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Step 1: Gathering your sources
Step 1: Gathering your sources
Using your own research papers or the papers below, see if you can place the papers into a critical review table of your choice. Have a think about how you would synthesise the results of this evidence.
Then have a read of the systematic review. The papers are included below, see how they have been integrated into the overall picture of the research evidence in the discussion section. Do you agree with the conclusions they come to?
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The Systematic review:
The 3 Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) the
Ryans I, Montgomery A, Galway R, Kernohan WG, McKaneRA. Randomised controlled trial of intra-articular triamcinoloneand/or physiotherapy in shoulder capsulitis. Rheumatology 2005;44:
Carette S, Moffet H, Tardif J, Bessette L, Morin F, Fremont P, et al.Intraarticularcorticosteroids, supervised physiotherapy or a combination ofthe two in the treatment of adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder: a placebocontrolled trial. Arthritis Rheum 2003;48:829–38.
Arslan S, Celiker R. Comparison of the efficacy of local corticosteroidinjections and physiotherapy for the treatment of adhesive capsulitis.Rheumatol Int 2001;21:20–3
Step 2: Organise your sources
Step 2: Organise your sources
Before writing, you need to organise your notes in a way that allows you to see the relationships the sources. In order to do this using the CASP checklists can help to organise your thoughts. Once complete combine these placing the articles into a summary table (below). Depending on your topic and the type of literature you’re dealing with, there are a couple of different ways you can organise this.
One way is a Summary table
One way is a Summary table
The summary table gives you a quick overview of the key points of each source. This allows you to group sources by relevant similarities, as well as noticing important differences or contradictions in their findings. Heres an example:
A summary table collates the key points of each source under consistent headings. This is a good approach if your sources tend to have a similar structure – for instance, if they’re all empirical papers. Each row in the table lists one source, and each column identifies a specific part of the source. You can decide which headings to include based on what’s most relevant to the literature you’re dealing with. For example, you might include columns for things like aims, methods, variables, population, sample size, and conclusion. For each study, you briefly summarize each of these aspects. You can also include columns for your own evaluation and analysis.
Heres more guidance:
Another way is a Synthesis matrix based on chosen Themes or your topic.
Another way is a Synthesis matrix based on chosen Themes or your topic.
The purposes of the table is to identify the common points that connect the sources, as well as identifying points where they diverge or disagree.
A synthesis matrix is useful when your sources are more varied in their purpose and structure – for example, when you’re dealing with books and essays making various different arguments about a topic. Each column in the table lists one source. Each row is labelled with a specific concept, topic or theme that recurs across all or most of the sources. Then, for each source, you summarize the main points or arguments related to the theme.
Step 3: Outline your structure
Step 3: Outline your structure
Now you should have a clear overview of the main connections and differences between the sources you’ve read. Next, you need to decide how you’ll group them together and the order in which you’ll discuss them.
For shorter papers, your outline can just identify the focus of each paragraph; for longer papers, you might want to divide it into sections with headings.
There are a few different approaches you can take to help you structure your synthesis.
If your sources cover a broad time period, and you found patterns in how researchers approached the topic over time, you can organize your discussion chronologically. That doesn’t mean you just summarize each paper in chronological order; instead, you should group articles into time periods and identify what they have in common, as well as signalling important turning points or developments in the literature.
If the literature covers various different topics, you can organize it thematically. That means that each paragraph or section focuses on a specific theme and explains how that theme is approached in the literature.
If you’re drawing on literature from various different fields or they use a wide variety of research methods, you can organize your sources methodologically. That means grouping together studies based on the type of research they did and discussing the findings that emerged from each method.
If your topic involves a debate between different schools of thought, you can organize it theoretically. That means comparing the different theories that have been developed and grouping together papers based on the position or perspective they take on the topic, as well as evaluating which arguments are most convincing.
Step 4: Paragraphs with topic sentences
Step 4: Paragraphs with topic sentences
What sets a synthesis apart from a summary is that it combines various sources. The easiest way to think about this is that each paragraph should discuss a few different sources, and you should be able to condense the overall point of the paragraph into one sentence.
This is called a topic sentence, and it usually appears at the start of the paragraph. The topic sentence signals what the whole paragraph is about; every sentence in the paragraph should be clearly related to it.
A topic sentence can be a simple summary of the paragraph’s content:
“Early research on [x] focused heavily on [y].”
For an effective synthesis, you can use topic sentences to link back to the previous paragraph, highlighting a point of debate or critique:
“Several scholars have pointed out the flaws in this approach.”
“While recent research has attempted to address the problem, many of these studies have methodological flaws that limit their validity.”
By using topic sentences, you can ensure that your paragraphs are coherent and clearly show the connections between the articles you are discussing.
As you write your paragraphs, avoid quoting directly from sources: use your own words to explain the commonalities and differences that you found in the literature.
Don’t try to cover every single point from every single source – the key to synthesizing is to extract the most important and relevant information and combine it to give your reader an overall picture of the state of knowledge on your topic.
Examples
Examples
TASK (Individual or Group) Application of Synthesis
TASK (Individual or Group) Application of Synthesis
Now have a go at synthesising the results of some research papers.
Now have a go at synthesising the results of some research papers.
When you write a literature review or essay, you have to go beyond just summarising the articles you’ve read – you need to synthesise the literature to show how it all fits together (and how your own research fits in). Synthesising simply means combining. Instead of summarising the main points of each source in turn, you put together the ideas and findings of multiple sources in order to make an overall point. At the most basic level, this involves looking for similarities and differences between your sources. Your synthesis should show the reader where the sources overlap and where they diverge.
Unsynthesised Example
Unsynthesised Example
A flaw in this example is simply listing findings from different studies without demonstrating their connections or addressing any disagreements. Here's an improved version:
Three studies examined undergrad attitudes towards citation. Franz (2008) found none of their 35 participants (mixed genders) enjoyed APA while Perez (2010) discovered, in a larger sample (92 participants), that males were more likely to use citation software. Interestingly, Goldstein (2012) reported all 50 female participants felt confident citing, highlighting potential gender or sample size influencing outcomes. This lack of consistency requires further investigation.
Synthesised Example
Synthesised Example
This example provides more specific comparisons and highlights key differences.
Research reveals contrasting insights into how advanced study influences undergrad citation skills. Franz (2008) reported negative attitudes towards APA style among a small, mixed-gender sample, while Goldstein (2012) found all participants, exclusively female, comfortable citing in their larger study. This discrepancy suggests potential gender differences or methodological variations needing exploration. Perez (2010), building on Franz's work, observed that males within a larger, more diverse sample were more inclined to use citation software, further complicating the picture. These varied findings underscore the need for further research that controls for potential confounding factors like gender and sample characteristics.
Key Differences:
Clearly state overarching theme: Both revised examples start by summarizing the overall theme explored across the studies.
Highlight specific comparisons: Each study's findings are explicitly compared and contrasted, drawing attention to similarities and differences.
Address inconsistencies: The revised examples discuss potential reasons for inconsistent findings, encouraging further research.
Move beyond mere listing: Instead of simply listing results, the revisions offer critical analysis and interpretation.
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