What a synthesis matrix is
A synthesis matrix compares several papers across the same set of dimensions in one table. It is the backbone of a good literature review. Folio builds a set of notes for one from the sources your draft cites, and keeps them beside the document for you to write from.
Synthesis is part of the paid plans: 10 a day on Fellow and 30 a day on Chair.
How to build one
- Cite at least two sources in your document. Folio works from the sources the draft already cites, up to eight of them.
- In the editor, choose Synthesis (at the top of the Sources panel, or in the command palette).
- The Synthesis matrix panel opens beside your document. Folio reads each source's abstract and full text and fills in, for every source, the same four notes: Method / design, Sample, Key findings and Limitations.
The notes stay in the panel. Nothing is added to your document. A source with no abstract or full text in your library can't be summarized and is left out; the panel says how many were.
Using the notes
- Copy what you need. Each note has its own copy button, each source has Copy row, and Copy table copies the whole matrix (it pastes as a table into Word, Google Docs or a spreadsheet).
- Insert empty matrix adds a table to your document with one row per cited source, each named by a live citation, and every other cell empty. Fill it in from your own reading, with the notes beside you. It's the only thing the panel puts into your document, and it contains no AI text.
- Rebuild asks for fresh notes, for example after you cite more sources. It uses one of the day's syntheses, so the panel keeps your last matrix for this document on this device and shows it again whenever you open the panel.
Getting good results
- Pick comparable sources. A matrix works best when the papers address a related question; mixing unrelated topics produces thin notes.
- Use full text where you can. The notes are far richer when the source has a readable PDF or abstract in your library rather than just a title.
- Treat the notes as a reading aid. They are AI summaries of each paper. Check every one against the source before relying on it, and write the matrix in your own words; Folio assists, it does not replace your reading.