Grouping your source material

This section will introduce you to one way of grouping your source material together - the synthesis grid.

Is this you? Do you:

• try to read everything on the reading list?
• end up with mountains of photocopied material and notes?
• read without trying to establish connections as you go along?
• find yourself overwhelmed by the volume of notes you have taken?
• take notes from the notes … from the notes … from the notes … ?
• start writing and hope it’ll all work out somehow?

If this is you, you need some strategies to help you focus your reading and group what you read into a limited number of major arguments, each with supporting evidence.