Synthesizing the Literature Objectives: Differentiate between summary and synthesis Examine writing skills associated with synthesizing information for literature reviews Evaluate peer-reviewed scholarship to establish if it is germane to a research question Integrate disparate information into a cohesive narrative Recognize the qualities of sound social science writing Activities: Welcome and Overview (5 min.) Synthesis Presentation Q&A (15 min.) Hands-On Activity, Part 1: Summarize (15 min.) Hands-On Activity, Part 2: Synthesize (15 min.) Wrap-Up and Next Steps (10 min.)

Video and Presentation Debrief Recall the following questions you considered while watching the seminar videos: What is synthesis? What differentiates synthesis from summary? Why is synthesis important to doctoral-level writing? How does the concept of synthesis apply to the literature review?

Article Excerpt Groups Take a few minutes to read all the excerpts and consider how to summarize each of them Break into groups A, B and C Focus on the article that matches your group designation

Small Group Activity Describe with a one-sentence summary what your excerpt is about What possible dissertation title would trigger you to read your assigned article?

Wrap-Up and Next Steps Consider one insight with regard to synthesis and the literature review Remember to critically examine what you read, think, write