The focus of Chapter 7 is on integrating and making sense out of all of the sources that are to be included in the review. This is a deeply thoughtful process, and real opportunity to learn about the intellectual contours of the research area. Synthesis asks the research to find, follow, and make sense of the connections between individual articles. This is an opportunity for a beginning researcher to listen to all of the voices in a chosen scholarly conversation and to find a space where they might add their own voice.
Early on in this chapter, the authors point out that this is the time to make decisions regarding whether or not a particular piece of information merits inclusion in the final review. The authors suggest beginning this process of information integration by creating a summary grid, a “a grid, table, or an outline where you will summarize, using common themes you have identified and the sources you have found.” One possible model is shown in the example below.
The authors go into the process of creating a summary grid in more detail in the next section, and they suggest numerous descriptive facets and data fields that a researcher may want to capture as they analyze their gathered resources. A few of those fields—beyond the expected bibliographic data such as Author(s), Title, Year, etc.—are provided below so as to give a suggestion of what the authors are looking for in a descriptive field.
For a comprehensive list, please consult the chapter.
As an alternative to creating a summary grid, the authors suggest drafting a summary outline. Again, the authors aid the process by adding such insights such as the suggestion to group the collected information resources by categories. The chapter closes with a suggested list of readings, but the most important reminder of the entire chapter is the conclusion of the section on summary outlines. The authors clarify the importance of a good literature review—not just to a terminal degree such as a PhD, but to any research activity—when they say, “Your literature review is the result of your research that synthesizes new and old information and creates new knowledge.”
The content of this page was developed from Chapter 7, "Synthesis" in:
Frederiksen, L., & Phelps, S. F. (2017). Literature reviews for education and nursing graduate students. Rebus Community. https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/literature-reviews-for-education-and-nursing-graduate-students