4.5 Synthesise (draw together) your information

Start by grouping similar pieces of information together.

Return to your assignment question. What are you being asked to do? Describe? Compare? Explain? Solve?

Some patterns of organisation will be more appropriate than others.

Additional help and advice is available on the Learning and Teaching Support Unit’s analysing questions page. 

After sorting your information, label it by recording the main themes. The process of annotating and notetaking covered in Module 4: Manage your information should assist with this task. 

Without a clear structure, it becomes easy to write around your ideas rather than developing them.

Structure your information according to the categories and themes you identified in step one. Create an outline and ensure the information progresses in a logical order. This process may identify gaps in your information which should be addressed.

The type of assignment that you are completing will also impact on how you structure your information. 

Step 4: Develop

Developing your information product involves generating new ideas and drawing conclusions based on the information you have read.

For example, from the following statements:

All pigs are pink.
Pink pigs can fly.

You can draw the logical conclusion that all pigs can fly.

The ability to generate ideas and draw conclusions based on your readings demonstrates that you have understood what you have read, rather than simply integrating the ideas of others.