The process of doing research and drawing details from multiple sources in order to form a main idea is called thesis-building. A thesis is a clear, main argument that pulls together all of the ideas of one's paper, using research and original ideas.
By doing her research and comparing ideas and looking for ways to support her main idea, Ashley is most likely building a thesis, which is supposed to be a clear, main argument that will guide her paper or essay. It is supposed to be Ashley's idea supported by previous researches, theories, and such.
