CMNS 101 Fundamentals of Communication

There are a variety of questions you should ask when picking an informative speech topic:  

• What is something that I have expertise in or that I want to know more about?   

• What does my audience (or a general representative) already know about the topic?  

• Is there credible research, evidence or documentation?   

• Do you believe the topic is worth knowing?  

• Can I be more specific about this topic?   

• Can I address this topic (to a desired-level) within the time limit? 

• Will I be tempted to tell the audience what to believe or act on based upon the topic? (If you answered “yes” to this question, you will likely need to pick a different topic)  

The book "Communication in the Real World" recommends thinking of informative speech topic selection in terms of the following 6 categories:

Here are some examples of sample topics that fall in these categories: 

(Communication in the Real World Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.)

If I was interested in learning more about the relatively new market for vintage, designer, and limited-edition sneakers, the topics below might work.

• Objects: Nike Air Ships
• People: Michael Jordan
• Concepts: How a celebrity wearing a shoe influences its sales or collectability
• Events: Is the sneaker market crashing now?
• Processes: Forces that effect the sneaker resale market
• Issues: Investment in new economies