Literature Synthesis

Thematic vs Source-by-Source

• Thematic synthesis (preferred): Organize by theme. "Theme 1: Performance — Source A found X, Source B found Y, together suggesting Z."
• Source-by-source: Use when sources are few or when comparing specific studies. Less common for synthesis.

Conflict Resolution

When sources disagree:

• Present both views with attribution.
• Synthesize: "While A suggests X, B argues Y; the difference may stem from..."
• Do not suppress conflicts; they are part of the synthesis.

Citation Format

• Inline: [Author, Year], [Source 1], or [Task N] when from artifacts. Use for every factual or quantitative claim.
• Quantitative claims (benchmarks, RPS, metrics): must include attribution—never state numbers without source.
• References section: Required at end. List all sources:
  • From artifacts: [Task N] artifact_name - brief description
  • General knowledge: [Official Docs] Framework - documentation or [Industry] benchmark description
  • With URL: [Source Name](url) - description
• Be consistent throughout the document.

Quality Checklist

• Organized by theme, not just source list
• Findings synthesized across sources
• Inline citations for all factual/quantitative claims
• ## References section present and lists all sources
• Agreements and conflicts noted
• Gaps identified
• Conclusions supported by synthesis
• All input artifacts represented (no source ignored without reason)