts
• Just describe research
• Just include quotes because you have to
• Use weak verbs

14. Bad Research Papers
Are full of long and lengthy quotes OR
Have research introduced with no rhyme or reason.

15. Bad Research Papers
• Just introduce a bunch of facts
• Try to fulfill the assignment by summarizing a
bunch of sources
• Have poorly chosen research that doesn’t
apply to the overall topic.
• Spend all the time explaining what research
says rather than making an argument.

16. Avoid . . .
Overdescribing one source.
Use your paragraphs to introduce at least two
pieces of information and research.

17. Especially Avoid
• According to Influences on Community College Students’ Educational Plan, authors found that
students entering community colleges with plans to obtain a bachelor’s degree were
between 20%-60% more likely to lower their plans below a bachelor’s degree
• In Kartz’s article The role of personal responsibility in health and weight control he makes a
point that today’s generation has a lack of personal responsibility
• In the journal article, Virtuous Cuts: Female Genital Circumcision in an African Ontology,
written by Rogaia Mustafa Abusharaf, there is an emphasis on the primitive characteristics of
female circumcision when he states “It became a conclusive validation of the view of the
primitiveness of Arabs, Muslims and Africans, all in one blow.”
Do not quote entire titles, especially if the title is
long and wordy. This means nothing to your
reader. Instead . . .

18. • According to Influences on Community
College Students’ Educational Plan,
authors found that students entering
community colleges with plans to
obtain a bachelor’s degree were
between 20%-60% more likely to
lower their plans below a bachelor’s
degree
• In Kartz’s article The role of personal
responsibility in health and weight
control he makes a point that today’s
generation has a lack of personal
responsibility
• In the journal article, Virtuous Cuts:
Female Genital Circumcision in an
African Ontology, written by Rogaia
Mustafa Abusharaf, there is an
emphasis on the primitive
characteristics of female circumcision
when he states “It became a
conclusive validation of the view of
the primitiveness of Arabs, Muslims
and Africans, all in one blow.”
• In a recent study, authors
found that students
entering . . .
• In article about health and
personal responsibility,
David Kartz argues that
today’s generation has a
lack of personal
responsibility.
• In a journal dedicated to
African Medical Issues,
Rogaia Mustafa Abusharaf
shows there is an emphasis
on the primitive . . .

19. • In a recent study, authors
found that students
entering . . .
• Journalist David Kartz
argues that today’s
generation has a lack of
personal responsibility.
• In a journal dedicated to
African Medical Issues,
Rogaia Mustafa Abusharaf
shows there is an emphasis
on the primitive . . .
Give information to your
reader that will explain
what kind of source it is,
rather than who the
author is (who your
reader has likely heard
of)

20. Bad Research Papers

21. Bad Research Papers

22. Do: Use Strong Verbs

23. Do: Introduce Authors as Authorities
• Using research enhances your ethos
– You are showing that you understand the issue
beyond merely the most basic level.
• Using research enhances your logos
– You are showing that there are facts and statistics
and scholarship that backs you up.
• Using research enhances your exigence
– You are showing that different authorities,
scholars, and writers think your topic is important.

24. Do: Introduce authors as authorities
According to a study done by the department of
Environmental Sciences and Engineering at
the University of North Carolina, these filters
are extremely efficient because they require a
“one-time purchase” and remained effective
“long after implementation.”
Notice that this paragraph summarizes
the information about the study.

25. Explain briefly who your authorities are
• A recent interview with Brad Scioli, a five year NFL player
who retired in 2004 due to concussion-related injuries,
sheds light on this mentality.
• Kristen Kreibich-Staruch, a Chrysler safety employee,
states “We had the father of a 16 year-old girl who’d had
her license for three months and already had been in two
crashes, and he still didn’t think she was a bad driver”
Use that explanation to show what type
of authority they are. This matters.

