The Basics of Speech

Chapter 10: Finding and Using Information

Overview

Effective speech is formed from solid ideas and information. Through research, you can acquire information to support your topic. To gather information, you can turn to your own experience, interviews, surveys, printed materials, electronic media materials, and cyberspace resources. Beginning with your own experience allows you to examine your connection to your topic.

An interview allows you to design a conversation to obtain specific information. Through a survey, you can gather information and opinions from a large number of people. Other valuable resources include printed materials such as books, magazines, and journals, as well as electronic media resources such as radio, TV, and video. You can also gather a wide range of information from Internet resources, which are sometimes referred to as cyberspace resources. Part of the process of conducting your research is recording your information. It is important to cite your resources carefully and properly to avoid plagiarism. As you sift through your notes, it is important to choose material that will support your main points. It is also important to evaluate your supporting material by determining whether it is fact or opinion, is from a credible source, is relevant to the goal of your speech, is timely, and is a representative example.