literature synthesis matrix

• Synthesis Matrix
• Synthesis Matrix - A Step-by-Step Guide

The Synthesis Matrix - How to begin

A Synthesis Matrix is a great tool to help you organize and synthesize your research. Essentially, it is a table or chart where you identify your main ideas along the first column and your sources along the top row. Once set up, you can enter your notes and quotes from each source that correspond to each of your main ideas.

• Synthesis Matrix tutorial
• Blank Synthesis Matrix (Google Docs) Use this Google Doc to set up your Synthesis Matrix. Make a copy of the document to enter your information.

Synthesis Matrix - Step 1 - Identify Themes

    What are your main ideas or concepts? 

Think about the assigned reading and the ideas that came up when discussing it in class. What are the ideas or themes that you found most interesting? Or that you are most curious about. Enter these themes or concepts into the first column of the Synthesis Matrix, putting each one in a different row.

These are the themes you will use to search for your secondary sources in the Library's databases.

Synthesis Matrix - Step 2 - Research the Themes

  Look for sources related to your themes

After identifying your main themes or concepts, take a moment to think about them. What are they? Are there other words you could use to describe them? What subject areas or disciplines would address those topics? Before you start searching in a Library database, record this information in your Synthesis Matrix under each theme.

If you are unsure of what words to use you could look up your terms in a dictionary or encyclopedia . You can also look online for ideas, Wikipedia is a good source for this part of your research. You will not use Wikipedia as a source but you can use it to identify keywords and related ideas. 

Search for sources

Use the keywords you identified to search for sources in the Library's databases . Try our SNAP! Search or some of the databases listed below.

Here are a few tips to help you out:

• Begin with a simple search 
• Only enter your concepts - don't enter your thesis statement, research question, or complete sentences
• Use the Advanced Search whenever possible
• Be persistent and flexible - if you're not finding what you need switch your keywords with ones that you identified on your Synthesis Matrix
• If you need help, let us know !

Here is an example of a search.

• SNAP! Search Our SNAP! Search makes finding information and credible sources a breeze. Search almost all of our databases at once with this powerful search. Here, you’ll find journals, books, videos, magazines, and more all in one search.
• Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new window Informed viewpoints support learners in developing critical-thinking skills and drawing their own conclusions. Covers current social issues through viewpoints, reference articles, infographics, news, images, video, and audio.
• U.S. History in Context This link opens in a new window Find articles, statistics, images, videos, and other types of sources on the most significant people, events and topics in U.S. History.
• JSTOR This link opens in a new window JSTOR is an excellent source for scholarly, peer-reviewed articles, ebooks and images, covering literature, history, the arts, and more.
• CINAHL Complete This link opens in a new window Nursing and allied health literature. Find evidence based research articles/studies, evidence-based care sheets and practice guidelines.

Synthesis Matrix - Step 3 - Fill in the Matrix

    Read the articles and start filling in the Matrix

Review all the articles you found and choose the ones you would like to use. Read these articles thoroughly, take notes, and highlight passages that relate to your themes.

In this example, I have quotes from the Tom Tiede article that represent the experiences of doctors in the first column. In the next columns, I have quotes from the other articles I chose that represent the same idea - the experiences of medical personnel.

I don't have any quotes from the Horwitz book in this row. I didn't find anything in this source that discussed this aspect of my topic and that's fine. The Horwitz book had good information on PTSD and war that I can use. Not all of my sources will cover all of my topic. You will use your sources and the matrix to create a conversation about your topic, bringing in evidence from an array of sources.

The next rows of the matrix for the topics of War and PTSD are below.

The Synthesis Matrix - Examples and Help

• Blank Synthesis Matrix Use this Google Doc to set up your Synthesis Matrix. Make a copy of the document by clicking on "File" and "Make a Copy" to enter your information. You should be logged in to MyNorthShore to access this document.
• Synthesis Matrix Use this Word document to set up your Synthesis Matrix
• Synthesis Matrix for "Black Men and Public Spaces" This is an example of a Synthesis Matrix based on the article, "Black Men and Public Spaces" by Brent Staples.
• Synthesis Matrix for Story of an Hour
• Tom Tiede - Synthesis Matrix
• Synthesis Matrix for Black Men in Public Spaces Google Doc
• Tom Tiede Synthesis Matrix Example Google Doc
• << Previous: Synthesis Matrix
• Last Updated: Aug 21, 2024 8:01 AM
• URL: https://library.northshore.edu/synthesis-matrix

• University of Oregon Libraries
• Research Guides

How to Write a Literature Review

• 6. Synthesize
• Literature Reviews: A Recap
• Reading Journal Articles
• Does it Describe a Literature Review?
• 1. Identify the Question
• 2. Review Discipline Styles
• Searching Article Databases
• Finding Full-Text of an Article
• Citation Chaining
• When to Stop Searching
• 4. Manage Your References
• 5. Critically Analyze and Evaluate

Synthesis Visualization

Synthesis matrix example.

