General Knowledge Summary: Practical Guide

The document synthesis is crucial for students in BTS. It is part of the general knowledge and expression exam. This exercise helps improve writing skills, organize ideas, and strengthen analytical ability.

The goal is to create a synthesis that is objective. It should be based on various documents such as texts, images, and data. These documents address a specific theme. The synthesis must be concise and structured, keeping the key ideas without adding new information.

To excel, students must have a deep general knowledge. They should use reliable sources and follow a coherent structure. This guide shows you the key steps to succeed, with concrete examples and tips for better clarity of expression.

What is document synthesis in BTS?

The document synthesis in BTS is crucial for future higher technicians. It helps improve their analysis and synthesis skills. This exam requires writing a synthesis on a general knowledge topic in BTS. Students use various documents such as texts and data.

Definition and Objectives

The objective of the synthesis is to summarize and reformulate concisely the key ideas from the documents. It is necessary to demonstrate the ability to extract the essentials and present them in a structured manner.

General Knowledge Themes for the Year 2024/2025

The general knowledge themes for 2024/2025 are:

• “Invitation to travel…”
• “Paris, capital city?”

These themes encourage candidates to develop their analysis and synthesis skills. They allow for working on interesting and varied subjects.

How to write a synthesis in general knowledge

The written synthesis of documents requires several key steps. Start by carefully reading the file, the instructions, and understanding the theme. Then, find the pivot document, the most complete and representative.

Next, create a comparison table to see the commonalities and differences. This clarifies the problematic and helps establish a writing plan with its parts and subparts.

Step 1: Prepare the writing

• Familiarize yourself with the entire file (instructions, documents, theme)
• Identify the pivot document, the most complete and representative
• Create a comparison table to spot convergences and divergences
• Define a draft plan with the different parts and subparts

Step 2: Write the synthesis

The document synthesis is divided into three key parts:

1. The introduction: hook sentence, presentation of the file, formulation of the problematic, announcement of the plan
2. The development: 2 to 3 main parts with 2 to 3 subparts to confront the documents
3. The conclusion: summary and opening

The goal is to organize the ideas logically. It is essential to rely on the documents without adding external elements.

Structure of a document synthesis

The structure of a document synthesis includes two important parts: the introduction and the development. These elements help clearly organize the ideas arising from the confrontation of the corpus documents.

Introduction

The introduction of the document synthesis should have four key elements:

1. A hook sentence to introduce the theme
2. The presentation of the file in 1 or 2 sentences
3. The formulation of the problematic
4. The announcement of the synthesis plan

This introduction helps to frame the subject and announce the logic of the writing.

Development

The development is the central part of the synthesis. It consists of 2 to 3 main parts, each divided into 2 to 3 subparts. The objective is to present the ideas arising from the confrontation of the documents in a structured manner. It shows their links, convergences, and divergences.

Transition sentences can be added between the main parts. This improves the coherence and organization of ideas.

Methodology of document synthesis

Preparing a document synthesis requires a precise methodology. It starts with the confrontation of the corpus documents. A comparison table is useful to identify similar or opposing ideas. This allows for highlighting the major issues and the problematic of the synthesis.

Confrontation of documents

The first step is to confront the documents for in-depth analysis. This helps to identify the key ideas and compare them. This preparatory work is crucial for identifying the main issues of the synthesis.

Define the problematic

After the analysis, it is necessary to define the problematic of the synthesis. This problematic must be present in all documents and reflect the main idea. Formulating this problematic as a question is essential for structuring the reflection and writing.

Build the plan

Next, it is necessary to build the synthesis plan. This plan should be logical and balanced, with 2 or 3 main parts divided into 2 or 3 subparts. The goal is to organize the ideas of the corpus coherently. Each part should confront the documents without treating them successively.

Types of plans for a synthesis

Choosing the right analytical, thematic, or dialectical plan is crucial for a good synthesis. Each type has its advantages depending on the subject and the problematic.

Analytical plan

The analytical plan is perfect for concrete subjects. It is divided into three parts: observations, causes, and consequences. This allows for understanding a subject in a comprehensive manner.

Thematic plan

The thematic plan explores the subject from different angles. It uses categories such as economics or sociology. This helps to see the subject from all its facets.

Dialectical plan

The dialectical plan starts with an idea (the thesis) then its opposite (the antithesis). It leads to a synthesis that combines both. This plan is useful for subjects that involve a debate.

Example of document synthesis

To illustrate the methodology of document synthesis, here is a concrete example. This example shows the expected structure (introduction, development in 2-3 parts, conclusion). It also shows how to organize ideas and respect the best practices (objectivity, conciseness, clarity). Consider it as a model for your document synthesis.

The topic is: “The role of technological innovations in improving the productivity of companies”. Three documents were used:

• A newspaper article on the benefits of new technologies for companies
• A case study on the successful implementation of management software in a SME
• A report on the challenges related to automation in certain industrial sectors

In the introduction, we posed the problematic. We highlighted the importance of technological innovations in improving productivity in companies. We then announced the three parts of the development:

1. The advantages of new technologies for companies
2. The success conditions for implementing technological innovations
3. The challenges related to automation in certain sectors

In each part of the development, we confronted the documents and synthesized the key information objectively and concisely. Finally, in the conclusion, we highlighted the main lessons from this synthesis on the role of technological innovations.

Conclusion

The document synthesis in BTS is crucial to demonstrate your skills. It shows your ability to analyze, understand, and summarize information, while integrating elements of Moroccan culture. This section summarizes the key points and opens up new topics.

The conclusion of the document synthesis is the time to make a summary and an opening. It provides a clear overview of the file. Take the time to reflect for a strong conclusion.

Being good at synthesis is useful, whether you are in BTS or preparing for exams. Keep practicing and seek help to improve. Good luck!