1. Chapter 7
Gathering Materials

2. Using Your Own Knowledge and Experience
Outside information is always necessary in speeches, however adding personal connections, knowledge, and experiences, brings it to life
Drawing on own experiences allows the point to be conveyed more meaningfully
Use your own knowledge to connect to the audience

3. Doing Library Research
Though thought to be outdated, libraries are an excellent source of information through use of:
The Catalogue
Reference Works
Newspaper and Periodical Databases
Academic Databases

4. Doing Library Research
The Catalogue:
Lists all books, periodicals, and other resources owned by the library
Call Number:
A number used in libraries to classify books and periodicals and to indicate where they can be found on the shelves
Reference Works:
A work that synthesizes a large amount of related information easy of related information for easy access by researchers
Encyclopedias
Yearbooks
Quotation Books
Biographical Aids

5. Doing Library Research
Newspaper and Periodical Databases:
Allows you to locate articles in the best publications (I.E New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine)
Abstract: A summary of the magazine, journal article written by someone other than the original author
Good Databases:
ProQuest, LexisNexis, World New Digest
Academic Databases:
A database that catalogues articles from scholarly journals
JSTOR, Academic OneFile, Google Scholar

6. Searching the Internet
Search Engines
Narrow your searches
Example: Football Injuries vs. High school football concussion studies
Specialized Research Resources
Virtual Libraries:
A search engine that combines internet technology with traditional library methods of cataloguing and assessing data
Ipl2 (
Government Resources
USA.gov (ww.usa.gov), United States, Census Bureau ( World Factbook (
Wikipedia
Good place to START learning about a topic
Many additional resources attatched

7. Searching the Internet
Evaluating Internet Documents
Anyone can post anything on the internet so look at 3 main factors to evaluate the documents:
Authorship
Is there a clear author?
Are their qualifications listed?
Search the author’s name if you cannot find any information
Sponsorship
An organization that is responsible for the content of a document on the internet
Is the organization objective?
Search the organization
Recency
How recent is the article?
Is it current enough to use in your research?

8. Interviewing
An excellent but difficult way of gathering material for speeches
There is 3 stages in interview:
Before the Interview
What is the purpose? Who are you interviewing? Should you record the interview? What questions should you ask?
During the Interview
Dress well, Be there on time, Keep the interview on track, Listen carefully
After the Interview
Review the notes right away, Transcribe your notes

9. Tips for Doing Research
Start Early
Give yourself enough time to properly research
Make a Preliminary Bibliography
List any sources you may use as you are doing your original research
Take Notes Efficiently
Take plenty of notes
Record notes in a consistent format
Make a Separate Entry for Each Note
Distinguish Among Direct Quotes, Paraphrasing, and Your Own Ideas