• 7. Write a Literature Review

• Synthesis Worksheet

About Synthesis

Approaches to synthesis.

You can sort the literature in various ways, for example:

How to Begin?

Read your sources carefully and find the main idea(s) of each source

Look for similarities in your sources – which sources are talking about the same main ideas? (for example, sources that discuss the historical background on your topic)

Use the worksheet (above) or synthesis matrix (below) to get organized

This work can be messy. Don't worry if you have to go through a few iterations of the worksheet or matrix as you work on your lit review!

Four Examples of Student Writing

In the four examples below, only ONE shows a good example of synthesis: the fourth column, or  Student D . For a web accessible version, click the link below the image.

Long description of "Four Examples of Student Writing" for web accessibility

• Download a copy of the "Four Examples of Student Writing" chart

Click on the example to view the pdf.

From Jennifer Lim

• << Previous: 5. Critically Analyze and Evaluate
• Next: 7. Write a Literature Review >>
• Last Updated: Aug 12, 2024 11:48 AM
• URL: https://researchguides.uoregon.edu/litreview

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Literature Review: A Self-Guided Tutorial for NUR 288

• Literature Reviews: A Recap
• Peer-Review
• Reading the Literature
• Developing Research Questions
• 2. Review discipline styles
• Super Searching
• Finding the Full Text
• Finding Guidelines in Databases
• Citation Searching
• Evaluating online information
• When to stop searching
• How to cite your sources following APA
• In-Text Citations
• Keeping track of your references
• Annotating Articles Tip
• 5. Critically analyze and evaluate
• How to review the literature

Using a synthesis matrix

• 7. Write literature review

Synthesize : combine separate elements to form a whole.

Why use a synthesis matrix? 

• A synthesis matrix helps you record the main points of each source and document how sources relate to each other.
• After summarizing and evaluating your sources, arrange them in a matrix or use a citation manager to help you see how they relate to each other and apply to each of your themes or variables.  
• By arranging your sources by theme or variable, you can see how your sources relate to each other, and can start thinking about how you weave them together to create a narrative.

A synthesis matrix visually represents your research by organizing your sources by themes:

Add each article citation to the Source column and begin to identify the theme(s) from the article. 

Use the Excel template below to help you evaluate your sources, create article summaries for an annotated bibliography, and a synthesis matrix for your lit review outline. From John Hopkins Sheridan Libraries.  

NOTE : There are several tabs at the bottom of the Excel spreadsheet to help guide you with this method.

• Literature Review Prep - with Synthesis Matrix
• << Previous: How to review the literature
• Next: 7. Write literature review >>
• Last Updated: Oct 25, 2024 12:14 PM
• URL: https://libguides.wccnet.edu/literature_review

• Research Guides

Literature Review: A Self-Guided Tutorial

Using a synthesis matrix.

• Literature Reviews: A Recap
• Peer Review
• Reading the Literature
• Using Concept Maps
• Developing Research Questions
• Considering Strong Opinions
• 2. Review discipline styles
• Super Searching
• Finding the Full Text
• Citation Searching This link opens in a new window
• When to stop searching
• Citation Management
• Annotating Articles Tip
• 5. Critically analyze and evaluate
• How to Review the Literature
• 7. Write literature review

A synthesis matrix visually represents your research by organizing your sources by themes:

• Sample Synthesis Matrix Example provided by Ashford University Writing Center .
• << Previous: How to Review the Literature
• Next: 7. Write literature review >>
• Last Updated: Oct 1, 2024 1:31 PM
• URL: https://libguides.williams.edu/literature-review

Literature Synthesis: Guide To Synthesise & Write Literature Review

Literature synthesis is a crucial skill for researchers and scholars, allowing them to integrate findings from multiple sources into a coherent analysis. Mastering literature synthesis will enhance your research and writing skills. 

This guide will walk you through the process of synthesising and writing a literature review, providing practical steps and insider tips. Learn how to:

• organise your sources,
• identify key themes, and
• create a cohesive narrative that highlights both agreements and disagreements within the existing literature.

