Speech Chapter 11 Gathering Information And Supporting Materials Objectives And Integrator Guide After

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Chapter 11: Gathering Information and Supporting Materials

Chapter Objectives and Integrator Guide

After reading and thinking about this chapter, students should be able to:

Objective

Resources

1. Explain the challenges of

gathering information in the

digital age.

Key Terms: data, information,

knowledge, information literacy,

information overload, and

information anxiety

In the Text:

Page Reference: pages 225–230

Figure 11.1: The Meaning of Data, Information, and Knowledge

Table 11.1: The Information-Gathering Process

Figure 11.2: A Concept Map Exploring the Topic “College

Students and Healthcare”

Study Question 1 (p. 248)

IM Resources:

Discussion Starter 1: Information Gathering and Information

Anxiety

Activity 11.1: Adapting Supporting Materials

2. Demonstrate knowledge of

the diverse resources

available to you through your

library.

Key Terms: reference librarians,

online library catalog system,

primary source, secondary source,

surveys, statistics

In the Text:

Page Reference: pages 230–236

Table 11.2: Books, Newspapers and Magazines, and Scholarly

Journals

Figure 11.3: Primary Sources Versus Secondary Sources

Table 11.3: Commonly Used Periodical Indexes

Connecting Globally: Finding Reliable and Trustworthy

Statistics (p. 235)

Study Question 2 (p. 248)

IM Resources:

Discussion Starter 2: Grounding Evidence in Journals

Activity 11.2: An Important Tour

Activity 11.3: Researching the Topic

Activity 11.4: Using Statistics

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3. Demonstrate effective use of

the internet for finding

sources of information.

Key Terms: search engine, virtual

library, and seminal sources.

In the Text:

Page Reference: pages 236–239

Figure 11.4: Useful Search Engines and Virtual Libraries

Figure 11.5: A Google Scholar Search for Articles on Texting

While Driving

Table 11.4: Tips for Information about Searching on the Internet

Study Question 3 (p. 248)

IM Resources:

Discussion Starter 3: The Internet and User-Generated Content

Activity 11.5: Fountain of Knowledge

Activity 11.6: Comparing Search Results

Activity 11.7: Digital Scavenger Hunt

4. Explain the ways you can

use practical experience in

gathering information.

Key Terms: personal experience

and expert testimony.

In the Text:

Page Reference: pages 239–242

Study Question 4 (p. 248)

IM Resources:

Discussion Starter 4: Acquiring Practical Experience

Activity 11.8: Expert Interview

5. Evaluate and properly cite

your resources in oral and

written formats.

Key Terms: data triangulation,

bibliographic reference, internal

references, and oral citations.

In the Text:

Page Reference: pages 242–247

Challenge Yourself: I am familiar with good habits for finding

and evaluating sources, but how do I know if I’ve chosen the

best sources? How do I know when I can stop seeking new

information? (p. 242)

Table 11.5: Criteria for Testing Source Credibility

Table 11.6: Proper APA and MLA References

Figure 11.6: Oral Citations for Newspaper Articles, Journal

Articles, Websites, and Interviews

Study Question 5 (p. 248)

Skill Builder: Practice Proper Oral Citations (p. 246)

IM Resources:

Discussion Starter 5: Evaluating Evidence

Activity 11.9: Credibility of Others

Additional Resources:

Chapter 11 Mini-Prezi on Getting the Most out of a Scholarly

Journal Article Source (http://tinyurl.com/rcharticle)

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Chapter Outline

I. Gathering Information in a Digital World

A. Data, information, and knowledge

iii. Knowledge is information and the meaning we attach to

information.

B. Information literacy

i. Information literacy is the ability to locate, evaluate, and incorporate

important information into your own knowledge base.

C. Information overload and information anxiety

i. Information overload is the experience of having more data and

information than you have the capacity to process in a given time

period.

ii. Information anxiety is the stress caused by an inability to access,

understand, or process information that is necessary to your goal or

the task at hand.

D. The information-gathering process

i. Define the problem: before you begin, define your information

problem(s) and consider your goals.

1. Concept maps help in exploring the diverse sub-dimensions

of a topic before searching for information.

ii. Use diverse strategies: Use a range of search techniques and

terms and you will find sources that you may not have otherwise

sought out.

iii. Scan and evaluate the information: For each source that contains

information relevant to your problem, scan that source to determine

what you can use.

