Researching Your Topic
Once you select your speech topic, it’s time to begin the research process. This stage requires you to carefully select your sources to make sure your content is credible, well-supported, and compelling for your audience. In this section, we will highlight the importance of evaluating credible sources, provide various tools to research your topic, and share resources to cite your sources in your speech outline. Remember, proper source citations will strengthen your speech's credibility and maintain academic integrity. Research is a process that will result in written and spoken evidence in your speech.
Finding and Evaluating Sources
Citing Sources in Your Outline
Making a Research Plan
Before you begin a research process, it is helpful to create a plan. Some ways to brainstorm are:
- Write out all the words and phrases that come to mind on your topic and related ideas
- Create organized charts of words related to your topic to research using mindmapping
- Do background research on your topic in a general library database like Credo Reference
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Background information on all topics to start your research.
Background research is a general search for the basic vocabulary, facts, history, and "common knowledge." Having a working understanding of and familiarity with your topic before you dive into research can help you stay focused and find relevant research. The videos below go into two strategies to organize your ideas into something that can influence the structure of your speech.