Literature Synthesis vs Literature Review

You may be familiar with literature review, and the term literature synthesis may throw you off a bit. Are they a similar thing, or something different from each other?

If you are still unsure about how literature synthesis is different from literature review, here are a couple of points to think about: 

Approach To Sources

One difference is the approach to sources. In a literature review, you might describe each source separately, detailing its findings and contributions.

With synthesis, you combine the ideas from multiple sources to highlight relationships and gaps.

One example would be you may find that several studies agree on a particular theme but use different methodologies to reach their conclusions.

Organisation

A second difference is the organization. Literature reviews typically follow a structured format, summarizing each source in a new paragraph.

In contrast, synthesis requires organising sources around key themes or topics. This might involve using a synthesis matrix to align findings and theories from different sources into a cohesive analysis.

How To Evaluate Literature

Evaluating the literature also differs. When you write a literature review, you summarise and describe the existing research. Synthesis goes further by:

• critically evaluating the sources,
• identifying points of agreement and disagreement, and
• assessing the overall state of knowledge.

You need to address the methodological approaches used and how they relate to your research questions.

In terms of purpose, a literature review provides an overview of what’s known about a topic. It sets the stage for your research by summarising existing knowledge.

Synthesis, meanwhile, aims to create new insights by combining and contrasting different sources. This process helps you identify research gaps and questions that need further investigation.

Writing Process

Finally, the writing process differs. A literature review involves compiling summaries, often following a step-by-step guide.

With synthesis, you need to integrate:

• theories, and
• methodologies from various sources.

This involves weaving together different perspectives into a single, cohesive narrative that supports your research aims.

How To Perform Literature Synthesis?

Performing literature synthesis can be daunting, but by breaking it down step by step, you can create a comprehensive and coherent analysis of your topic.

Here’s a guide to help you through the process, with insider details and practical examples that will make your task easier.

Organise Your Sources

First, you need to gather and organise your sources. Start by conducting a thorough search of the existing literature on your topic, using

• research guides,
• library databases, and
• academic journals to find relevant sources.

There are plenty of AI tools that can help with process as well – make sure you check out my guide on best AI tools for literature review.

Record the main points of each source in a summary table. This table should include columns for:

• the author,
• publication year,
• key points,
• methodologies used, and

By organising your sources in this way, you’ll have a clear overview of the existing literature.

Identify Themes

Once you have your sources organised, it’s time to start synthesising the literature. This means combining the ideas and findings from multiple sources to create a cohesive analysis.

Begin by identifying the key themes that emerge from your sources. These themes will form the basis of your synthesis.

Suppose you are you’re researching job satisfaction, In this case, you might find recurring themes such as work-life balance, salary, and workplace environment.

Create A Synthesis Matrix

Next, create a synthesis matrix. This tool helps you organize the key points from each source under the identified themes.

Each row in the matrix represents a source, and each column represents a theme.

By filling in the matrix, you can see how different sources relate to each theme. This will help you identify similarities and differences between the sources.

Write Your Literature Synthesis

With your synthesis matrix in hand, you can start writing your literature synthesis.

Begin each paragraph with a clear topic sentence that identifies the theme you’re discussing. Then, weave together the findings from different sources, highlighting points of agreement and disagreement.

One way you may write this include: “While Franz (2008) found that salary is a major factor in job satisfaction, Goldstein (2012) argued that work-life balance plays a more significant role.”

Critically Evaluate Your Sources

Be sure to critically evaluate the sources as you synthesize the literature. This means assessing the methodologies used in each study and considering their impact on the findings.

Let’s say you found that most studies on job satisfaction used qualitative methods , you might question whether the findings would differ if quantitative methods were used. Addressing these methodological differences can help you identify research gaps and areas for further study.

Don’t Just Summarise

As you write your paragraphs, avoid simply summarising each source. Instead, combine the key points from multiple sources to create a more comprehensive analysis.

If we reuse Franz (2008) as example, rather than describing Franz’s study in one paragraph and Goldstein’s study in another, integrate their findings to show how they relate to each other.

This approach will make your synthesis more cohesive and easier to follow.

Address The Broader Context Of The Topic

To create a strong synthesis, you also need to address the broader context of your research. This means considering the theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence that underpin your topic.

If you’re researching job satisfaction, you might discuss how different theories of motivation relate to your findings. By integrating these broader perspectives, you can provide a more comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge.