26. Claim: Synthesis
• A claim should not merely set up a summary
of an individual article.
– Since you are writing a synthesis, you goal is to
bring together several different viewpoints.
– You should think of these as categories.

27. Paragraphs
• Paragraphs should address more than one
article.
• Each paragraph should make a specific point,
not merely summarize one piece of research.
• Each paragraph should be organized around
research, not just list research or explain what
one article says.

28. The first steps being taken in the fight against alcohol
abuse in minors was a ban initiated at Virginia Tech
University schools newspaper. In an article from the
Collegiate Time-Virginia Tech an unknown author
notes “… a link between alcohol advertisement
restrictions and reduced college binge drinking has
occurred.” The author states that due to the
correlation that has been found between ads and
binge drinking “papers could not print ads for beer
wine or mixed beverage unless the ads are in
reference‟ to dining.” The ban was taken to court and
fought claiming it went against the first
commandment. The opposing party stated that it’s the
responsibility of the student to not succumb to small
ads noted in the paper. It is important to note that the
author states that the correlation of ads and alcoholic
influence was sufficient for the ban in this case
because the publication primarily targeted college
student. This example has been used in countless
counterarguments stating that bans of marketing only
apply under certain conditions. The ban itself was
surprising to many individuals but in no way did it
determine that ads are primarily to blame for drinking
nationwide.

29. The first steps being taken in the fight against alcohol
abuse in minors was a ban initiated at Virginia Tech
University schools newspaper. In an article from the
Collegiate Time-Virginia Tech an unknown author
notes “… a link between alcohol advertisement
restrictions and reduced college binge drinking has
occurred.” The author states that due to the
correlation that has been found between ads and
binge drinking “papers could not print ads for beer
wine or mixed beverage unless the ads are in
reference‟ to dining.” The ban was taken to court and
fought claiming it went against the first
commandment. The opposing party stated that it’s the
responsibility of the student to not succumb to small
ads noted in the paper. It is important to note that the
author states that the correlation of ads and alcoholic
influence was sufficient for the ban in this case
because the publication primarily targeted college
student. This example has been used in countless
counterarguments stating that bans of marketing only
apply under certain conditions. The ban itself was
surprising to many individuals but in no way did it
determine that ads are primarily to blame for drinking
nationwide.
The first sentence only sets up one piece
of evidence.
The whole paragraph only summarizes one
piece of evidence.
The evidence doesn’t really work as a part
of a larger point.
The research isn’t really persuasive (a
college newspaper? What does it
prove), so it seems like the author is
just including it because he/she has
to.

30. A weak paragraph
• The organic market has seen its ups and downs
over the past couple of years. In most countries
the organic sales were dropping until this current
year of 2013. In the UK and Britain they began to
see a decline in the organic market in the early
2000s. The author Rob Johnston reports that “less
than 1 percent of the food sold in Britain is
organic.” It seems that decline didn’t stop sliding
over the next five years. According to the Author
Joseph Mercola who quoted The Guardian states
“Sales of organic products have been falling since
the credit crunch first bit in late 2008”. However,
the news started to spread of the new found
benefits of organic products and the outcome was
substantial to the organic market. According to
the author Henry Miller the organic market
started to rise, in 2013 “the global market for
organic food alone now reportedly” exceeds “60
billion annually.” This new found rise in the
organic market may be the result of news
stations, and magazine companies advertising
organic foods.

31. A weak paragraph
• The organic market has seen its ups and downs over
the past couple of years. In most countries the organic
sales were dropping until this current year of 2013. In
the UK and Britain they began to see a decline in the
organic market in the early 2000s. The author Rob
Johnston reports that “less than 1 percent of the food
sold in Britain is organic.” It seems that decline didn’t
stop sliding over the next five years. According to the
Author Joseph Mercola who quoted The Guardian
states “Sales of organic products have been falling
since the credit crunch first bit in late 2008”. However,
the news started to spread of the new found benefits
of organic products and the outcome was substantial
to the organic market. According to the author Henry
Miller the organic market started to rise, in 2013 “the
global market for organic food alone now reportedly”
exceeds “60 billion annually.” This new found rise in
the organic market may be the result of news stations,
and magazine companies advertising organic foods.
• This paragraph has a broad
claim (“ups and downs”)
• Its evidence is not
presented in an interesting
way.
• None of the authors are
clearly introduced.
• There is no analysis, so
nothing is really done with
all this information that is
presented.

