SPE151 Introduction to Speech

This guide will help you locate, evaluate, and cite credible sources for your three speeches: Demonstration, Informative, and Persuasive.

Use the Plan Your Research worksheet (above) to help you stay organized while you research your speech topics.

Knowing where to begin your research is often the hardest part! Use the steps of the research process to guide you, then use the tabs on this guide to learn more about how to find sources for your speeches.

1. Information need: Credible sources for your speeches.

2. Pre-research: Choose a topic, learn more about your topic, get background information, and identify additional keywords.

3. Create a research question: This will be the subject of your speech.

4. Develop a search strategy: Where will you look for the information? What search tools will you use? The search tool you use depends on what kind of information you need. Here are some common search tools you might use:

Google: find popular sources like news media, blogs, education websites, government sources, current news and events, local issues, and more. 

Uses: Demonstration speech, Informative speech, Persuasive speech

Library databases: find background information, popular and scholarly sources, reference sources from credible publishers. Types of databases: eBooks, articles, images, newspapers, videos, primary sources, statistics.

Uses: Informative speech, Persuasive speech

Library catalog: find books, eBooks, articles, videos.

Uses: Informative speech, Persuasive speech

5. Search for information: Choose a search tool and begin. Start by using some keywords you identified during the pre-research step.

6. Evaluate the information you find: Consider criteria like purpose, authority, relevance, and bias. Refer to the Evaluate Sources tab for help.

7. Answer your question and cite your sources: You have found credible sources to authoritatively present your speeches! Refer to the MLA Citations tab for details on how to properly cite your sources.