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iv. Integrate the information: Return to your chosen sources and

process how the information in each source relates to your existing

knowledge or understanding of the topic.

v. Organize the information: Consider how the various pieces of

II. Gathering Information from Library Resources

Reference librarians are people specially trained in finding and evaluating

A. Use books, articles, and periodicals

i. An effective information search makes use of a variety of sources.

ii. As you research, focus on the most reliable information you can

find.

iii. Keep in mind the differences between primary and secondary

sources of information.

1. A primary source is original source material or research,

2. A secondary source is a source of information that builds on

or comments on another’s material or research. One

example is a newspaper article’s summary of a primary

source.

iv. When talking about evidence from primary or secondary sources,

be careful in any conclusions that you draw, and use soft

statements, like:

2. “This study implies…:” or

3. “This study provides some indication that…”

B. Use electronic databases

i. Many libraries invest in computer programs that give cardholders

full remote access to electronic databases and subscriptions.

C. Use surveys and statistics as evidence

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i. Surveys are studies that ask a sample of the population a limited

number of questions to discover public opinions on a set of issues.

1. How trustworthy is the survey source?

2. How broad was the sample?

3. Who was included in the survey?

ii. Statistics are numbers used to summarize information or compare

quantities.

2. When you use statistics in a presentation, simplify them,

explain them, and translate them for your audience.

3. Illustrate your numbers by using visual resources, such as

pie charts, line graphs, and bar graphs.

III. Gathering Information from the Internet

A. Use search engines and virtual libraries

i. A search engine is a website that is used specifically to search for

B. Use Google Scholar

i. As a beginning researcher, you might struggle to locate the sources

most critical to your topic. Google Scholar helps in locating seminal

sources.

ii. Seminal sources are foundational studies or pieces of information

that have been heavily cited and have helped advance a line of

scholarly inquiry.

C. Use internet search tools and resources: a general understanding of

search engine logic and functions will help you limit your searches to the

most relevant sources.

IV. Gathering Information through Personal Experience and Independent

Research

A. Experience your topic

i. Relating personal stories and experiences can make for compelling

evidence.

ii. Be careful in using personal experiences if your experiences are

unusual

iii. One way to gain personal experience is to volunteer for an

organization with goals related to your general speech topic.

B. Conduct independent research

i. Another way to become more directly involved with your topic is to

conduct independent research, perhaps in the few minutes before

class begins.

ii. If you do not have strong, direct experience with your topic, you can

engage in independent research by interviewing an expert.

V. Evaluating, Citing, and Documenting your Sources

A. Evaluate sources of information

ii. Apply consistent criteria to test the credibility of sources:

1. Are there clear markers of credibility for the source?

2. Is the source objective?

3. Does the source draw appropriate conclusions?

4. Is the information in the source current?

B. Avoid plagiarism

i. Be clear about where you found the evidence you use in your

outline.

ii. To avoid plagiarism, you must document your sources

appropriately in three places:

1. The reference list for your speech presentation (or paper)

a. An effective bibliographic reference is the complete

2. The body of your written work through use of parenthetical

and in-text citations

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manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

b. Internal references allow people to know what

evidence comes from which specific sources on your

reference list.

3. The oral delivery of your speech

a. Oral citations make specific reference, where

appropriate, to each source of information as you

present them during your speech.

b. An effective oral citation provides the following three

pieces of information:

i. The author(s) of the piece

c. These pieces of information provide your audience

members enough information to locate your sources if

they want to examine your evidence in greater depth.

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Discussion Starters

1. Information-Gathering and Information Anxiety: Have you ever been

overwhelmed by the sheer amount of data you found while researching for a paper

or a presentation? What steps did you take to avoid information anxiety? The

2. Grounding Evidence in Journal Articles: The chapter recommends that you use

scholarly journal article sources to understand current research about a topic.

Journal articles can sometimes be difficult to read and understand. What tips would

you share with the class for processing information from journal article sources?

Why do journal article sources provide more scholarly evidence than popular press

3. The Internet and User-Generated Content: While the internet makes it easier to

locate scholarly, peer-reviewed journal article sources, it also provides a lot of user-

4. Acquiring Practical Experience: How might acquiring practical experience related

to your topic help you to think about it in new and different ways? How do you think

5. Evaluating Evidence: Once you have located a source you would like to use, how

should you evaluate it for credibility? What markers might lead you to evaluate a

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Activities

ACTIVITY 11.1 ADAPTING SUPPORTING MATERIALS

Purpose: Students should be able to discuss factors that affect the choice of evidence

and supporting materials, to analyze the sources and content of evidence in relationship

to a specific audience, and to decide what types of evidence will be most credible to an

audience.

Procedure: Distribute the “Would You Use This Material?” form (on the next page), and

have each student complete one.

