Page 243 - Essentials of Human Communication

222 CHAPTER 11 Public Speaking Preparation (Steps 1–6)

research integratiOn and citatiOn
By integrating and acknowledging your sources of information in your speech, you’ll give fair
credit to those whose ideas and statements you’re using; and, at the same time, you’ll help es-
Explore the Concept tablish your own reputation as a responsible researcher.
“Avoiding Plagiarism” at Be certain to mention your sources in your speech by citing at least author names and,
MyCommunicationLab
if helpful, the publication titles and the dates. In your written outline, you would then give
the complete bibliographical reference. Here is an example of how you might cite your
source orally:
The top careers for 2012, according to ClassesUSA, are web designer, criminal
investigator, and network administrator.
Or:
Communication
Choice Point My discussion of the ways to estimate the value of the US dollar is based on the analysis
adaptation and by economics professor Samuel Williamson in Measuring Worth, published in March 2011.
Plagiarism Although it’s possible to overdo the oral citation—giving more information than the
You’re really pressed to come listeners really need—it’s better than leaving out useful information. Because your
up with a persuasive speech on a contem- speeches in this course are learning experiences, it’s better to err on the side of more in-
porary social issue, and you just don’t have formation rather than less.
the time to research it. Fortunately, a friend
at another school wrote a term paper for her Avoid expressions such as “I have a quote here” or “I want to quote an example.”
sociology course that you could easily adapt Let the audience know that you’re quoting by pausing before the quote, taking a step
to your required public speaking assign- forward, or referring to your notes to read the extended quotation.
ment. What are some of your options for deal- In addition to the oral citation, you’d also need a written citation, which would
ing with this situation? What do you feel is take the form of the references listed at the end of the typical textbook. You would then,
your ethical obligation in this case? in the reference list following the speech, identify the author, title of the article, journal
title or URL, and the date. Numerous websites—for example, bibme.com and easybib.
com—will help you format your sources according to the style manual your college uses.

Objectives self-check
● Can you identify the basic principles of and sources for researching your speech topic?
● Can you explain the criteria for evaluating research?
● Can you effectively research, evaluate research, integrate, and cite this research in your speech?

Step 4: Collect Supporting materials

Now that you have your purpose and thesis clearly in mind and have researched your topic,
you need to collect materials that will support your thesis. In the informative speech, your
support primarily amplifies the concepts you discuss. Specifically, you might use these forms
of support:
● Examples, illustrations, and the testimony of various authorities to breathe life into
abstract or vague concepts.
● Definitions to clarify complex terms and to provide different ways of looking at some
process or event.
● Numerical data to explain trends in a wide variety of topics.
● Presentation aids—charts, maps, objects, slides, films, tapes, CDs, and so on—to help
clarify ideas.
These forms are covered in detail in Chapter 13.
In a persuasive speech, your support is proof—material that offers evidence, argument,
and motivational appeal and that establishes your credibility and reputation. You can per-
suade your audience with several types of support: