The first part of this module name (Describing) is easy to understand. When you describe something, you simply convey information about the subject as accurately as possible. The Summarizing Module allowed you to accurately describe another essay, for example. The second part of the module name (Synthesizing) may be more difficult to grasp. If you look up the word "synthesize" in The American Heritage Dictionary, you’ll see that the first definition says that synthesize is a verb that means "[t]o combine so as to form a new, complex product." In applying this definition to the next writing assignment, it is best to focus on three crucial words from the definition: combine, new, and complex.

combine

It is impossible simply to combine only one thing. Instead, to combine you must join one object with one or more other objects. For this next assignment, you will write an essay that combines information from three different sources.

new

When you synthesize something, you produce something that is new or different from the original objects. One goal of the next assignment is to write an essay that, while integrating information from three different sources, provides its own unique perspective upon the topic that the three original sources addressed. After finishing the essay, a reader should gain some insight on the topic that would not have been possible by separately reading the original source material.

complex

As mentioned earlier, the Describing and Synthesizing essay is more than a simple linking of three different summaries. Instead, you must organize the information from the original sources in a logical manner that best aids the reader in understanding the various attributes of the topic you’re describing. More than likely, you will organize your paper by the major topics of the original essays rather than simply moving from a description of essay 1 to a description essay 2 to a description of essay 3. You must know when to paraphrase and when to quote. Finally, you must smoothly transition from one source to another. A reader should never be confused as to what information is coming from what source.

Why write a Describing and Synthesizing essay?

At its most practical level for you now, this assignment will help you prepare for the research paper, the last major project of the semester. The synthesis essay really is a miniature informational research paper. Your goal is to simply take the different ideas from three sources and put the ideas together into a new, cohesive essay that informs the reader about a central topic. The assignment will test your organizational skills, your understanding of other material, and your ability to balance more than one source in an essay – all skills that are necessary to writing a successful research paper.

The synthesis essay is an assignment that you may find in many other classes in college. A psychology professor may ask you to write an essay that describes different views regarding psychoanalysis. On a history test, you may be asked to summarize the civil rights views of Malcom X, Martin Luther King Jr., and John F. Kennedy. Professors enjoy synthesizing activities because the level of skill at which students integrate and relate other points of view often is a good signal of how well they understand the original material.

Synthesizing activities do not disappear after college, however. You may be asked to synthesize different options for a company undergoing restructuring plans. Perhaps a business is thinking of changing choosing a new computer operating system. An employee may be asked to write a report that describes the advantages and disadvantages of each system.

What characterizes a good describing and synthesizing essay?

It might be best to begin by discussing what a good describing and synthesizing essay is not. When you write your synthesis essay, keep in mind that you are not writing short summaries of three different sources. You need not write complete summaries of each essay as you did with the previous paper assignment. Instead, you need only summarize information from each source that best describes the central topic of your essay.

*You are describing a topic, not the sources.*

The sources are simply aids for assisting you in your description of the topic. You will integrate direct quotations and paraphrases from each essay to better explain to your reader the different aspects of the topic you are describing.

It is important to think carefully about the organization of the essay. Consider the most important aspects of the topic you will be describing to your reader and arrange you essay according to those aspects or subtopics.

*A good essay will then move from one subtopic to the next with clear transitions.*

Because your sources may have different opinions about the same topic, you will probably use transitions such as "on the other hand," "however," "in contrast," etc. to signal to readers that your essay is moving to a differing opinion or a new subtopic.

You are not an expert on the topic you are describing, so you must rely upon your sources to provide accurate background information. Because of this, the majority of your essay will be comprised of quotations and paraphrases from the sources you are synthesizing.

*Be sure to quote and paraphrase accurately.*