32. While experts agree on the necessity of clean water, many
disagree on how best to provide communities with safe
water. One of the many proposed solutions is the
transportation of bulk water. In the past, water was
shipped by “converted vegetable oil tankers” (Shipping
Bulk Water), but this method is inefficient in comparison
to newer methods. Transporting water by barge is more
cost effective than by tankers, yet even more efficient are
bladders. Bladders carry water in “cigar-shaped bags”
“made of thick polyurethane material.” These are dragged
to their destination where they remain offshore and
provide water by acting as temporary reservoirs (Shipping
Bulk water). While this may be a viable course of action
for countries that border bodies of water, for inland
regions, boiling water is often a recommended course of
action to purify it. Boiling water is an easy way to “provide
safe household drinking water” especially in the
prevention of diarrheal diseases (Gilman). According to
the Washington State Department of Health, “boiling is
the safest way to purify water” and water should be
boiled for at least one minute to ensure that it is purified.
A problem with this approach is that it may not be
efficient enough for a family to keep up with fuel costs.
Since economic means is an issue with providing enough
resources and fuel to purify water, more research has
been done in the areas of using renewable energy to drive
water purification.
A strong
paragraph

33. While experts agree on the necessity of clean water, many
disagree on how best to provide communities with safe
water. One of the many proposed solutions is the
transportation of bulk water. In the past, water was
shipped by “converted vegetable oil tankers” (Shipping
Bulk Water), but this method is inefficient in comparison
to newer methods. Transporting water by barge is more
cost effective than by tankers, yet even more efficient are
bladders. Bladders carry water in “cigar-shaped bags”
“made of thick polyurethane material.” These are dragged
to their destination where they remain offshore and
provide water by acting as temporary reservoirs (Shipping
Bulk water). While this may be a viable course of action
for countries that border bodies of water, for inland
regions, boiling water is often a recommended course of
action to purify it. Boiling water is an easy way to “provide
safe household drinking water” especially in the
prevention of diarrheal diseases (Gilman). According to
the Washington State Department of Health, “boiling is
the safest way to purify water” and water should be
boiled for at least one minute to ensure that it is purified.
A problem with this approach is that it may not be
efficient enough for a family to keep up with fuel costs.
Since economic means is an issue with providing enough
resources and fuel to purify water, more research has
been done in the areas of using renewable energy to drive
water purification.
The Claim sets up two points of view that
the paragraph examines.
Here is one way to provide communities
with safe water, backed up by
evidence.
Here is another way to provide
communities with safe water, backed
up by evidence.

34. Besides preparing students for 21st century jobs,
other professors and experts within the
education industry choose to focus on the
benefits that teachers and students receive as
part of the one-to-one computing initiative. As
Jason Johnson stated, “students have taken
control of their own education,” thereby
benefiting the teachers, but ultimately
themselves (p. 73). He further states that “a
computer provides a platform for children to
teach themselves and instill a personal
commitment to lifelong learning” (p. 72). Sue
Stidham further conveys the significant impact
that this initiative has had on students and
teachers by stating that the quality of
homework has improved. She feels that
students are using their time more wisely and
“ten minutes here and there” results in a higher
quality of work (p. 54). Both Stidham and James
provide valuable insight with regard to how
much the one-to-one computing initiative can
benefit both teachers and students. Making a
commitment to lifelong learning and learning
the importance of the quality of work at an
early age are also essential skills for the 21st
century business world.
A strong
paragraph

