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Synthesis
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What is Synthesis Essays (Examples)?

A synthesis essay is a very specific type of research paper, where you are asked to draw upon specific sources to support your thesis.  These sources are generally ones that have been assigned as reading for a class or that relate to reading and lectures from your class.  The synthesis referred to in the title is the ability to connect these sources to each other to support a unifying theme or idea in your paper.

There are two main types of synthesis essays: argumentative and explanatory.  An explanatory synthesis essay helps the reader better understand an idea and is similar to an expository essay.  An argumentative synthesis essay uses information gained from the various sources to support an argument.  In your introduction, you will make it clear whether you are writing an explanatory or argumentative essay.  This is usually done via your thesis statement, which provides a very brief explanation of the goal of your essay.

Because a synthesis draws upon your knowledge of sources, you can expect part of the body of your synthesis to focus on summarizing your sources.  Depending on the nature of the essay, you may be summarizing the entire source or simply summarizing one or more of the ideas contained in the source. 

In the body of your synthesis essay, you are also going to carry out the goals you outlined in your introduction.  For an explanatory essay, you will develop the relationship between the sources and show how they work together to explain your topic.  In an argumentative essay, you will focus more on developing the relationship between the ideas expressed in your sources and how, when put together, those ideas support your thesis statement.

The conclusion of your synthesis essay will restate your thesis and then highlight how you have supported that thesis.  If you are still confused about the structure of a synthesis essay, we suggest looking through our free example essays for more guidance.

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Essay Undergraduate
Green Tea and Obesity: Can Camellia Sinensis Aid Weight Loss?
A long range of studies have concluded that green tea has obesity-reducing effects. Chung-Hua et al (2008) however concluded otherwise indicating no effect through their double blind controlled study on 100 obese women. Nonetheless, most studies seem to show an impact. Properties of green tea that may be responsible for this FAS-inhibiting outcome have been variously said to be the (?)-CG (catechin gallate) that is a compound of the GTE (green tea extract). If green tea does indeed have this affect that would be a huge discovery. Further studies however need to be conducted in order to verify this hypothesis. These studies need to be experimental in the fullest sense conducted also on large samples of people within a sufficiently large enough period of time and on participants who have received no other weight-control. With these and other controls implemented, we can further test the theory of whether or not green tea has a preventive effect in controlling obesity.
Research Paper Doctorate
Tocqueville's Idea of Right: Virtue, Justice, and Democracy
¶ … right' in the light of Alexis De Tocqueville's book, Democracy in America. The paper further expands on the idea of right as presented by other thinkers including Hegel, Bancroft and most recently Hardt and Negri.
Paper Undergraduate
Emmanuel Levinas: Phenomenology, Ethics, and Infinity
This paper will address issues relating directly to phenomenology as depicted in the writings of Emmanuel Levinas. The paper will focus on specified sections of phenomenology, including the understanding of what exactly phenomenology is, including a detailed definition, understanding the concepts involved in ethical constructivism, ethical rationality, human freedom through the inputs of both transcendence and time and integration of totality and infinity into the descriptions of phenomenology.
Paper Doctorate
High Oil Prices and Their Effect on the Global Economy
Oil is an important natural resource that many countries treasure because of the importance it plays in spurring economic stability and growth. this study shows that oil is a significant factor of production in many countries; the fluctuation of its price to a high level has a significant negative effect in the growth of global economy.
Paper Doctorate
Nursing Metaparadigm: Evolving Views of the Discipline
Some nurses regard the concept of 'nursing theory' as an oxymoron, arguing that nursing is a practical exercise. This paper examines various views of the nursing metaparadigm of patient, environment, health, and the nursing process. Some theorists have used the metaparadigm to conceive of nursing as a spiritual exercise, while others argue that it is a disservice to nursing to distill it from its professional components.
Paper Undergraduate
Corporate Social Responsibility in Saudi Firms: A Global Review
References to corporate social responsibility (CSR) reportedly occurred numerous times before the 1950s, however, in regard to CSR definitions, that particular decade birthed the "modern era." Carroll (1999) compliments…
Paper Undergraduate
Multicultural Literature in the Classroom: Definition and Quality
This paper answers the question: what is multicultural literature and what are the characteristics of quality multicultural literature? Furthermore, it provides a synthesis of 4 journal articles with annotations about multicultural literature. It addition, it offers ideas for practical application in the classroom, as well as, 10 annotated bibliographies for 10 pieces of quality, 4 of which are elementary level, 3 middle school level and 3 high school. Lastly, the paper provides a bullets list of the important things mention.
Research Paper Doctorate
Literacy and Reading Comprehension: Fiction vs. Nonfiction
Literacy and reading comprehension are subjects that have been explored for decades. Through these explorations we have discovered that comprehension is an essential component in the ability of a person to succeed in…
Research Paper Undergraduate
Open Systems Theory and OD Models: Diagnosing BMW
This is a case study that assesses current organizational development (OD) models. Furthemore, it uses open systems theory to assess BMW's current and future outlook.
Research Paper Doctorate
Canine Behavior: Genetics, Operant Conditioning, and Learning
The debate over nature vs. nurture as it applies to learning dates back over a hundred years. Certainly, during much of the 20th century, the distinction between learned and inherited behavior appeared much clearer than…