In the 500-600-word Argumentative Synthesis, you will use information from multiple resources addressing similar topics to argue your own position on that topic. This assignment requires that you make an explicit thesis, or claim, about your topic and use your sources to provide adequate support for your thesis.
Select an argument based on the four articles, three of which we have already read and a fourth that you choose:
“What Sets Successful CEOs Apart” (Botelho et al., 2017)
“The 21st Century CEO” (Gordon & Martin, 2019)
“Research: Men Speak More Abstractly Than Women” (Wakslak and Joshi, 2022)
The source of your choice must adhere to the standards of credible sources (do the CRAAP test), be in English, and be at least 1000 words long.
Construct a thesis that makes a claim about the topic.
Support your thesis with evidence from four sources, integrating their material with your commentary. Avoid too much summary – include only enough to explain your ideas.
Include the major components of an academic paper, including an introduction (with a thesis statement), a body (with topic sentences for each paragraph), and a conclusion. Paragraphs should be coherent and demonstrate unity.
Avoid plagiarism by paraphrasing and quoting the sources appropriately with proper APA in-text and reference citations. Remember that a sentence cannot consist of just a direct quotation (use attributive phrases/reporting verbs).
Drawing from feedback from previous assignments, edit your paper carefully.
As a pre-writing exercise for the Synthesis , create a synthesis matrix using the attached document. A sample can be found hereLinks to an external site.. Use the following instructions:
Your Synthesis will incorporate four sources: three from the instructor and one that you chose yourself. For each source, include a properly formatted parenthetical in-text citation.
List the three themes that you identify across the readings. For each, you only need to write a word or two.
For the blue cells, write a sentence or two about what each source had to say about each theme. If the source did not address that theme – not all sources will address all themes – write N/A.
Attached completed document here.
A SAMPLE SYNTHESIS MATRIX Topic: Anxiety in Graduate Students
Multiple Roles Relationships Classroom Environment Fogg (2009)
Students can be blackballed in departments because those within the department can be very critical
Classroom contests to debate arguments and reading assignments could lead to extreme anxiety
Offstein, Larson, McNeill, & Mwale (2004)
Graduate students, especially doctoral students, are also expected to teach
Austin, Cameron, Glass, Kosko, Marsh, Abdelmagid, & Burge (2009)
Graduate student socialization is unique in that not only does the student need to transition into the role as a student, but they must also be socialized into the profession
Wolniewicz (1996) Graduate students report feeling pressure to prioritize academic roles over health, financial security, and personal relationships
Personal relationships and connections suffer; socializing is not a priority
Anxiety over finishing large projects and meeting deadlines.
Davis & Coleman (2007) Instructor feedback can be overwhelming, particularly when instructors use red ink when giving feedback
Wyatt & Oswalt (2013) Graduate students often have problems juggling academic responsibilities, research, and financial responsibilities
Graduate students are often detached from the social and cultural events and activities largely promoted to undergraduate students on campus.
Pallos, Yamada, & Okawa (2005)
Limited support and interactions with supervisors
A lot of independent learning and researching without much guidance
Salim (2011) Graduate students must balance teaching responsibilities (office hours, student emails, preparation)
Managing and working with challenging students in the classroom can contribute to stress/anxiety
Perepiczka, Chandler, & Becerra (2011)
Statistics and research-focused courses can be overwhelming and produce anxiety/procrastination
After reading multiple articles, this writer has identified these three
major themes.
The writer has included the names of the author(s) and the year. This provides all the information needed for APA in-text citations. For MLA, include author(s) and page number; for Chicago Style, include author(s), year, and page number. Format your matrix according
to your assignment instructions.
There are some blanks in the matrix, as not all resources will discuss every identified theme.
Topic: Anxiety in Graduate Students
,
As a pre-writing exercise for the Synthesis Paper, create a synthesis matrix. A sample can be found here.
1. Your Synthesis Paper will incorporate four sources: three from the instructor and one that you chose yourself. For each source, include a properly formatted parenthetical in-text citation.
2. Label three themes that you identify across the readings. For each, you only need to write a word or two.
3. For the blue cells, write a sentence or two about what each source had to say about each theme. If the source did not address that theme – not all sources will address all themes – write N/A.
Source
Theme #1
______
Theme #2
______
Theme #3
______
______
______
______
______
The post In the 500-600-word Argumentative Synthesis, you will use information from multiple resources addressing similar topics to argue your own position on that topic. This assignment req first appeared on Writeden.