Research, Organization, and Visual Aids…Oh, my!!!

1. Research, Organization, and Visual Aids…Oh, my!!! What you need to know to write a speech 

2. Gathering Materials • Print: A source that is or was originally a printed source (ie. Book, magazine, journal, etc). It can be accessed either in real life or electronically. • Electronic: A source that has never been a printed source and is accessed via the internet. (ie. Websites)

3. Print Sources • Books • Magazines and Journals • Newspapers • Government Documents • Reference Works: Dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, yearbooks, books of quotations • Television/Radio Transcripts • Interviews

4. Finding Sources • Readers Guide to Periodical Literature: Books used to locate articles on specific topics. • Online Databases: Infohio • Search Engines

5. Website Credibility • Check • Domain (.com, .edu, .org, .net., biz, etc.) • Date of publication • Author • Citation of sources with the website • Corroboration of information with other websites

6. Documentation • APA Documentation Go to www.citationmachine.net

7. Organization • Introduction, body, and conclusion format.

8. Organization: The Introduction…Tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em. • Introduction: • Attention Getter • Thesis • Preview of main points • Transition to first main point

9. Organization: The Body… Tell ‘em • Topic Sentence that includes the main point. • Discussion of the main point. • Supporting materials to support the main point

10. Organization: The conclusion…Tell ‘em what you told ‘em • Reiterate the main points. • Reconnect with the Attention Getter.

11. Organizational Patterns: Informative Speaking • Topical: Organizes the speech by topic and subtopics. • Chronological: Organizes the speech in regards to a time sequence. • Spatial: Organizes the speech according to geographical or physical structure.

12. Organizational Patterns: Informative Speaking • Causal: Organizes the speech by cause and effect. • Pro-Con: Organizes the speech by Presenting both sides of the issue. This is a balanced approach to a controversial topic which would still be considered informative.

13. Organizational Patterns: Informative Speaking • Mnemonic or Gimmick: Organizes the speech according to a special memory device, alliteration, rhyme, or initial letters that spell a word.

14. Organizational Patterns: Informative Speaking • Mnemonic example: Improving Listening L- look at the other person A- ask questions D- don’t interrupt D- don’t change the subject E- express emotions with control R- responsively listen

15. The Attention Getter • To gain the audience’s attention • Anecdote • Quote • Statistic • Shocking fact • Rhetorical question

16. Types of Supporting Materials • Examples: a specific illustration of people, places, objects, actions, experiences, or conditions. • Brief examples • Extended examples • Actual examples • Hypothetical examples

17. Types of Supporting Materials • Definitions: explanation of a word, phrase, or concept. • Definition by synonym • Definition by etymology • Definition by example • Definition by operation

18. Types of Supporting Materials • Narration: storytelling • Personal narrative • Third-person narrative • Anecdote

19. Types of Supporting Materials • Comparison: Association of two items by examining the similarities • Literal comparison • Figurative comparison

20. Types of Supporting Materials • Contrast: Association of two items by examining the differences. • Literal contrast • Figurative contrast

21. Types of Supporting Materials • Statistics: data collected in the form of numbers • Do not rely only on statistics • Round off statistics • Use units of measure that the audience understands • Use Presentational aids to represent or clarify relationships among statistics • Stress the impact of large numbers

22. Types of Supporting Materials • Expert Testimony: Quotations or paraphrases of an authoritative source to clarify or prove a point.

23. Types of Supporting Materials • Opinion: Unproven ideas that are formed based on past experiences or experiments • Expert opinion: Opinions given by professionals in the area of study being dicussed.

24. Visual Aids • Visual Aid: A visual representation of a concept • 5 Classifications • Objects • Graphics • Film & Video • Handouts

25. Objects • A specific item • A scaled representation of a larger object (model) • People or animals

26. Graphics • Graphic: two-dimensional visual aid, including pictures, diagrams, graphs, charts, and maps.

27. Types of Graphs • Line Graph: good at depicting trends over time.

28. Types of Graphs • Bar Graph: diagram used to show quantitative comparisons among variables.

29. Types of Graphs • Pie Charts: used to show the relative proportions of a whole.

30. Maps • A graphic representation of real or imaginary geographic location.

31. Do’s and Don’ts of VA’s • Do make it big enough for the entire room to see. • Don’t make it so big it is too difficult to use • Do make it neat and easy to see/read • Don’t use letters or pictures that are too small

32. Do’s and Don’ts of VA’s • Do refer to the VA while giving the speech. • Don’t face the VA when referring to it.