THE MATURE PAPER: DRAWING ON MULTIPLE SOURCES



THE "SYNTHESIS" PAPER: USING SOURCES Prof. Goldweber, English 1A

One of the more challenging tasks for college students is to read multiple sources on a particular issue, to evaluate the sources, and to express a thesis in a paper which draws upon several sources. Here is an example to help you envision the process:

Sammy Student needs to write a paper about birds. He isn’t sure exactly what he wants to say, but he expects to have a thesis that supports conservation of bird habitat. He reads seven articles about birds.

The first article gives lots of scientific facts about birds

The second article describes regular people across the US who love watching birds

The third article expresses worries over the decline in most bird populations across North America

The fourth article focuses on a specific bird, the bald eagle, which was hunted nearly to extinction but recovered quickly after given legal protection.

The fifth article focuses on another specific bird, the California Quail, and why Californians chose it as the state bird back in the 1930s.

The sixth article describes birds that forage on beaches or tidal flats, with advice on when to find them.

The seventh article compares birds with dinosaurs and notes that today’s birds are the closest living ancestors of the dinosaurs.

Ready now to write his paper, Sammy introduces his topic with a general description of birds. He uses the first article to provide basic facts about birds. He leaves out the most technical facts but includes accessible facts for the general reader. He hopes the general reader will be excited by the fun fact that birds are related to dinosaurs, and he briefly cites the seventh article. He states his thesis: Because birds are the only wild creatures that can live anywhere on the planet, birds are the most important symbols of nature, and humans must therefore work to ensure birds’ survival.

Next, Sammy emphasizes the enjoyment that so many people get from birds. He uses the second article to show that people of all types can enjoy birds wherever they live. He visits wikipedia and adds some extra support – statistics about the growing popularity of birdwatching.

Third, Sammy sadly notes that birds are declining across the continent. He cites statistics from the third article that show how some birds are only half as numerous as they were in the 1960s.

Fourth, Sammy states that people need to get more involved in conservation, or else bird populations will decline further. He cites the fourth article as an example of how conservation can bring success.

Finally, Sammy concludes by reminding the reader of his thesis. He cites examples from the second article that show families with children enjoying birds together.

Note that Sammy drew from the second article twice, but he did not draw from the fifth and sixth articles at all. As you write, you’ll need to decide which sources are important for your purpose and which are not. Note also that Sammy did a little extra research online.

Enjoy your work, and as you write, please keep your reader in mind.

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