you will need to integrate ideas carefully at the paragraph level and at the sentence level. You will use topic sentences in your paragraphs to make sure readers understand the significance of any facts, details, or quotations you cite (see the Paragraph Development chapter for more about developing paragraphs)
Highlights the importance of smooth transitions and integration, not just adding quotes randomly.
avoid repeating your thesis verbatim from the introduction. Restate it in different words that reflect the new perspective gained through your research, which helps keep your ideas fresh for your readers
Emphasizes that conclusions must feel fresh, not repetitive, and should show growth or a new perspective gained through research.
Research papers generally follow the same basic structure: an introduction that presents the writer’s thesis, a body section that develops the thesis with supporting points and evidence, and a conclusion that revisits the thesis and provides additional insights or suggestions for further research.
This establishes the universal framework all research papers rely on, which helps students understand the predictable pattern they must follow.
Include a direct quote using P.I.E. and reflect on what the source illuminated about your question.
P.I.E. = • Point → your idea • Illustration → quote • Explanation → why the quote matters
The purpose of an informative essay, sometimes called an expository essay, is to educate others on a certain topic.
Informative = teaching the reader something
A report is written from the perspective of someone who is seeking to find specific and in-depth information about a certain aspect of a topic.
You are not arguing. You’re presenting facts you discovered while researching your question.
Begin with a topic sentence. Using one of the five Ws or H questions here will remind you and your readers what you will focus on in this paragraph. Introduce your sources in a sentence or two to summarize what the information revealed about your topic. Include a direct quote using P.I.E. and reflect on what the source illuminated about you
structure for supporting evidence effectively.
Define the topic. Provide short background information. Introduce who your intended audience is. State what your driving research question is. Create a thesis statement by identifying the scope of the informative essay (the main point you want your audience to understand about your topic).
Five key intro steps for clarity and focus.
books and scholarly articles. Academic books generally fall into three categories: (1) textbooks written with students in mind, (2) monographs which give an extended report on a large research project, and (3) edited-volumes in which each chapter is authored by different people.
Reliable, general-audience materials like news or government reports.
Students should have a clearer idea of their research topic and can begin exploring common challenges to finding relevant sources and managing them (recording citation details, quoting, paraphrasing, citing).
Emphasizes research management and citation skills.
Typically, these essays aim to answer the five Ws and H questions: who, what, where, when, why, and how.
Structure built around key questions.
A report is written from the perspective of someone who is seeking to find specific and in-depth information about a certain aspect of a topic.
Focus = in-depth explanation, not opinion.
When you have finished your paper, write a conclusion reminding readers of the most significant themes you have found and the ways they connect to the overall topic
Summarize significance and connections.
1. Begin with a sentence or phrase that informs readers of the topic of the paragraph; 2. Include information from more than one source; 3. Clearly indicate which material comes from which source using lead-in phrases and in-text
Blend sources clearly to avoid plagiarism.
(ii) Sometimes also provides pertinent background information about the authors, about the texts to be summarized or about the general topic from which the texts are drawn.
Structure = most important element.
1. Contains a one-sentence statement that sums up the focus of your synthesis. 2. Also introduces the texts to be synthesized:
Introduce focus + sources right away.
Making a comparison and creating outlines can help clarify your purpose before you begin writing.
Tools for organization.
As a college student, you may be asked to begin research papers with a synthesis of the sources. Your primary purpose is to show readers that you are familiar with the field and are qualified to offer your own opinions.
Demonstrates expertise + establishes unique contribution.
Both types require you to organize information meaningfully, but a background synthesis remains neutral, while a thesis-driven synthesis aims to persuade or prove a point.
Both require clear organization but differ in purpose (inform vs. argue).
(1) Accurately reports information from the sources using different phrases and sentences; (2) Organized in such a way that readers can immediately see where the information from the sources overlap;. (3) Makes sense of the sources and helps the reader understand them in greater depth
Three essential traits = Report, Organize, Interpret.
The basic research report (described below as a background synthesis) is a common document in the business world.
Synthesis used professionally (reports, proposals, informational writing).
Synthesis is related to but not the same as classification, division, or comparison and contrast
Clarifies difference from other analytical methods.
People synthesize information naturally to help other see the connections between things they learn;
Purpose of synthesis = showing connections.
At its most basic level, a synthesis involves combining two or more summaries, but synthesis writing is more difficult than it might at first appear because this combining must be done in a meaningful way, and the final essay must generally be thesis-driven.
Definition of synthesis; emphasizes purposeful combination and thesis focus.