Synthesize ideas from multiple sources
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Learning Objectives
- 1Identify the main idea contributed by each of two or more sources on the same topic
- 2Combine ideas from different sources into a single unified statement
- 3Distinguish between summarizing one source and synthesizing across sources
- 4Write a synthesis paragraph that weaves evidence from at least two sources
Mini Lesson
When you read two or more sources on the same topic, you can do more than summarize each one separately. You can synthesize — weave the ideas together into a single, richer understanding. Synthesis is the skill of taking what Source A says and what Source B adds, finding where they agree or differ, and forming a new unified insight of your own.
Summary vs synthesis
- A summary retells what one source says — it stays inside that single text.
- A synthesis draws ideas from two or more sources and connects them to make a new point.
- Synthesis requires you to identify agreements, contradictions, and gaps between sources.
- A strong synthesis shows your own thinking, not just a list of what each source said.
The synthesis process step by step
- Read Source A and note its main claim and key evidence.
- Read Source B and note its main claim and key evidence.
- Ask: where do the sources agree? Where do they differ?
- Identify what the two sources together tell you that neither tells you alone.
- Write a synthesis statement that names both contributions and draws a conclusion.
Source A: An article states that Arctic sea ice is shrinking by 13% per decade. Source B: A documentary explains that melting ice releases methane, a greenhouse gas that accelerates warming.
How would you synthesize these two sources into a single statement?
The synthesis does not just retell each source. It connects their ideas — shrinking ice and methane release — into a new insight about a feedback loop that neither source stated on its own.
Use signal phrases to show synthesis: "Source A argues ... while Source B suggests ..."; "Both sources agree that ..."; "Although Source A focuses on ... Source B extends this by ..."
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