Synthesizing Sources
Things to remember when writing a synthesis essay:
- Do not reject sources that oppose your position or seem irrelevant to it. These sources could be used as a counterargument that you concede and refute. - Kepo an open mind so that your thesis shows you understand the complexity of the subject.
What should you do when choosing sources?
- Make sure they are reliable - Be aware of a possible bias - Look for a range of viewpoints in dialogue with one another
What is an informed opinion?
A measured response that considers multiple perspectives and possibilities.
When it comes to sources and documentation.......
A writer must analyze the rhetorical situation in order to determine what is appropriate.
How do you enter society's conversation?
By carefully reading and understanding the perspectives and ideas surrounding an issue, examining your own ideas on the matter, and then synthesizing these views into a more informed position than the one you began with.
Sources should.......
Enhance, not replace, your argument
What is synthesis all about?
Entering the conversation that society is having about a topic.
Explain "Sea Biscuit" by Laura Hillenbrand.
Hillenbrand includes sources at the end of her book. She acknowledges that she turned to authorities—sources—to deepen and supplement her own knowledge about the mechanics and physics of how a racehorse and jockey move as one entity.
What do sources do?
Inform your own ideas and demonstrate your understanding of opposing views.
Explain "Words Don't Mean What They Mean" by Steven Pinker.
Main Idea: People don't say what they mean; they craft their words carefully so as not to upset the listener. Every sentence conveys a message and continues to negotiate a relationship. Pinker uses playful terms and no formal sources because his goal in this brief article for the general reader is to inform and keep moving.
Explain "The Stuff of Thought" by Steven Pinker.
Main Idea: Politeness refers to the countless adjustments that speakers make to avoid putting their listeners off. People have 2 faces—positive face (desire to be approved) and negative face (the desire to be unimpeded or autonomous). Pinker feel comfortable introducing terminology common to research in linguistics, tracing the origins of concepts back to their academic origins, and formally citing his sources using extensive endnotes because he recognizes that the audience of the book has some sort of interest in the topic—they have chosen to read a whole book about it.
Explain "The Evolutionary Social Psychology of Off-Record Indirect Speech Acts" by Steven Pinker.
Main Idea: people worry about maintains a face: a positive face (desire to be approved) and a negative face (the desire to be unimpeded or autonomous). Most kinds of speech pose a threat to the face of the hearer. After conveying requests and complaints, things can be amended with politeness. Pinker choose scholarly works as sources and documents them in a style that emphasizes them (embeds them throughout the test for direct reference; detailed works cited page) because he knows the academic audience of researchers and scholars bring a good deal of prior knowledge to the text. Pinker's arrangement of sources will make readers think he is more authoritative.
Those who are adept at synthesis will be what? Why?
The leading thinkers in our so-called information age. With the ability to take in a variety of information, evaluate it, and craft meaning from it to understand the modern works, "synthesizers" will be on the cutting edge.
What does it mean to approach reading critically?
To ask questions, look for flaws in logic, and assess the evidence
What is the goal in a synthesis?
To use sources to support and illustrate your own ideas and to establish your credibility as a reasonable and informed writer.
What is the process of writing a synthesis essay?
Understanding the task, analyzing a series of readings, and writing an argument using them as sources.
Why does Elbow say the "doubting game" is bad?
We may miss opportunities to fully understand an idea, especially one we disagree with.
What is synthesis in general?
When you approach a concept with several possibilities or perspectives in mind, analyze each one, reflect on them, and arrive at a new way of seeing (or more informed).
Explain "A Level Playing Field" by Gerald L. Early.
Early uses sources to illustrate Jackie Robinson's character and responses to discrimination. He is usually remembered as remaining poised and level-headed when met with hostility, but for most of his career he was an aggressive, tough athlete who stood up against unfairness on the field.
Explain what Peter Elbow said about the "believing game".
It is "the disciplined practice of trying to be as welcoming as possible to every idea—not just listening to views different from our own and holding back from arguing with them, but actually trying to believe them." This practice allows us to find virtue in ideas that seem to contradict our own beliefs and recognize flaws in our own thinking.
Explain what Peter Elbow said about the "doubting game"
It is the "disciplined practice of trying to be a skeptical and analytic as possible with every idea we encounter. We honor this practice because it helps us discover contradictions, poor reasoning, and other problems that may seem appealing on a surface level.
What must you do when analyzing sources?
Suspend your judgement
What is the process of developing an informed opinion?
Synthesis