Definition of Synoptic Table

A synoptic table is the schematic summary of an idea, a text, a document and even a teacher's class.

Schematic and graphic summary of a topic, text or work that exposes the elementary idea and allows to establish the relationship with other contents

The main advantage of it is that it allows visualize the structure and organization of the content that is exposed in a certain text, in an abbreviated and concrete way since exposes the most elementary and important of what the text expresses, and also offers us a visible relationship between the contents exposed.

Main applications and how it is made

This resource is especially used at the behest of academic life since it is used by students to study the topics presented in class and thus make homework easier and be able to pass exams, but it is also used by teachers to explain to students the contents of the study program and that his schemegraphic and relational is highly relevant and effective for internalizing concepts and ideas.

It is also usually used at the request of the labor field, especially when it comes to explaining projects in a meeting or Assembly.

It can be elaborated with the help of different graphic elements and symbols such as braces, arrows, parentheses ({}), diagrams , among others, or failing that, use a series of columns and rows by way of tables.

Meanwhile, the synopsis It is the summary of the main ideas of a text that is presented in an analytical way and organized in such a way that its internal structure is evident.

The synoptic table basically fulfills two very specific purposes, on the one hand, the determination of the essential elements of the text in question and on the other hand the schematic representation of the relationships established between these contents.

To make a painting of this type we must in the first instance determine main ideas of the text, so to carry out this step you can use the techniques of elaboration of summaries that we consider most pertinent. It is advisable to first carry out a reading of the content to be summarized and once finished re-read the text but add to it the action of highlighting, underlining the main ideas that later will be of great help to make the table.

This reading, underlining of key ideas and summary is key to making the synoptic table.

Then, we will have to relate those essential elements of the text in such a way that they can be organized, while with respect to these we will have to Identify the degree of generality and once this step has been carried out, the scheme that will reflect the aforementioned relationships of the elements.

Thanks to new technologies, programs have been developed that facilitate the making of these pictures, without However, and beyond the contribution they bring us, which is very good, we must say that none of them will replace the understanding reader and the ability to synthesis that he boasts and that only his intellect provides them.

The shape of most synoptic tables is shaped like a diagram hierarchical in which concepts and contents are subordinated.

It will always be necessary to identify the main topic in the text and the various subtopics that emerge from the most important. Meanwhile, if other minor themes emerge from the subtopics, it should also be reflected.

They are generally arranged horizontally, with the most important topics located on the left and the subtopics placed on the right.

And if you opt for a vertical diagram, the most relevant topics will be placed at the top and the minor topics at the bottom.

Other considerations to take into account are: do not include your own ideas, only the highlights of the text in a brief and concise way; indicate the central concepts in an orderly and systematic way; represent through diagrams the relationships that are established; go from the general to the particular and the subtitles should be made from short, clear and meaningful sentences.

Topics in Summary Table