EAP Synthesizing Multiple Sources 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which transition phrase is most appropriate for showing that a second source extends the argument made by a first?
- In contrast, ...
- Building on this, ... (Correct answer)
- Despite this, ...
- Alternatively, ...
Correct answer: Building on this, ...
'Building on this' signals that the second source adds to or deepens the first source's point.
Question 2: A researcher finds that Source A uses a qualitative method and Source B uses a quantitative method to study the same phenomenon. The best synthesis move is to:
- Dismiss the qualitative source as less rigorous
- Explain how the two methods complement each other to provide a fuller picture (Correct answer)
- Report only the quantitative findings
- Note the methods differ and treat the sources as unrelated
Correct answer: Explain how the two methods complement each other to provide a fuller picture
Triangulating across methods strengthens an argument by showing convergent evidence from different research traditions.
Question 3: In the context of literature reviews, 'gap identification' refers to:
- Finding typographical errors in sources
- Locating what existing research has not yet addressed (Correct answer)
- Summarizing the weakest studies in a field
- Identifying which sources are most frequently cited
Correct answer: Locating what existing research has not yet addressed
Gap identification synthesizes what is known across sources to reveal what remains unstudied or unresolved.
Question 4: Which sentence demonstrates synthesis rather than mere summary?
- Smith (2019) argues that social media affects attention spans.
- Research consistently links heavy social media use to reduced attention spans, though the magnitude of this effect varies by age group (Smith, 2019; Garcia, 2021; Park, 2022). (Correct answer)
- According to Smith (2019), social media affects attention spans in teenagers.
- Smith (2019) conducted a study on teenagers and social media.
Correct answer: Research consistently links heavy social media use to reduced attention spans, though the magnitude of this effect varies by age group (Smith, 2019; Garcia, 2021; Park, 2022).
The second option integrates multiple sources around a central claim while noting nuance, which is the defining feature of synthesis.
Question 5: When paraphrasing multiple sources within a single sentence, a writer must:
- Use quotation marks around all borrowed ideas
- Cite each source that contributed to the paraphrase (Correct answer)
- Choose only one source to cite to avoid confusion
- Place all citations in a footnote
Correct answer: Cite each source that contributed to the paraphrase
Each source whose idea appears in the paraphrase must be acknowledged to avoid plagiarism.
Question 6: A synthesis that presents only sources supporting the writer's thesis while omitting contradictory evidence is an example of:
- Confirmation bias in literature review (Correct answer)
- Selective quotation
- Chronological organization
- Thematic clustering
Correct answer: Confirmation bias in literature review
Selectively including only agreeing sources introduces confirmation bias and undermines the credibility of the synthesis.
Question 7: What is the primary purpose of a 'synthesis paragraph' in an academic essay?
- To introduce the topic for the first time
- To show how multiple sources collectively support, complicate, or extend the paragraph's central claim (Correct answer)
- To provide a direct quotation from the most authoritative source
- To list all sources used in alphabetical order
Correct answer: To show how multiple sources collectively support, complicate, or extend the paragraph's central claim
A synthesis paragraph weaves multiple sources around one central idea, showing their interrelationship rather than presenting them separately.
EAP Synthesizing Multiple Sources 3
Which transition phrase is most appropriate for showing that a second source extends the argument made by a first?