Synthesis: implementing a complex process.

Abstract

Synthesis is a complex task required in many scholarly activities, such as literature reviews for various projects or concept analyses. A process for synthesizing materials is described, beginning with the preliminary task of constructing a summary of the selected references. Synthesis is posited as a task that can benefit from an approach similar to content analysis used in qualitative research methods. A detailed description of the process is provided using a literature review as an example. Strategies for writing the synthesis product conclude the discussion.