Chapter 4: Kelly Hemsworth Lindsey Crisp

 We want reasons when people urge us to believe something. People must have proof or evidence before believing something.  Prof and evidence, as well as explanations and reasons are not only important in life, but especially important in public speaking.  Supporting evidence does not only help the speaker’s argument, it also helps keep the speech more memorable and interesting for the audience.

 Illustrations  Specific instances  Statistics  Testimony  Analogy

Factual Illustrations  answers who, what, where, when, and how. It points the audience towards the speakers’ main assumption. Hypothetical Illustrations  are fictional examples that give the audience insight into “what could or might be.”

 brief sentences (1 or 2) omitting much of the detailed information in factual Illustrations.

 used to represent facts numerically

 used to support a speech or an argument by an expert who has training, experience, or background on a specific topic.

 Helps to explain or prove a point when comparing one idea to another.

 When testing evidence you should always ask yourself several questions to insure your audience will believe you and that it is ethical. 1. Is the specific evidence a typical case or an isolated enigma? 2. Does the support relate directly to the assertion being advanced? 3. Is the evidence accurate?

 Direct quotations are used on occasion when evidence should be presented in a case with statistics and expert testimony  Paraphrasing is used to summarize what the author has said in the speakers own words.  Transitions primarily provide a speech with a smooth flow as the speaker moves from idea to idea.

 Bridging informs the audience the speaker is moving from the current topic to the next topic.  Signposting enables a speaker to review what has already been discussed and highlight what is to come.  Spotlighting it tells the audience that the speaker is moving to another idea, as well as signals the information coming next is important.  Nonverbal transitions such as pausing, smiling, leaning forward, or moving in one direction or another lets the audience know a new idea is about to be introduced.

 When deciding when and how to use evidence, the audience must be considered.  A full audience analysis is needed before deciding on what evidence to cite and how to use it.

 Locating resources is something successful public speakers learn to do quickly because retrieving credible evidence that will support the ideas contained in their presentations is very important.  Personal experience is the natural starting point for gathering speech materials.  Interviews have several strong points when being used as research tools. 1. By interviewing experts involved with the speech topic, you gain access to the most current information on the subject. 2.The audience is more eager to learn what the experts have said about the topic when interviews are used because they stimulate the speech. 3.They also require considerable forethought and planning in order to yield useful and relevant information.

 Organizations and agencies have a specific mission of gathering and dissemination information about certain topics.  Government agencies information can be acquired by writing letters, making phone calls, faxing, or using the Internet. Visual Electronic Media has become one of the fastest-growing industries in the world.

Using the library has shown to be a wonderful place to gather information.

Library reference sources include the library catalog system, the interlibrary loan system, the location of indexes, abstracts, reference books, government documents, any special collections, non-print media archives and available electronics databases.

Electronic Databases are fast and easy-to-use computer databases that have become an essential tool for conducting research.

 Reference books examine specific topics, such as education, social sciences, psychology, religion, art, government documents, science and technology, and famous individuals.  Many magazines, journals, and pamphlets cover a wide range of subjects, while others focus more on specific topics or specific regions.  Atlases and gazetteers are a type of geographical dictionary that can help with location, spelling, and pronunciation.  Newspapers are an excellent source of information on current events and issues.  Government publications consist of reports, books, pamphlets produced each year by local, state, and federal agencies.  Indexes serve as a "finding aid" by providing an organized grouping of terms that help the researcher locate information on specific topics.  Microfilms, microfiche, and ultra microfiche are film formats to save and facilitate access to printed materials.

 What is the Internet? In simple terms, the Internet is a global collection of computer networks that allows access to millions of pieces of information housed in computers all over the world.  How is the Internet used to find general information? Search engines provide the easiest and most efficient way to use the Internet as a research tool.  How do you narrow an Internet search? It is necessary to limit your search by using key words or phrases, especially at the beginning, to facilitate a more focused search.  What precautions should be taken when using Internet material? Anyone conducting research on the Internet must critically analyze the material to separate valid and objective data from what is biased or fallacious.

 Citing research material includes numerous methods of citing research data, two of the most popular bibliographic formats are those from the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA).

 Evaluating Sources includes the speaking striving to eliminate biases by examining material on both sides of an issue.  Avoiding plagiarism is important because plagiarism is nothing more than a form of intellectual thievery, exactly like illegally copying music CDs or video DVDs.