Essentials of Public Speaking Selecting Outlining, and Researching Your Topic Chapter 5 Essentials of Public Speaking Cheryl Hamilton 5th Edition Cheryl Hamilton, Ph.D. Chapter 5 – Selecting, Outlining, and Researching Your Topic

Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic Key Ideas Guidelines for finding a good topic Importance of narrowing your topic Defining the exact purpose The role of outlining Ways to conduct quality research Avoiding plagiarism Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic Flashback . . . The Greek and Roman rhetoricians urged their students to research, read, and study on a daily basis. In DeOratore, Cicero, an eminent Roman politician and famous orator, wrote: “No man can be an orator complete in all points of merit who has not attained a knowledge of all important subjects and arts. For it is from knowledge that oratory must derive its beauty and fullness . . .” (E. W. Sutton, trans. [Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1959], Book I, vi, 20). Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Guidelines for Finding a Good Topic Select a topic that . . . Fits requirements of assignment Showcases your experiences/knowledge Interests you You can make interesting and valuable to your audience Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Defining the Exact Purpose Let’s use Football as an example of a general topic General Topic: Football Exact Purpose: After hearing my speech, the audience will be able to Explain the divisions and conferences that compose the NFL Understand the steps required for a team to make it to the Super Bowl Explain the job of coaching Explain the argument over natural versus artificial turf Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Determine the Main Points Brainstorm for possible main points (Use Speech Builder Express to help) Narrow to 3 – 5 possible main points Refine your purpose if necessary Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Preparing a Rough Draft Outline Reasons to use an outline Serves as the map for a presentation Makes getting suggestions from others easier Easier to determine where research and supporting materials are needed Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Preparing a Rough Draft Outline Guidelines for rough draft outlines Does not have to be perfect Concentrate on main points Indicate what supports are needed Do not include introductions and conclusions Update as you research Check off each support as it’s located Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Researching Your Topic The role of supporting materials Clarify concepts and terms Prove your position Add interest to keep your audience listening Research mistakes Too much reliance on personal experience Research done totally online Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Sources of Information Personal Experience Printed Materials Topic Databases/Internet Interviews Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Begin with Printed Materials Begin searching one or two current books on the topic Examples of printed materials Books Brochures and pamphlets Magazines and journals Newspapers Dictionaries and encyclopedias Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Use Licensed Electronic Databases Electronic databases available in libraries have been screened to include only reliable information Example include EBSCOhost (contains full-text) First Search (contains ERIC and Medline) Info Trac College Edition Communication and Mass Media Complete Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Use the Internet With Care Not all information on the web is authoritative It is possible to spend hours surfing without finding what you need Many valuable sources are not available on the web Don’t go online until you have search some electronic databases first Use several search engines Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Types of Search Engines Broad or complex subjects - use a hierarchical search engine such as Yahoo For specific subjects - Use a standard search engine such as AltaVista or HotBot or an alternative search engine such as Google or Ask Jeeves Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Types of Search Engines Standard search engines Search more of the web Include Yahoo and HotBot Alternative search engines Have different ways of ranking or sorting pages Include Google and Ask Jeeves Metasearch Engines Search other search engines Include Dogpile and Surfwax Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Using Boolean Operators OR (motorcycle OR motorbike) AND (motorcycle AND racing) “[ ]” (“motorcycle racing”) NOT (“motorcycle racing” NOT “dirt bike”) Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Narrowing the Number of Hits Use phrases enclosed in quotation marks Specify additional words using + or AND Exclude words or phrases using - or NOT Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Increasing the Number of Hits Check spelling and keywords Use wildcards Change full names to initials and vice versa Don’t use “s,” “ing,” or “ed” on search words Use fewer search words Connect words with OR Use alternative keywords Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Evaluating Web Searches Is author a qualified expert in the field? Is information objective? Is information accurate? Is information current? Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Conducting Personal Interviews Select & contact interviewee Plan interview using: Introduction Body (with open-ended questions) Conclusion Use results with care Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Carefully Record Information Provide quick access to materials Identify quotes or paraphrases Include complete source citations Avoid unintentional plagiarism Include a bibliography Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Tannen, Talking From 9 to 5, p.37. Sample Note Card Male / Female Style Differences Tannen, Talking From 9 to 5, p.37. Researchers found that when women freshmen were asked to publicly predict their grades for the coming year, they “predicted lower grades for themselves than men did.” However, when their predictions were made privately, neither their predictions nor their actual grades were lower than the men’s. Chapter 5 – Selecting and Researching Your Topic

Essentials of Public Speaking Selecting Outlining, and Researching Your Topic Chapter 5 Essentials of Public Speaking Cheryl Hamilton 5th Edition Cheryl Hamilton, Ph.D. Chapter 5 – Selecting, Outlining, and Researching Your Topic