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Synthesis Essay Outline: All You Need to Know

Have you ever had an idea that made perfect sense in your mind because you knew about different things that supported or explained it but struggled with knowing how to explain it to someone else? Here is where synthesis essays come in. Writing means that most of the time, you’ll need to look at different sources and write about what they say about a specific idea or argument. Creating a synthesis essay outline helps you determine the main points of your essay and topic, and we’re going to describe how to create one and what a synthesis essay implies to make sure you have the best essay possible.

What is a Synthesis Essay?

A synthesis essay is a common assignment that asks you to evaluate different sources, ideas, concepts, arguments, etc., and create a unified idea about what you’ve just presented. The goal of this type of essay is to merge different perspectives, and while this can seem like a daunting task, the first thing you need to do is know what you’re going to be working with. 

Read and Outline Your Sources

The basis of your synthesis essay outline is the sources you’ll use, so you need to know what they say. After you read your sources, you should outline what they’re saying and how they’re saying it. You should focus on whether the sources are informative or argumentative; this will help you know where and how to use these sources. Moreover, it would help if you made notes of the facts and specific ideas each source uses. You can do this by annotating the file directly if it’s a PDF or document or by keeping a separate file where you’ll copy and paste sentences, phrases, or entire paragraphs. Remember to keep track of the specific author and page where each of these comes from!

Create a Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement is the last sentence or two of your introduction that states what you’re presenting in your synthesis essay outline. This sentence will summarize your essay’s point in a way that your reader knows exactly what to expect even before they start reading the rest of your essay. Depending on what you need to do, your thesis could be argumentative, persuasive, inform about a problem and possible solutions, or just inform. Your thesis could be about current causes of ocean pollution, how to fix the education system, or how your state’s policies on animal rights have evolved over the past decade.

Format

There is no mandatory format for your synthesis essay outline, and while this can appear as a challenge, it is an opportunity to be more flexible. Tip: You can always use Litero’s outline function to create an outline for your topic you can then adapt it to what you need. Here, we’ll go over a few formats that you can adapt to your needs:

Focusing on Topic

This format prioritizes topics or points as the main sources for your synthesis, and the outline can look something like this:

  • Introduction paragraph
  • Body Paragraph #1 on Topic A
    1. Source #1
      1. Evidence from Source #1
    1. Source #2
      1. Evidence from Source #2
  • Body Paragraph #2 on Topic B
    1. Source #1
      1. Evidence from Source #1
    1. Source #2
      1. Evidence from Source #2
  • And so on for every body paragraph you have

Focusing on Sources

This format for your synthesis essay outline is similar to the previous one, but it focuses on each individual source:

  1. Introduction Paragraph
  2. Body Paragraph #1
    1. Source #1 on Topic A
    1. Source #1 on Topic B
  3. Body Paragraph #2
    1. Source #2 on Topic A
    1. Source #2 on Topic B
  4. And so on for every body paragraph

In this format, however, you might want to consider adding a paragraph before the conclusion that discusses common points or establishes common elements between the sources or perspectives you just talked about. This will help your audience make the same connections you did when researching and writing.

Alternating

While the previous formats are the most common ones, you might find that your assignment doesn’t give specific guidelines for the order of the sources. Because of this, you might feel more comfortable writing your synthesis essay outline in a way that makes sense for your topic. If you’re writing about a problem and a solution, your paragraphs could focus first on outlining the problem and then presenting solutions. Additionally, you could move from general to more specific sources, p”ing stronger arguments at the end that justify your argument. The benefit of writing a synthesis essay outline first is that you can see each topic as smaller elements that allow you to understand where they fit within your essay.

Write Your Introduction and Conclusion

Now that you have your thesis and body paragraphs ready, you can write your introduction and conclusion. Your introduction should consider everything that you just learned about your topic or argument and give an overview of what you’re going to discuss in your essay. Your introduction could follow a format like this one:

  • Hook: something that catches the attention of your reader.
  • Establish the topic: what are you covering in your essay?
  • Outline the sub-points of your essay.
  • Thesis statement.

Your conclusion is likely easier than the introduction because you’ll include a summary (or synthesis!) of everything you just discussed in your synthesis essay outline. It should follow the basic structure of:

  • Restate your thesis statement: a lot of times you have to phrase it differently, so you can’t just copy and paste it.
  • Depending on the format you used, you would include a summary of Topic #1 or Source #1 and then Topic #2 or Source #2, and so on.
  • End with a memorable statement about the topic.

Edit and Proofread

The last step is to edit your file. Here, you’ll check that every point makes sense and has adequate citations. You could use a grammar check program like Litero’s to check for any mistakes, punctuation errors, and awkward sentences. Try to read through your synthesis essay outline through an objective lens; this way you’ll be able to identify mistakes and gaps. Ensure that your ideas flow logically. Pay attention to transitions between paragraphs, as they are key to maintaining the coherence of your essay. Litero’s tools can also help you refine awkward phrasing or suggest alternative ways to articulate your points. Additionally, double-check that all citations are properly formatted and aligned with the required style guide, whether it’s APA, MLA, or Chicago. Once you’ve addressed these elements, take a final pass to ensure your essay is polished and ready for submission, leaving a lasting impression on your reader.

Litero.AI: Your Synthesis Essay Writing Companion

Writing a synthesis essay requires seamlessly merging ideas from multiple sources into a unified argument, and Litero.AI is the perfect tool to guide you through this process. From outlining your thesis to crafting well-organized body paragraphs, Litero offers tailored suggestions that make each step easier. Its outline function helps you structure your essay according to your chosen format, while the citation manager ensures your sources are correctly referenced in any style you need.

Additionally, Litero’s grammar and style checker refines your writing, catching errors and improving readability. If you’re struggling to expand on a point or synthesize diverse perspectives, Litero’s AI can offer creative solutions, making your arguments more compelling. Whether you’re drafting, editing, or finalizing your essay, Litero.AI is like having a personal editor, saving you time and elevating the quality of your work. With Litero, tackling a synthesis essay becomes a smoother and more rewarding experience.