Keep Questioning Yourself

Throughout the writing process, keep the five key questions in mind:

• What’s broadly agreed upon within the current research?
• Where do the disagreements lie?
• Which theories are central to your research topic?
• Which contexts have been covered, and which haven’t?
• What types of research methodologies have been used?

Addressing these questions will help you create a more thorough and insightful synthesis.

Revise & Edit

Finally, revise and edit your work. This means checking for clarity, coherence, and logical flow. Make sure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that all sentences within the paragraph relate to that topic.

Remove any unnecessary information and ensure that your synthesis is well-organised and easy to follow.

Your Guide To Synthesise Literature

Performing literature synthesis may seem overwhelming, but by following this step-by-step guide, you can create a comprehensive and cohesive analysis of your topic.

Use tools like summary tables and synthesis matrices to organise your sources, and focus on combining the key points from multiple sources to create a strong synthesis.

With careful planning and critical evaluation, you can produce a literature synthesis that provides valuable insights into your field of study.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

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How I Made My Life Easier By Using A Synthesis Matrix

By Abbie, a Writing Center Coach

I’ve always enjoyed writing and thought myself quite good at it before getting to college. Of course, a lot of the writing you do then is for English class, reading one book and writing about it; you still have to work at figuring out your focus and how to support it, but the “research” aspect is limited. Stepping outside of a traditional English paper is another step, one that I was hit with when I first started college and had to write for other subjects.

To me, a research paper is one of the most daunting assignments I’ve ever received. Suddenly, I needed to look at more than just a single work of fiction. There are often semester-long steps to picking a question, finding sources, evaluating them, and synthesizing them. It’s easy for me to want to push those tasks until later or cherrypick evidence to support an easier answer. But that doesn’t result in the best research paper possible, and I might not even learn much along the way.

One of my favorite strategies for writing research papers is creating a synthesis matrix, which is essentially creating a research worksheet to fill out. They can look different depending on what I’m working on, but their main purpose is for taking research notes and seeing relationships across large numbers of sources and information categories. I’ve used both Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets to create synthesis matrices in the past.

The first time I ever created a synthesis matrix was for ENGL 402 , which I took to apply to work at the Writing Center. The assignment was a literature review where I had to pick any topic related to writing and explore what the literature said about it. I had no idea where to start, but this method helped me land on and deeply explore my topic.

While working on my literature review, I divided my synthesis matrix process into five steps: topic selection, source selection, matrix setup, reading and categorization, and usage of the matrix itself.

Step 1: Topic Selection

First, I decided to freewrite some topic ideas, a strategy I got from the Writing Center’s Brainstorming handout . I set a timer for 5 minutes and listed out every topic related to writing that came to mind. I came up with multiple ideas, but the one I chose was about writing motivation. As someone who has always loved writing, I wanted to explore people writing solely for a grade rather than because of genuine passion and interest in the topic. This helped me come up with keywords (writing, grades, motivation, rubrics) that I could then use in my initial research step when searching for sources.

Step 2: Source Selection

Once I had my keywords, I turned to the UNC Libraries website. I always begin with the “E-Research by Discipline” tool, which allows me to select databases of academic articles that are more likely to be related to my topic. For my initial ideas about writing motivation, I went to a database under the “English” discipline. The “Articles+” on the library site has more search filters under “Advanced Search” that I used to get more specific search results.

Through this research process, I landed on a topic: utility-value in writing . Using this topic to form my new keywords, I found multiple sources related to writing, learning, real world applications of course material, and connections between class content. One issue I ran into was that a lot of sources were about multilingual learners, while I just wanted to focus on general college writing (rather than language learning). Thankfully, I was able to use Boolean search logic to filter out language learning sources.

Step 3: Setting up the Matrices

Before looking through the sources I had gathered, I set up a Microsoft Excel sheet for note taking. This would become my synthesis matrix — all of my sources, along with the author, date, and citation, were listed in the left columns. The rest of the columns were broken into categories of information I thought I might use. The first few columns make it easy for me to find important information needed for parenthetical citations and references, as well as to remember the specific focus of a source. I was mostly using empirical studies, though other source types could have different categories, like a synopsis of a book from which a chapter had been pulled. I ended up with two separate sections of my sheet: one for sources related to utility value writing and another for sources related to Writing-To-Learn ( a learning pedagogy with some similarities).

With my matrix set up, I felt much better about my ability to take good notes on my sources rather than trying to tackle them with a blank document.

