Supporting Your Ideas Chapter 8

SUPPORTING MATERIALS What are supporting materials? The materials used to support a speaker’s ideas 3 major kinds of supporting materials: 1) EXAMPLES 2) STATISTICS 3) TESTIMONY

1) Examples Example: a specific case used to illustrate or represent a group of people, ideas, conditions, experiences, or the like. 3 types of examples #1 Brief examples #2 Extended examples #3 Hypothetical examples

#1 Brief example A specific case referred to in passing to illustrate a point Also called “specific instances” These examples are used to verify a point, and are not explained further Multiple brief examples can be used in a row to make a point by the end of the thought

#2 Extended example A story, narrative, or anecdote developed at some length to illustrate a point “extended examples” are also called “narratives”, “illustrations”, or “anecdotes” Vivid and dramatic stories that draw in listeners More detailed than brief examples

#3 Hypothetical example An example that describes an imaginary or fictitious situation Realistic scenarios that are not factual, but relate a general principle Both brief examples and extended examples are factual, but hypothetical examples are not factual “Imagine this…”

TIPS FOR USING EXAMPLES Use examples to clarify your ideas Use examples to reinforce your ideas Use examples to personalize your ideas Make your examples vivid and richly textured Practice delivery to enhance your extended examples

2) Statistics Statistic: Numerical data Often cited in passing to clarify or strengthen a speaker’s points Can also be used in combination to show magnitude of an issue (similarly to brief examples)

Understanding Statistics Statistics are easily manipulated and distorted Are the statistics representative? Make sure your statistics are representative of what they claim to measure (size of poll pool) Are statistical measures used correctly? Mean: average Median: middle number Mode: most frequent number The mean, median, and mode all have the same goal, but can be chosen wisely to make a point Are the statistics from a reliable source?

TIPS FOR USING STATISTICS Use statistics to quantify your ideas Use statistics sparingly Identify the sources of your statistics Explain your statistics Round off complicated statistics Use visual aids to clarify statistical trends

3) Testimony Testimony: quotations or paraphrases used to support a point 2 major kinds of testimony: Expert testimony: testimony from people who are recognized experts in their fields Peer testimony: testimony from ordinary people with firsthand experience or insight on a topic

Quoting vs. Paraphrasing Direct quotation: testimony that is presented word for word Paraphrase: to restate or summarize a source’s ideas in one’s own words

TIPS FOR USING TESTIMONY Quote or paraphrase accurately Use testimony from qualified sources Use testimony from unbiased sources Identify the people you quote or paraphrase

CITING SOURCES ORALLY What you include depends on your topic, the audience, and the kind of supporting material used In most cases you will need to identify : The text you are citing The author or the sponsoring organization The author’s qualifications The date the document was published, posted, or updated Ex: The endangered Monarch Butterfly population can be seen most clearly in its shrinking migration. Michael Wines, science reporter for the New York Times, reported in the paper’s January 2014 issue that in only one year, the population of butterflys that migrate to Mexico for the winter shrank by 44%