35. Besides preparing students for 21st century jobs,
other professors and experts within the
education industry choose to focus on the
benefits that teachers and students receive as
part of the one-to-one computing initiative. As
Jason Johnson stated, “students have taken
control of their own education,” thereby
benefiting the teachers, but ultimately
themselves (p. 73). He further states that “a
computer provides a platform for children to
teach themselves and instill a personal
commitment to lifelong learning” (p. 72). Sue
Stidham further conveys the significant impact
that this initiative has had on students and
teachers by stating that the quality of
homework has improved. She feels that
students are using their time more wisely and
“ten minutes here and there” results in a higher
quality of work (p. 54). Both Stidham and James
provide valuable insight with regard to how
much the one-to-one computing initiative can
benefit both teachers and students. Making a
commitment to lifelong learning and learning
the importance of the quality of work at an
early age are also essential skills for the 21st
century business world.
The Claim sets up an overall argument
that the rest of the paragraph follows
through.
Here is one piece of research that expands
on that point.
Here is another piece of research that
expands on that point.
Here is analysis that brings them together.

36. • The new teen obsession with an array of social networking
sites created the problem of cyber bullying. In a recent survey
Bulent Dilmac defines a cyber-bully as a person who
“facilitates deliberate and repeated harassment or threat to
another” (2).Dilmac goes on to discuss the differences
between traditional bullying and cyber bullying by claiming
that cyber bullies can be anonymous and can target any and
all students. Catherine Dwyer, a professor at Pace University,
discusses the issues of privacy and trust on social networking
sites. Dwyer argues that because the Internet keeps a record
of everything, people chose more carefully what to display to
the public. Yet they cannot control what another person might
post on their profile (4).Sarah Zay, a journalist for USA Today,
writes about what she describes as a “wall” that the Internet
creates for bullies to hide behind. This wall allows bullies to
attack without consequences because no one can see the
effect of the harmful words. The new increase in social
networks has not only changed the ways that people
communicate, but it has changed the ways that people insult
by providing a faceless means to attack another person. The
more information that a person displays on their profile, the
more ammunition the bully can obtain in order to fire their
insults. And because the Internet is less personal, the bullies
feel that they can be more vicious without any punishment. It
has now become easier to insult someone because you don’t
have to attack in person and you can use their own
information that they post against them. But does this
negative aspect really outweigh the advantages of social
networking?
A strong
paragraph

37. • The new teen obsession with an array of social networking
sites created the problem of cyber bullying. In a recent survey
Bulent Dilmac defines a cyber-bully as a person who
“facilitates deliberate and repeated harassment or threat to
another” (2).Dilmac goes on to discuss the differences
between traditional bullying and cyber bullying by claiming
that cyber bullies can be anonymous and can target any and
all students. Catherine Dwyer, a professor at Pace University,
discusses the issues of privacy and trust on social networking
sites. Dwyer argues that because the Internet keeps a record
of everything, people chose more carefully what to display to
the public. Yet they cannot control what another person might
post on their profile (4).Sarah Zay, a journalist for USA Today,
writes about what she describes as a “wall” that the Internet
creates for bullies to hide behind. This wall allows bullies to
attack without consequences because no one can see the
effect of the harmful words. The new increase in social
networks has not only changed the ways that people
communicate, but it has changed the ways that people insult
by providing a faceless means to attack another person. The
more information that a person displays on their profile, the
more ammunition the bully can obtain in order to fire their
insults. And because the Internet is less personal, the bullies
feel that they can be more vicious without any punishment. It
has now become easier to insult someone because you don’t
have to attack in person and you can use their own
information that they post against them. But does this
negative aspect really outweigh the advantages of social
networking?
The Claim defines the issue: Cyber-
bullying.
Here is one author who clarifies what
cyber-bullying is.
Here is another author who defines what
Cyberbullying is.
Followed by some analysis that asks
questions about the rest of the paper.