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COM 241: Public Speaking: Selecting Sources

Intro to Public Speaking

What is "good" research?

In this class you are responsible for writing and delivery two speeches: a persuasive speech and an informative speech. For each speech you must consult up to three sources to help craft the argument or communicate the idea. This is not a lot of sources for the length of your speeches! Good research is not just knowing how to find information; it's also about knowing what our information need is and how to properly select and evaluate the best types of information that will help us meet our information need.

This guide will first walk you through evaluation steps for selecting sources and then identify library resources by type of speech that will help you find these sources. 

Google Scholar

Google Scholar is a great starting place for initial research.  Unlike a regular Google search, Google Scholar attempts to connect you with more scholarly content then information typically found on the web.  

SIFT header

SIFT Infographic: stop, investigate the source, find better coverage, trace claims

The SIFT Method is a tool for evaluating information in 60 seconds. It focuses on searching other sources to verify the creator's authority and the creator's claims.

  1. Stop what you're reading and watching and ask yourself:
    1. Do I know this site or source? 
    2. What is my goal in watching or reading this information? Do I want to verify the claim they're making?
    3. Do I want to share this video?
  2. Investigate the source. Run a quick search on the publisher, author, or creator.
    1. Do they have expertise or experience in the subject?
    2. Do they have an agenda? (for example, are they trying to sell you something? Is their primary purpose to get you to vote a certain way?)
  3. Find better coverage. If you want to investigate the claim they are making, search the claim and scan multiple sources.
  4. Trace back to the original.
    1. If you're unsure if an image has been photoshopped, run a reverse image search.
    2. Did the source quote a respected source? Find the original quote to see if it was misquoted or taken out of context.

The SIFT Method by Mike Caulfield is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Accessing Articles from the Web

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