The students should explain the reasons for their predictions about using the supporting

material. They should be able to justify their predictions about audience interest with

specific references to audience analysis, as well as to ideas about how they can help

turn the information into usable knowledge for the audience. For example, if many of the

students in the class major in science or engineering, a student may have inferred that

the class would prefer statistical or research findings. The students should also decide

whether it is possible to separate the type of supporting material from the content of the

evidence. For example, would audience members accept surveys only from competent

Debriefing: This activity illustrates some of the decisions that a speaker must make in

presenting supporting materials. The use of audience analysis is demonstrated in the

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WOULD YOU USE THIS MATERIAL?

Examine the supporting materials listed. Using the information gained from your

previous analysis of the class as an audience, decide which materials would be

appealing or unappealing to your classmates. Be prepared to justify your answers.

Appealing

Unappealing

_________

1.

Pictures and illustrations of junk food

_________

2.

A quotation against smoking from a local

physician

_________

3.

A survey of the smoking habits of your class

_________

4.

An interview with a drug counselor about

drug abuse

_________

5.

Your personal experience as a camp

counselor

_________

6.

A research study of the dating habits of

college students

_________

7.

Statistical summaries of the most popular

records in the last decade

_________

8.

The percentage of your classmates who are

living off campus

_________

9.

A bar graph showing how much money can

be saved by buying savings bonds

_________

10

.

Testimony from six students about the cost

of owning a car

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ACTIVITY 11.2 AN IMPORTANT TOUR

Purpose: Students should be able to secure knowledge of the library to utilize research

necessary for effective speechmaking.

Procedure: Plan a tour of the campus library with a reference librarian who coordinates

such events. As the tour progresses, students should be encouraged to take specific

notes on locations of potential resources for their public speeches.

Debriefing: This activity is valuable to beginning students who use the internet for their

research and haven’t explored the resources found in the library. The possible

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ACTIVITY 11.3 RESEARCHING THE TOPIC

Purpose: Students should be able to identify the primary and secondary sources for

research into a specific topic, to prepare a bibliography of several different resources,

and to demonstrate a familiarity with library and internet sources by researching a

specific topic.

Procedure: Tell the students to select a topic of limited scope and then write a

statement of immediate purpose for the topic. They should then prepare a bibliography

of primary and secondary sources for the topic. The bibliography should include

references from encyclopedias, newspapers, journals, popular magazines, websites,

Debriefing: This activity is designed to acquaint the students with a variety of source

materials available. The students also gain practice in using resources to research a

topic. The material gathered for this activity may be used as resource materials for a

classroom speech.

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ACTIVITY 11.4 USING STATISTICS

Purpose: Students should be able to define the statistical terms used to summarize or

describe numerical data, to derive statistical data from raw numbers or information, and

to decide which statistics are best suited for presenting certain types of information.

Procedure: Distribute the following “Which Statistic Do I Use?” form to each student to

answer individually. The students may refer to the text as often as necessary to answer

the questions.

WHICH STATISTICS DO I USE?

1. If you had all the grades for all the seniors at two major universities, how would you

compare the abilities of the students at the two schools?

2. The price of new cars in the United States rose from an average of $4,000 in 1970 to

$5,000 in 1978. How would you present this information?

3. What statistics would be most relevant if you were trying to tell your classmates how

they compared to each other on a 50-point examination?

4. Assume that there were 456,786 deaths and 478,269 births in the United States last

year. How would you inform the audience of the growth or decline of the population?

5. A survey shows that 35 of 50 students prefer the quarter system and that the other

15 students prefer the semester system. How would you inform the audience of the

students’ preferences?

6. If the numbers in the following list indicate the number of people in the immediate

7. How would you indicate the variance in temperatures in your state in the last 30

years?

The correct answers to the questions follow. Discuss the answers with the students and

then have them explain the reasons for their own answers. If they disagree or do not

understand the reasons for using one statistic over another, have them answer with

different measures to see which is best understood by the audience. The students

should be able to define each of the statistical terms and to discuss its uses in

summarizing and describing data. They should also be able to point out ways in which

statistics can be used to mislead an audience.

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Answers:

1. Use the grade point mean, or average, for each school. If the schools were very

3. The mean would be most important, although the range and mode would be helpful.

4. Large numbers are confusing and hard to remember, and raw numbers should be

6. The mode is the correct answer: 3.

7. The range is the most useful way to indicate variance. The range should also be

compared with the average range to indicate its variance from normal temperatures.

