User:Yukichigai/What synthesis is not

The concept of "synthesis" as it relates to Wikipedia's policy on Original Research is often times misunderstood. This page seeks to clarify the intended meaning of synthesis, and to address some common misconceptions.

Acceptable synthesis
One of the most basic misconceptions of the prohbition on synthesis is the belief that all forms of synthesis are not allowed. A careful read of the WP:NOR page, however, will reveal the following:

"It introduces an analysis or synthesis of established facts, ideas, opinions, or arguments in a way that builds a particular case favored by the editor, without attributing that analysis or synthesis to a reputable source;"

- No original research

The text is presented as it appears in the policy, including the bolding. The extra emphasis is provided to make clear that for synthesis to become Original Research it must produce (implicitly or explicitly) new, unverifiable information. The mere combination of information from multiple sources in and of itself does not run afoul of WP:NOR. Below are some examples of acceptable synthesis.

Articles about fictional characters
When creating an article about a character in a television show, movie franchise, or other form of serialized fiction it is almost certain that the information that is presented in the article will be compiled from multiple episodes, films, or other presentations of that fictional universe. In essence, this is a combination of information from multiple sources, or to paraphrase, synthesis..