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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.