FYS Credo Instruct Quiz #2: Synthesizing Info/Using Sources

How can writing an outline help you synthesize information?

• By focusing on the main themes in individual sources

• By piecing together ideas from multiple sources to discover how they inform your overall argument

• By identifying the topic you will be researching

• By identifying meaningful quotes from individual sources

Which of the following statements about summarizing is FALSE? (Check ALL that apply)

• Summarizing entails identifying the central ideas of a piece and stating them in your own words.

• Summarizing is the same as paraphrasing.

• It is always better to quote directly than to summarize.

• If you summarize, you do not need to cite your source.

When you synthesize information, you:

• Are combining information from multiple sources to form new conclusions.

• Are memorizing facts.

• Are recording data from survey responses.

• Are creating a work of art such as a musical composition or painting.

What is the purpose of a literature review?

• To list sources and make suggestions about how they could be used in research

• To describe and summarize the current scholarship in a specific field on a particular topic

• To analyze a single work of literature

• To make an argument about a particular issue in the news

When might it be preferable to use direct quotations rather than summarizing or paraphrasing?

• It is always better to use quotations than to use your own words.

• It is never preferable to use quotations—always use your own words.

• It is preferable if you need to add word count to your essay.

• It is better whenever you are describing another person’s ideas.

Doing background research helps you to _______.

• Prove your argument or claim is correct.

• Determine which sources you can paraphrase in your assignment.

• Identify main ideas and draw connections to your previous knowledge.

• Skip the early steps toward synthesis and jump straight to outlining.

Imagine you have an assignment to convince your state representative to support research into algae as an alternative material to plastic. To do so, you will draw on sources such as scientific studies and expert opinion. 

Which of the following describes the role that synthesis will play in your assignment?

• Explaining to your reader the significance of each scientific source individually

• Comparing multiple background sources to establish context for your argument

• Relying on a single expert’s opinion to form the backbone of your argument

• Incorporating quotes free of context and comparison to other studies

Imagine you have a historical research assignment. The topic is gender equality in the 21st century. You have found an essay published in 1965 about women's expanded participation in the workforce during the Second World War. 

What can you do to practice synthesis in this situation?

• Find other sources from the 20th century to make an argument about modern day gender equality.

• Discard the 1965 essay so you can focus on comparing sources written in the 21st century.

• Write your paper focusing on the 1940s workforce using the essay as your only source.

• Locate additional historical and modern sources to analyze how women's roles in the workplace have changed over time.