Wri$ng’a’Literature’Review’ PartThree:Synthesizing

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Wri$ng a Literature Review Part Three: Synthesizing Copyright ©Heather McWhinney, 2017 Graduate Wri;ng Help Specialist, Student Learning Services



Learning Outcomes for Part Three

By the end of this presenta+on, you should be able to:

o  Write a successful synthesis that iden+fies trends, themes and rela+onships among studies.

o  Relate these themes and trends to your own study.



Overview of Screencast (Part Three)

1.  The synthesis approach versus the silo approach.

2.  Planning: the key to avoiding the silo approach.

3.  Signal words used in a synthesis.

4.  Verb tenses used in a synthesis.



Synthesizing

o  Synthesizing is key to a literature review. A synthesis iden+fies and interprets themes, trends and rela+onships.

o  A synthesis reveals similari+es and differences and shows how the literature advances the research area.

o  Most of your paragraphs should begin with a general claim about trends or themes. This claim should be made in a topic sentence and supported with evidence from the literature.

o  You may want to discuss some key studies in detail in some parts of your literature review.



The Silo Approach

o  Students new to literature reviews oRen use a “silo approach.”

o  They write their first paragraph about one study, their second paragraph about another study, their third about a third study, and so on.

o  The purpose of a literature review is not to analyze each study separately, but to show how the studies relate to one another and to your own study.



Silo Versus Synthesis



The Literature Review: Silo Approach Versus Synthesis Silo Synthesis Each study discussed separately. Comparisons not made and rela+onships not drawn. Each paragraph begins with a different author’s name.

No study discussed in isola+on. Study findings and/or methods compared, and rela+onships drawn.

No rela+onship drawn between the student’s own research and the research discussed in the lit. review.

The student’s own research at the centre of the discussion, analysis and comparison of all studies.

Literature review organized chronologically or even randomly.

Literature review organized by the themes most relevant for the study.

Individual studies referred to only once. Individual studies referred to several +mes under different themes.



The Silo Approach: An Example Simms and de Loë (2010) surveyed several small rural communi+es. They visited these communi+es, where they looked at the water treatment facili+es and interviewed those responsible for water safety. They (2010) reveal that water in Canada is under threat in terms of quality. They argue that this is par+cularly the case in small communi+es ...

Patrick (2011) conducted a study of uneven access to clean water for First Na+ons. He found that many First Na+ons have problems with their water supply. Infrastructure is generally poorly maintained and out of date, and there is an over reliance on chemicals. He suggests that the problems that he and others have iden+fied in small remote communi+es are mainly due to inadequate training, high opera+onal costs, and jurisdic+onal barriers.

The Water Survey Agency (WSA) (2012) has conducted several surveys of Saskatchewan water in northern communi+es. The agency has found that water systems are not well maintained in remote communi+es, where services are lacking. …



Example of a Synthesis Providing safe drinking water is challenging for small and rural communi+es (Simms & de Loë, 2010; Water Security Agency (WSA), 2012; Holmes 2002), par+cularly for First Na+on communi+es (Patrick, 2011). The WSA (2012) found that small communi+es oRen have difficul+es mee+ng drinking water standards because of challenges in maintaining and renewing their systems. In a survey of Northern Saskatchewan communi+es, Simms & de Loë (2010) had similar findings, iden+fying limited resources and lack of capacity as the major impediments for rural systems. In related research on northern First Na+on communi+es, Patrick (2010) iden+fied numerous problems plaguing water treatment opera+ons, including improper training, reliance on chemicals for water treatment, high opera+onal costs, poor infrastructure set up, and jurisdic+onal problems. All the problems iden+fied in these studies suggest that small remote communi+es need support in the planning of their drinking water supply.

Both this synthesis and the paragraphs on the last slide are used courtesy of a former student.



Planning: The Key to Avoiding the Silo Approach

o  Prepare a thema+c outline, either using a flowchart or a regular outline. o  Prepare a chart containing the studies you have gathered. The chart should

show key similari+es and differences among the studies. o  Create a table with two columns. Place the headings from your outline in

your leR column.

o  Insert the studies in the right column wherever you think they might fit.



