120 Best Synthesis Topics for an Academic Essay

What is a synthesis essay?

The synthesis essay definition states that it is a type of writing assignment where a student must analyze several resources from different points of view to determine whether an argument or opinion is accurate.

While a student must present a thesis, he or she must focus on the resources used to prove or disprove the argument in question. The assignment requires utilizing multiple resources, such as books and articles, that equally and fairly take different sides to an argument.

We know that it can be difficult to develop a topic for a college essay. So we have searched the web and print sources to put together this list of 120 ideas for your consideration.

Explanatory Synthesis Essay Topics

The following list of synthesis essay topics covers a wide variety of areas and is a great place to start if you are just learning how to write this kind of assignment. When you choose a topic you should have a genuine interest in it and a desire to learn more about it:

The solution to ending global poverty.
Smartphones are making our lives more difficult.
The key to survival is in space exploration.
The media showing too much violence on TV.
The prevalence of racism in Trump’s presidential years.
Censorship on social media.
Economic and cultural growth in China.
The fallacy of saving money in your 20s.
The impact that humans have on global warming.
The lack of trade professions and the economy.

Any of these ideas are perfect for anyone who wants to consider a broader perspective on some popular and current issues. No matter which of these you choose, remember to conduct ample research.

Synthesis Essay Topics to Do with Media

The media industry is exceptionally interesting because it covers a lot of different areas from news media to Hollywood gossip pages. We’ve put together this list of synthesis topics for you to consider if this is a discipline you are interested in studying:

The role media has in crime prevention.
The impact media has on society.
Media bias in national elections.
Advertising during national news broadcasts.
Presentation of violence during news broadcasts.
The role of ethics in news reporting.
Different viewpoints between Fox News and CNN.
Mass media and the reporting of stereotypes.
The media’s use of scare tactics.
Relevance and reliability of print newspapers.

When working on any of these topics, you are going to have to do extensive research to ensure your assignment presents the latest and most accurate information. You shouldn’t have trouble finding sources, but you need to make sure they come from trustworthy organizations.

Good Synthesis Essay Topics

If you have no idea what you want to write about but still want to consider good ideas that will be interesting for you and your readers, these topics for synthesis essays should be great. If you can’t quite find something you like, you can always modify an idea so that it better fits your goals:

The ethical implications of eating meat.
The effects the internet has on personal relationships.
Social media and threats to people’s privacy.
Artificial intelligence replacing the human workforce.
Animal testing bans across the U.S.
The effects advertising has on manipulating society.
Euthanasia is a type of mercy killing.
Cell phone use and threats to people’s privacy.
Human efforts to keep the environment clean.

Most of the above topics are easy to research and write about. Most of the information will be readily available on the web, but you are still encouraged to do some research at the library where you will have access to academic resources.

Human Development Synthesis Paper Topics

This is an interesting field to explore because the research that is being done on human development is constantly changing. The topics for synthesis essay listed here should pique your interest enough to encourage you to write a great assignment:

The effect of high-sugar diets on children.
Prescription drug trials on teenagers.
The impact that poverty has on children’s health.
The impact of a vegetarian diet on children.
Media violence and children.
Discrimination and prejudices in school.
Borderline personality disorder in teenagers.
False memories in child development.
Gender roles in elementary schools.
Parenting styles and the impact on children.

If you didn’t find something you like, but still want to write about human development, you can always contact or writing team for a custom list of topics in this field.

Good Synthesis Essay Topics for Nursing

Nursing is a popular field in which you are sure to find a lot of information both online and in print. We’ve put this list of argumentative synthesis topics in this area, should nursing be a career you wish to get into:

Frontline workers risk of Covid-19.
Nurses effectiveness working overtime.
Special training courses for nurses.
Stress and mental health in the nursing field.
Influence on patient health delivered by nurses.
Professional negligence of assigned duties.
Patient abuse done by registered nurses.
Nursing services in developing countries.
Training nurses in the 21^st
Nurse practitioners and oversight.

If you are entering into a specific area of nursing and the topics above do not suit your needs, you can always contact us for a custom list of ideas better suited for your academic and professional interests.

Good Synthesis Topics on Education

You’ve probably heard others talk about educational issues. This is because this is a major area of debate at the federal, state, and local levels. Everyone from administrators to teachers to parents has some opinion about major and minor issues. Here is a synthesis essay topics list filled with many ideas worth exploring in-depth:

The importance of a college degree in modern workplaces.
The impact violence in television has on young adults.
Increased awareness of sexual risks through sex education.
The reasons behind why students cheat on tests.
Public school funding and local tax dollars.
Standardized testing versus customized testing.
Selecting electives in high school.
The effects of technology in the classroom.
Paying college athletes for their performance.
Making public colleges free for all.

