1. How to put your reading into your writing

2. Multiple sources – show your tutor that you have:
Read and understood a wide range of sources i.e. evidence
Been able to analyse and evaluate those sources
Recognised the relationship/patterns between those sources
Been able to summarise and synthesise to justify / support your conclusion

3. Workshop objectives You will feel more confident about:
Summarising the ideas of others
Recognising themes and organising your notes accordingly
What synthesis is and why it is important

4. Skills – how to write a summary
Identify the main points and supporting detail
Read intensively and make sure you understand
Without looking at the original, paraphrase the main points/supporting detail
Check the original to make sure you haven’t changed anything or missed anything important out
Refer to the author(s) with reporting verbs
(don’t forget to note down the reference!)

5. Summarising – True or False?
You have to summarise each point in the text
You must rewrite the original and use complex sentences
You should keep the points in the same order as the original
You can add your own opinions/examples/emotion
You must write in Academic English style: impersonal and
objective
You should illustrate your points with examples
You can change the meaning of the original slightly
You should never cite the author
Your summary should be shorter in length than the original

6. Practise - summarising
Task 1
Summarising activity

7. Reporting verbs
Often used to refer to the work of other authors, and indicate:
What they did (studied, measured, used)
What they found (found, observed, showed)
What they think or say (think, believe, write, state)

8. Reporting verbs – examples
Refer to the author(s) with phrases like:
X (year) argues/ believes / states / claims/ offers/ suggests that …
It is X’s opinion (year) that …
According to X (year), …
In a study by X (year), …
X (year) has supported this conclusion …
Research by X (year) indicates that …
Several researchers (X, Year; Y, Year and Z, Year) have investigated this issue and make recommendations regarding …

9. Practise task 2
Find the reporting verbs in the extract below from a research article about dressings.
How the intervention might work
Lawrence (1998) observed that dressings can act as a physical barrier to protect wounds until the continuity of the skin (epithelialisation) has been achieved. This occurs within about 48 hours of surgery, and to absorb exudate from the wound, keeping it dry and clean with the aim of avoiding bacterial contamination from the external environment. This was found to be the case in the research of Hutchinson, 1991; Mertz, 1985 and Ubbink, Another reason for using a dressing is to prevent contamination of the surrounding area by any wound discharge, as was reported by Downie in 2010, although this is mainly applicable for clean-contaminated, contaminated, and dirty or infected wounds. Some studies have identified that the moist environment created by some dressings accelerates wound healing (Dyson, 1988), although others believe that it is a disadvantage, as excessive exudate can cause maceration (softening and breakdown) of the wound and the surrounding healthy tissue, a view stated in Cutting (2002).
Toon CD, Lusuku C, Ramamoorthy R, Davidson BR, Gurusamy KS. Early versus delayed dressing removal after primary closure of clean and clean-contaminated surgical wounds. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015, Issue 9. Art. No.: CD DOI: / CD pub3.

10. Practise – answers
Find the reporting verbs in the extract below from a research article about dressings.
How the intervention might work
Lawrence (1998) observed that dressings can act as a physical barrier to protect wounds until the continuity of the skin (epithelialisation) has been achieved. This occurs within about 48 hours of surgery, and to absorb exudate from the wound, keeping it dry and clean with the aim of avoiding bacterial contamination from the external environment. This was found to be the case in the research of Hutchinson, 1991; Mertz, 1985 and Ubbink, Another reason for using a dressing is to prevent contamination of the surrounding area by any wound discharge, as was reported by Downie in 2010, although this is mainly applicable for clean-contaminated, contaminated, and dirty or infected wounds. Some studies have identified that the moist environment created by some dressings accelerates wound healing (Dyson, 1988), although others believe that it is a disadvantage, as excessive exudate can cause maceration (softening and breakdown) of the wound and the surrounding healthy tissue, a view stated in Cutting (2002).
Toon CD, Lusuku C, Ramamoorthy R, Davidson BR, Gurusamy KS. Early versus delayed dressing removal after primary closure of clean and clean-contaminated surgical wounds. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015, Issue 9. Art. No.: CD DOI: / CD pub3.

11. Reporting verbs – task 3 Admit
a) Assert that something is true or factual, state that something is the case
Assure
b) Show the truth of something by giving proof or evidence
Claim
c) Inform with certainty and confidence
Confirm d)
Give knowledge of something to someone
Demonstrate
e) Prove that a belief or an opinion that was previously not completely certain is true
Inform
f) De
clare to be true, accept as valid
Persuade
g) Give an account of something that has been observed or investigated
Report
h) Cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action

12. Reporting verbs – suggested answers
Admit
Declare to be true, accept as valid
Assure
Inform with certainty and confidence
Claim
Assert that something is true or factual, state that something is the case
Confirm
Prove that a belief or an opinion that was previously not completely certain is true
Demonstrate
Show the truth of something by giving proof or evidence
Inform
Give knowledge of something to someone
Persuade
Cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action
Report
Give an account of something that has been observed or investigated

13. Synthesis
This includes summarising and analysing evidence from several sources and drawing a conclusion from that evidence.
Summarise evidence from your reading into your writing.
The evidence should be organised by theme/point into paragraphs
Ideas should fit together clearly to build a strong argument and support your opinion

14. Steps to synthesis
Task 4

15. Steps for Synthesis
Consider your line of argument and draft a topic sentence for your paragraph 
Read widely on your topic 
Take notes, in your own words, from each source
(don’t forget to note the reference!) Include a critical thought 
Link common ideas to make sets (use colours if you like) 
Number the sets so you have a strong, logical line of argument 
Draft your paragraph, include your citations (who said it and when) 
Adapted from: University of New England (n.d.) Synthesising Evidence. Available from: [Accessed 13 October 2016].

16. Bringing it all together - Practicing synthesis
Task 5
Bring these themes and ideas together in a structured paragraph

17. Skills – a process for synthesis
Read and take notes (summarise)
Organise notes into groups/themes
Write a topic sentence for each paragraph
Construct each paragraph – compare, contrast and link points
Draw a conclusion

18. Writing good paragraphs
Paragraphing
Linking ideas together – Task 6

19. Workshops on a range of academic skills
Further help
Library online workbooks
Ask a Librarian
Workshops on a range of academic skills
Study skills webpages