Sample Par$al Flowchart for a Literature Review

LITERATURE REVIEW: WATER

SAFETY IN NORTHERN SK.

IINTRODUCTION DEATHS – CANADA -- CONTAMINATED

WATER

CHALLENGES -- SMALL

COMMUNITIES THREATS TO

WATER SAFETY

SEWAGE AND EFFLUENTS

WATERSHED POLLUTION

GROUNDWATER POLLUTION

SURFACE WATER POLLUTION

CHEMICALS IN DRINKING WATER

THREATS TO SK. WATER

THREATS TO WATER IN SK.

NORTH

THREATS IN FIRST NATIONS

COMMUNITIES

SUMMARY

Adapted from ReasoningLab: Tools for cri;cal thinking, wri;ng and decision making. (n.d.). Retrieved from hfp://www.reasoninglab.com/research-‐on-‐essay-‐wri+ng-‐with-‐ra+onale/



Planning: The Key to Avoiding The Silo Approach (cont’d) Thema$c Contents Studies 1. Main Theme: Deaths -‐-‐ contaminated water – Can. O’Connor, 2001; Laing, 2002; Lemke, 2002

2. Main Theme: Keeping water safe in small communi+es – challenges

Patrick, 2011; Simms et al. 2010; Water Security Agency (WSA), 2012

3. Main Theme: Threats to water safety Blundell, 2004; Holmes, 2002; Patrick, 2011; Patrick, 2014; Wood, 2014

3.1. Sub-‐Theme: Sewage and effluents Blundell, 2004; Holler, 2013

3.2. Sub-‐Theme: Watershed pollu+on Blundell, 2004; Wood, 2014; WSA, 2012

3.2.1 Sub-‐sub Theme: Groundwater Blundell, 2004; Wood, 2014; WSA, 2012

3.2.2 Sub-‐sub Theme: Surface water Wood, 2014

3.3. Sub-‐Theme: Chemicals in water Holler, 2004

4. Main Theme: Threats to SK water Davies & Hanley, 2010; Stewart, 2015



Signal Words Used to Synthesize Evidence Common Signal (Linking) Words and Phrases

Use

Similarity/Comparison similar; similar to; similarly; likewise; both…and; also; not only ... but also; in related/similar research; too comparable to; compare to/with; correspond with; related; relate(d) to

Smith (2011) found that American adolescents … on social media. Similarly, May (2009) determined that teenagers … . Both May (2009) and Li (2011) found … . Jones (2010) also found that … . In similar research, Murray concluded that … . Likewise, Frank and Sock (2013) … . The Canadian results are comparable to/correspond with those of a similar size French study by Robert (2012). In related research, Brown (2013) found that …

Dissimilarity/ Difference/Contrast Contrary to; on the contrary; on the other hand; in contrast; in contrast to; unlike; conversely but, whereas, while, however, although

Contrary to/unlike/ in contrast to Kim, Samuel (2011) found that adolescents’ concentra+on skills are sharpened by +me spent on social media. Clark (2011) found that, on the contrary, adolescents’ skills are dulled by social media. Conversely, May (2009) found … Whereas Kim found that +me spent on social media dulled concentra+on skills, Samuel found that it sharpened these skills. However, it should be noted that Samuel’s study had a small sample of only 12 subjects.



Tenses Used in Syntheses o  The present perfect tense is used to refer to more than one study. E.g.,

Many scien+sts have studied the effects of global warming on glaciers (Clark & Li, 2010; Ho & Lifle, 2010; Roberts, 2011).

o  The simple past tense is used to refer to a single study. E.g., Hodges and Whitby (2013) studied Thwaite glacier in Antarc+ca and found that it has receded by five kilometers since 1999.

o  Either the past or present tense is used to refer to the views or conclusions of researchers from single studies. E.g., Black and Clark (2008) conclude/concluded that poli+cal instability has a complex set of causes.



Summary

o  A literature review synthesizes and cri+ques a body of work in order to support and explain the choices you have made about your study.

o  To avoid the silo approach, use a thema+c organiza+on.

o  Use signal words to show rela+onships.

o  Use the verb tenses that are standard in your discipline.

Wri$ng’a’Literature’Review’ PartThree:Synthesizing

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