Step 4: Reading & Note-taking

Once I started reading, using the matrix felt like I had given myself a checklist of sources to get through along with boxes to fill in for each one. Because of this, I was able to get through my sources much more quickly, feeling a sense of accomplishment as I could see how much I had done. I also was already beginning to organize my notes because of the matrix setup. It initially seemed like a much more time-consuming method, but the organizational element was a huge time-saver when it came to actually putting my paper together. I was much more familiar with my evidence by the time it came to outline, so I didn’t have to dig through my notes as much to figure out what to say or where to say it.

As I read through my sources, I took notes in the matrix by copy and pasting quotes from my sources as well as paraphrasing information. I always made sure to add page numbers so I could easily go back and find where I got my information. Along the way, my categories molded to what I was reading. It was important for me to not only search for what I was originally looking for but reflect what was actually being discussed in my sources.

Step 5: Using the Matrix 

Once I had filled in the entire Excel sheet, I could see which sources overlapped where, compare and contrast what they said, and see areas of agreement and disagreement. My next step was to use this information to organize my paper. I decided to color-code the boxes based on where I thought they might fit; while this ended up largely following the column categories, there were a few that fit somewhere else, and the visual strategy helped remind me to include everything where I wanted it.

The last step was writing the actual paper. I found it to be a much easier and faster process with my synthesis matrix having already organized everything, and was able to sit down and write an entire 10 pages over just a couple days. I ended up satisfied with what I had written, and I know it would have been much harder without the synthesis matrix.

Reflections

If I were to go back and work on this matrix again, I might work on paraphrasing more than just pasting direct quotes in. While it was easier to just paste the original wording, I ended up having to work a lot on paraphrasing and evaluating my sources’ information when I was actually writing the paper. I think using more paraphrasing relative to quoting when I was filling in the matrix would have gotten me to try to better understand what I was reading when I was reading it, and probably would have saved some space since I ended up with a lot of blocks of long quotes. I also had a column for figures and diagrams that I didn’t fill in much and didn’t end up using what I had filled in at all, so I might reevaluate what forms of information I’m predominantly paying attention to in sources and whether other forms might add something of value to my paper, perhaps by listing out information I get without even looking at the main text.

I highly recommend trying this strategy out on your next research paper or literature review! I learned it from Dr. Gigi Taylor in ENGL 402, a class where you can try using this strategy and learn more about yourself and your writing style. I am very grateful to have found a method that works so well with my approach to writing, and I hope that it helps you as well.

This blog showcases the perspectives of UNC Chapel Hill community members learning and writing online. If you want to talk to a Writing and Learning Center coach about implementing strategies described in the blog, make an appointment with a writing coach , a peer tutor , or an academic coach today. Have an idea for a blog post about how you are learning and writing remotely? Contact us here .

Module 4: Strategic Reading

Organize your Readings with a Literature Review Matrix

The next step after reading and evaluating your sources is to organize them in a way that will help you start the writing process.

Review Matrix

One way to organize your literature is with a review matrix. The review matrix is a chart that sorts and categorizes the different arguments presented per topic or issue. Using a matrix enables you to quickly compare and contrast your sources in order to determine the scope of research across time. This will allow you  to spot similarities and differences between sources. It is particularly useful in the synthesis and analysis stages of a review (See Module 1 Conducting a Literature Review with the SALSA Framework ).

Example of a Review Matrix

My research question:

How can we use machine learning to analyze social media data related to HIV?

Writing a Literature Review Modified from The WI+RE Team,  UCLA. Creative Commons CC-BY-NA-SA

Create a Review Matrix

Start with a charting tool you are most familiar with (for example MS Word, MS Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers etc).

• Organize your sources from oldest to most recent. This way you can see how the research on your topic has changed over time.
• First Column: citation (i.e., author, title, source, publication year)
• Second Column: purpose or summary (1-2 sentences)
• methodology
• intervention

Key Takeaways

Here are some examples of different review matrices and templates:

• Evidence Synthesis Matrix Template, Jane Schmidt, Toronto Metropolitan University (Google Sheets)
• The Matrix Method for Literature Reviews, Brandeis University, Writing Resources.
• Literature Review Synthesis Matrix , Concordia University (MS Word)
• Write a Literature Review: Synthesize . Johns Hopkins University, Sheridan Libraries

Advanced Research Skills: Conducting Literature and Systematic Reviews (2nd Edition) Copyright © 2021 by Kelly Dermody; Cecile Farnum; Daniel Jakubek; Jo-Anne Petropoulos; Jane Schmidt; and Reece Steinberg is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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