Synthesizing Research into Narrative
When the task calls for a narrative answer (not a list or table), this file covers how to synthesize findings from multiple sources into a coherent, well-structured response.
When Synthesis Applies
Synthesis is the right output format when:
- The user is asking "what do people say about X" or "what's the current state of Y"
- The answer requires integrating perspectives from multiple sources
- The output should be prose with citations, not a table of entities
Structure
Lead with the answer
Put the core finding or conclusion first. The user should get value from the first paragraph alone.
Organize by theme, not by source
Bad: "Source A says X. Source B says Y. Source C says Z." Good: "Theme 1: [insight supported by A, B]. Theme 2: [insight supported by C, with counterpoint from A]."
Surface disagreement explicitly
When credible sources disagree, don't collapse to consensus. Present both sides with their evidence:
- "On [topic], [position A] (supported by [sources]) vs [position B] (supported by [sources]). [When each applies or why they diverge]."
Include confidence signals
- How many independent sources support a claim?
- How fresh is the evidence?
- Are the sources practitioners or commentators?
Thematic Clustering
When dealing with many reactions or perspectives (e.g. "what are people saying about X"):
- Read through all results
- Identify recurring themes (not just topics -- themes have a stance or direction)
- Group results by theme
- For each theme: state the theme, cite 2-3 representative sources, note the volume
- Flag outlier themes that appear only once but carry important signal
Citation Practice
- Every factual claim gets a source URL
- Prefer inline citations: "Engineers report 3x latency reduction (source)"
- For quotes, include the exact text and attribute it
Common Mistakes
- Source-by-source summaries: Feels comprehensive but is unreadable and doesn't synthesize
- Collapsing disagreement: Picking a winner instead of presenting the landscape
- Missing recency: Treating 2023 sources as current for fast-moving topics
- Over-synthesis: Producing a full essay when the user asked a narrow question