How do you synthesize multiple sources in analytical communication?

1 Identify your purpose and audience

Before you start synthesizing multiple sources, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and who you are writing or speaking to. Your purpose and audience will guide your selection, evaluation, and integration of sources. For example, if your purpose is to inform, you might use more descriptive and factual sources, while if your purpose is to persuade, you might use more argumentative and evaluative sources. Similarly, if your audience is familiar with your topic, you might use more technical and specialized sources, while if your audience is new to your topic, you might use more general and accessible sources.

2 Find and evaluate sources

The next step is to find relevant and credible sources that support your analytical communication. Depending on your topic and context, you might use different types of sources, such as academic articles, reports, data sets, surveys, interviews, case studies, or media articles. You should evaluate each source based on its authority, accuracy, currency, coverage, and objectivity. You should also look for sources that offer different perspectives, arguments, or evidence on your topic, so that you can compare and contrast them and show your critical thinking.

3 Organize and integrate sources

Once you have found and evaluated your sources, you need to organize them in a logical and coherent way. You can use different strategies to organize your sources, such as thematic, chronological, methodological, or comparative. You should also integrate your sources with your own analysis and interpretation, using appropriate citation and paraphrasing techniques. You should avoid simply summarizing or quoting your sources, but rather explain how they relate to your main point, how they support or challenge your claims, and how they contribute to your overall message.

4 Use visuals and transitions

A good way to synthesize multiple sources in analytical communication is to use visuals and transitions to help your audience follow your logic and understand your findings. Visuals, such as graphs, charts, tables, or diagrams, can help you present complex or quantitative data in a clear and concise way. Transitions, such as words, phrases, or sentences, can help you connect your ideas and sources and show the relationships between them. You should use visuals and transitions that are appropriate for your purpose, audience, and format of your communication.

5 Review and revise

The final step is to review and revise your analytical communication to ensure that you have synthesized multiple sources effectively and clearly. You should check your communication for accuracy, clarity, coherence, relevance, and completeness. You should also ask for feedback from others, such as peers, mentors, or instructors, who can offer you constructive suggestions and point out any gaps or errors in your synthesis. You should revise your communication based on your review and feedback and make sure that you have achieved your purpose and met your audience's expectations.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?