Hm 418 harris ch05 ppt

1. Chapter Five
Literature Synthesis
and Organizational
Alignment to Project
Interventions and
Implementations

2. Introduction
• Essential component of translating evidence
into practice and designing quality
improvement projects
• Synthesizing and organizing relevant literature
to align with project objectives and
implementation plan
• Webster’s definition of synthesis
• Ultimate result: Development of new, higher
level of knowledge regarding a subject of
interest

3. Introduction—cont’d
• Individual synthesis
• Skill of synthesis thinking and writing
• Essential to the development of new ideas
• Basis of quality improvement projects
• Addresses a gap in evidence or clinical practice

4. Literature Synthesis and Best
Available Evidence
• Primary aspect of literature synthesis
• Begins with supporting evidence
• Search and appraisal of all available evidence
• Identify limits of knowledge
• Establish reliable knowledge base
• Highlight opportunities for the new project

5. Literature Synthesis and Best
Available Evidence—cont’d
• Different ways to conceptualize translation
processes
• Clear, comprehensive review of literature
• Based in synthesis writing
• Drew University’s description of the process

6. Literature Synthesis and Best
Available Evidence—cont’d
• Integration of themes or ideas from
literature into thinking/writing to create a
new, unique outcome
• Dependent on analysis of concepts,
classifications, and categorizations
• Brings disparate ideas and concepts into a new,
meaningful structure

7. Literature Synthesis and Best
Available Evidence—cont’d
• “Explanatory” synthesis
• Objective descriptive without presenting a
position or opinion
• “Argumentative” synthesis
• Providing justification for a selection of a
position
• More suitable for quality improvement or
innovation projects

8. Literature Synthesis and Best
Available Evidence—cont’d
• Formatting
• One-sentence thesis statement
• Reflects synthesis of supporting literature while
identifying the innovation or improvement
• Remainder composed of paragraphs
• Provide detail from the literature and other evidence
• Blends reference material
• Linked to key elements or subtopics

9. Literature Synthesis and Best
Available Evidence—cont’d
• Formatting—cont’d
• Conclusion
• Addresses “so what” and links back to thesis
• Characteristics of synthesis writing
• Accurate and organized
• Helps the reader make sense of information and
available data

10. Literature Synthesis and Best
Available Evidence—cont’d
• Writer must:
• Locate all studies
• Create a clear path fully supported by existing
evidence
• Produce a coherent assessment of the subject
• Ultimate goal of synthesis writing

11. Organization of Evidence
• Guiding principle
• Your project as the only logical conclusion
• Strategies for synthesis writing
• Synthesize eLecture
• Lippincott’s Nursing Center.com
• University writing centers

12. Organization of Evidence—cont’d
• Thesis statement template
• Development of outlines
• Effective manner of organization
• Effective guide to writing the literature review
• Based on primary topics
• More effective after use of synthesis matrix

13. Aligning Evidence with Project
Interventions and Implementations
• Requires writer to be knowledgeable of both
subject matter and all aspects of the project
• Should locate all available resources published
and unpublished
• Appraise quality and relevance of evidence
• Include negative and contradictory evidence

14. Aligning Evidence with Project
Interventions and
Implementations—cont’d
• Scope of evidence
• Research findings
• Current clinical practices
• Strategies from prior projects
• Personal experiences
• Alignment of evidence to highlight a “gap” in
the knowledge base

15. Aligning Evidence with Project
Interventions and
Implementations—cont’d
• Synthesis
• Combining ideas into a new or unique product
or plan
• Presents a solution to a previously unanswered
problem
• “Straightforward and systematic” path from
new idea to integration to practice
• Typical action verbs associated with
synthesis thinking

16. Tools, Guidelines, and Techniques
for Literature Synthesis and Project
Alignment
• Cognitive mapping
• Means through which people process with
environment, solve problems, and use memory
• Used to help learners connect new information
with that previously learned
• Useful for writers trying to express a disparate
data set
• Diagram topics and subtopics prior to writing

17. Synthesis Matrix
• Sample chart from ncsu.edu
• Possible need to modify the matrix
• Matrix as guide for writing
• Gaps in completed matrix
• May guide thinking about what is and isn’t
known about the topic
• Visible patterns of information

18. Summary
• This chapter discusses a literature synthesis,
methods of organizing the evidence,
purposeful synthesis writing, and aligning
evidence with the project interventions and
implementation.
• Tools, guidelines, and techniques to assist
the writer are provided to provide a new
perspective and interpretation of the
evidence surrounding their project.