In Topic 2, you were asked to  read three articles on the topic of doctoral identity and to complete an  annotated bibliography to demonstrate their understanding of the  material. In Topic 3, you were asked to take this process a step further  and identify themes found in the three articles and to complete a  synthesis worksheet where the themes were supported by evidence from  each article. In this assignment, you will build on your worksheet  efforts and write a paper about the three themes. The narrative will not  only present the evidence from the articles to support the identified  themes, but also will provide an analysis for each theme by synthesizing  the information collected.

General Requirements:

• Locate the Synthesis Worksheet you completed in Topic 3.
• Locate and download “Synthesis Paper Template” from the Course Materials for this topic.
• Review the articles by Baker & Pifer (2011), Gardner (2009), and  Smith & Hatmaker (2014) located in the Course Materials for this  topic.
• This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning  the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful  completion.

Directions:

Using the Synthesis Worksheet you completed in Topic 3 and  considering the themes you developed and the feedback provided by your  instructor, write a paper (1,000-1,250 words) that synthesizes the three  articles. Your paper should include the following:

1. An introduction that introduces and provides context for the topic.  This includes giving a brief description of each article and its  purpose, identifying the three themes that emerged from your reading,  describing how they will be discussed in the paper, and presenting a  clear thesis statement.
2. Support for your identified themes with evidence from each article.  Provide analysis of these findings to strengthen your narrative.
3. A discussion of the conclusions that can be drawn when the articles  are taken together as a single entity. What is the overall message of  the group of articles?