Debriefing: This activity allows students to practice adapting supporting materials to a

specific audience. It also familiarizes them with the use of statistical data, which may be

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ACTIVITY 11.5 FOUNDATION OF KNOWLEDGE

Purpose: Students should be able to realize the value of exploring library resources to

discover various facets of information.

Procedure: Divide the class into small groups of five to seven students. Instruct them

that they have approximately thirty minutes in which to discover answers to questions

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

1. Who wrote The Feminine Mystique?

2. Where would I find an illustration of the number of professors in higher education in

1989?

3. What are the reference materials written by James C. McCroskey?

4. Who was the originator of the phrase “A penny saved is a penny earned”?

5. How much did the Chrysler Corporation earn in profits in 1988?

6. In 1989, which periodicals addressed teacher shortages?

8. Cite the recent books/journal articles by communication researcher Gerald Miller.

9. Who was the first black college graduate in the United States and from what school

did he/she graduate?

10. What are the underlying principles guiding Amnesty International?

This activity is an excellent follow-up to activity 11.2. The groups should be encouraged

to address how they went about gathering answers and discuss some of the ways in

which the task was easy as well as difficult.

Debriefing: This activity illustrates that information is not always found in the customary

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ACTIVITY 11.6 COMPARING SEARCH RESULTS

Purpose: This activity teaches students the difference between types of search tools

and corresponding types of sources returned from various search tools.

Procedure: Divide students into groups of three to five people, and assign each group

a current event topic that is broad enough that newspaper/magazine articles, academic

journal articles, and books can be found on the topic. Each group should use four types

Debriefing: This activity teaches students how to devise a research strategy for finding

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ACTIVITY 11.7 DIGITAL SCAVENGER HUNT

Purpose: This activity teaches students how to use the internet to quickly find diverse

types of information.

Procedure: Reserve a campus computer lab and tell students to meet at the lab for this

class period. Divide students into groups of three or four people and provide them with

DIGITAL SCAVENGER HUNT

Below are seven questions about factual information. You should carefully read each

question and then use the internet to locate answers. All information can be found from

1. Who are the two U.S. Senators from Delaware? What are their political party

affiliations?

2. In the year 2002, what was the overall life expectancy at birth for a person born in

the United States?

3. What is the average depth of Lake Erie and how many states in the US border the

lake?

4. In what continent is the country of Suriname located, and when did Suriname gain

independence from the Netherlands?

5. What percentage of people in Bangladesh are Muslim?

6. Who was the general manager of the Ford Motor Company when the Mustang was

introduced in 1965?

7. What is the estimated population for the state of Nebraska in 2003?

Answers:

2. 77.3 years, according to the National Center for Health Statistics

4. South America, Nov 25, 1975 according to the CIA World Fact Book

6. Lee Iacocca according to Musclecarclub.com

7. 1,739,291 according to Fedstats.gov

Debriefing: The digital scavenger hunt provides students with an opportunity to use

various types of internet resources to locate specific types of information. The

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ACTIVITY 11.8 EXPERT INTERVIEW

Purpose: Students should be able to recognize the value of interviewing and utilizing

information gleaned from an interview for a public speech.

Procedure: Divide the class into dyads and instruct them to choose a speech topic

found in chapters 13 or 14 of the text. Each dyad is to conduct an interview based on

the chosen topic. As a team, the individuals should discuss some potential questions

Debriefing: This activity relates directly to the information on interviewing in chapter 9

and demonstrates that researching a speech topic can happen outside of the library.

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ACTIVITY 11.9 CREDIBILITY OF OTHERS

Purpose: Students should be able to identify sources that are highly credible to them,

to name the factors that affect credibility, and to discuss why credibility is a function of

the audience and not the speaker.

Procedure: Distribute copies of the “How Credible Are These Sources?” form found on

1. Not credible 2. Average credibility 3. Highly credible

When everyone has completed the form, ask for a show of hands and sum up the

ratings on the board. The students should compare the ratings of each source by topic.

Differences in ratings on different topics should be noted and explained. The students

Debriefing: This activity demonstrates the nature of credibility. The credibility of a

speaker varies with the topic and with the attitudes, beliefs, and experiences of the

audience. This activity can also provide the student speaker with insights into the

classroom audience’s attitudes toward different authority figures, information that is

useful in determining appropriate sources of the supporting materials, and evidence to

be used in informative and persuasive speeches.

HOW CREDIBLE ARE THESE SOURCES?

A

B

C

D

E

Your father

Your speech teacher

A philosophy teacher

A millionaire

A medical doctor

Your university president

A small-business person

Your state senator

A psychiatrist