Make sure you conduct adequate research on each of these topics. You need to back-up your claims for these topics with evidence and examples from trustworthy academic or government resources found online or at a public or school library.

Controversial Synthesis Topics

Writing an essay that deals with a controversial issue is a great way of making a good impression on your reading audience. If you are trying to stand apart from the crowd, this synthesis essay topics list should be very intriguing to you:

Globalization and its impact on the global economy.
The fairness of labor laws in the U.S.
Taxing multimillion-dollar businesses in the U.S.
The ways society deals with the poverty problem.
The best approaches toward dealing with global warming.
Cases of voting fraud in South American countries.
The effectiveness of Homeland Security.
S. sanctions on North Korea.
Expanding paternal leave to include men.
The use of animals for medical research.

Controversial topics are a great way of making a good impression, but we don’t recommend these ideas for any work with a short deadline. You need to do your research and that could be troublesome if you choose something that sparks a lot of debate.

Fun Synthesis Essay Topics

Sometimes it’s good to have a little fun with your assignment. These ideas are easy to research on the web and may make completing this type of assignment much easier. Check them out and feel free to modify them as needed:

The ignorance in people that believe infomercials.
The main reasons behind procrastination at work.
School dropouts make learning better in the classroom.
Success comes from not listening to your elders.
The reason why funny animal videos are addictive.
Watching people get hurt makes us laugh.
The biggest reason why one should cheat on tests.
The best ways to beat a traffic ticket.
The best excuses to get out of doing homework.
Showing up inebriated to work improves productivity.

The above list of topics is ideal for anyone who does not want to spend too much time doing research or anyone that doesn’t have the time to do the research. Having fun with your assignment can be a great way of letting your writing talents shine.

Argumentative Synthesis Essay Topics

Argumentative writing is one of the more popular types of assignment writing. These synthesis topic ideas require students to take a side on a debatable issue and present their findings using information gathered from trustworthy resources:

Being a meat eater is unethical.
Cheating on standardized tests lead to success.
Corporal punishment at the federal level.
Homeschooling is more effective.
Avoiding neighbors reduces mental stress.
The impact technology has in the movie business.
Social media compared to traditional mass media.
Snuggling with animals is unhygienic.
Clowns are more scary than funny.
Body shaming on the web.

These should be easy to research because so many debatable topics have produced ample studies. You should have no trouble locating information both online and in the library.

Synthesis Topics to Write About

Here are more good argument synthesis topics on a variety of fields. These can be easily researched on the web, but it’s to your advantage to make sure you conduct some research at the library as well:

Removing sugary drinks from high school campuses.
Animal testing and the impact on the health industry.
The health benefits of marijuana use.
Professional sports athletes holding out for more money.
The best exercises to do when you want to lose weight.
The effects of global warming on farming.
The effect of dress codes on students’ performance.
The impact armed guards have on high school campuses.
Smaller class sizes positively impact students’ performance.
The ways air pollution levels affect global warming.
The impact climate change has had on people’s lifespan.

Great Synthesis Paper Topics for College

The following good synthesis paper topics are more difficult than others we have included in this article. This is because they are designed for college students who have had more experience writing these types of essays.

Replacing junk food from vending machines with healthy options.
Children in poor families have greater health risks.
The use of the death penalty in the United States.
The most effective diets to lose weight quickly.
Technology’s use in building smart cities.
Sports athletes forcing their way out of a team.
The need for a college education in today’s professional world.
Legalization of marijuana and its presence on campus.
The impact of racial prejudice on college admissions.
Making voting a mandatory act in the U.S.

Synthesis Essay Topic Ideas for Graduate School

The following list of ideas is meant for students at the graduate level. They will require a lot of research and may take several weeks to complete. At this level, students are expected to have honed their ability to synthesize information and present an original analysis of that information:

The role musical artists and bands play on society.
Comparing the impact of truth versus fiction.
Investing in health technologies to improve the economy.
The American lifestyle and hot it impacts the environment.
The impact that legalizing marijuana will have on the economy.
The difference in child disorders caused by social reasons.
The impact fashion has on our perception of celebrities.
The influence violence on television has in the increase of crimes.
China’s vast economic growth in the last 20 years.
The U.S. Stimulus Checks plan for economic recovery.

These topics may seem more difficult because they are intended for students that are in grad school. It’s recommended that anyone that takes up any of these ideas conduct ample research using both online and in-print sources from trustworthy places.

Our team of committed academic experts is available to provide you with custom lists of synthesis paper topics to fit any assignment. You can contact our customer support by phone, email, or chat. Our essay writing services are available 24/7, 365 days. Check out our other free resources for tips on how to write exceptional essays on any topic.