A synthesis essay as in its name is a writing that discusses already given pieces of literature or evidence. A synthesis is usually similar to an argumentative essay where you simply make an argument or a position concerning a debatable topic of your choice. For a synthesis, however, the topic is usually given before you begin writing. Sometimes, the synthesis may involve more than a single piece of literature for which you should make a strong opinion about. The main idea of a synthesis is that it is a piece of argument that uses given literary sources to form an argument that analyzes them.
It is therefore important not to summarize literary sources in a synthesis but to focus on finding a position concerning the topic provided. Commonly, the accessed sources usually have arguments and counter arguments and it is up to the writer to ensure that they overcome counterarguments in their opinions. Therefore, one should have a good idea of the opinions provided by their sources, find an argument position and be consistent with it. This argument will form your thesis statement.
With enough evidence from the sources and a debatable but strong position, draft an outline and get to writing. Don’t forget that the evidences from the sources are supposed to support your argument and should therefore be strong pieces of literary information that can convince the reader. However, be careful not to discuss your sources but instead use your sources to discuss your argument. Therefore, formidable body paragraphs have a main point followed by an explanation then evidence from the source and further explanation qualifying the evidence. In the event of a counterargument, it is important to make sure that your position is strong enough to counter the counterargument.
Finally, with a comprehensive knowledge of the sources, it is easy to find a position of argument that uses the given pieces of literature. Similar to argumentative essays, a synthesis is primarily meant to express your idea. The main catch is to ensure that your idea or opinion is strong enough and that is where evidences from the sources come in. writing the synthesis is easier when one has their own opinion which is better if one has read the main sources to discuss. Other information to support your argument can be picked from other writings but it is important to have a clear glimpse of what your main authors are about.