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CHAPTER 6
TOPIC DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER SUMMARY
By dividing the research process into three main sections, this chapter navigates the
critical steps in the location, retrieval, and evaluation of both print and web-based
information and their sources. The final section focuses on recording researched
information, and addresses the importance of verbally citing sources.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Introduction (p. 93): Obtaining the necessary material used in speech construction
requires three key elements: locating and evaluating a variety of information types and
sources, identifying and selecting relevant information, and citing key sources
appropriately.
I. Locate and evaluate information sources (p. 93).
A. Personal knowledge and experience.
1.
By selecting a familiar topic, a speaker can rely on personal examples
subject.
B. Secondary research: the process of locating information that has been
discovered by other people.
2.
Types of secondary sources.
a.
Encyclopedias can serve as a good starting point, but because
they only provide overviews, they should never be the only
source.
b.
Books: if the topic has been around for more than six months,
3.
Skimming to determine source value. Skimming is a method of rapidly
going through a work to determine what is covered and how.
a.
Assess whether an article really presents information on the exact
findings.
4.
Evaluating sources to determine their accuracy, reliability, and validity.
There are four criteria to use:
a.
Authority: test the expertise of a resource’s author and/or the
reputation of the publishing or sponsoring organization.
C. Primary research: the process of conducting your own study in the real
world to acquire the information you need. It is much more labor intensive
and time consuming than secondary research.
1.
Fieldwork observations: also known as ethnography, go into the
3.
Interviews: planned, structured conversations where one person asks
questions and another answers them.
a.
Selecting the best person who has expertise in the topic area and
can provide quality information.
b.
Preparing the interview protocol, the list of questions you plan to
brief answers.
v.
Neutral questions are phrased in a way that does not direct
a person’s answers.
vi.
Leading questions are phrased in a way that suggests the
interviewer has a preferred answer.
c.
Conducting the interview.
i.
Dress professionally to show you respect the interviewee’s
time.
v.
Listen carefully.
vi.
Keep the interview moving.
vii.
Monitor your nonverbal reactions to make sure that they are
xi.
Thank the interviewee.
d.
Processing the interview. As soon as possible after the interview,
review any notes and make individual note cards (or transcribe)
the information that will be included in the speech.
i.
Original artifact or document examination. If the information
II. Select relevant information (p. 103).
A. Factual statements: those statements that can be verified.
1.
Statistics: numerical facts.
a.
Use only statistics you can verify as reliable and valid.
2.
Examples: specific instances that illustrate or explain a general factual
statement.
a.
They provide concrete details that make a general statement
3.
Definitions: a statement that clarifies the meaning of a word of phrase.
a.
Definitions clarify the meaning of terminology that is specialized,
B. Expert opinions: interpretations and judgments made by authorities in a
particular subject area.
1.
An expert is someone who has mastered a specific subject, usually
2.
When you use expert opinions in your speech, you should always cite
the credentials of the expert.
C. Elaborations: factual information and expert opinions can be elaborated
upon through anecdotes and narratives, comparisons and contrasts, or
quotations.
1.
Anecdotes and narratives help capture the audience’s attention.
2.
Comparisons and contrasts.
1. Literal comparisons show similarities of real things.
2. Figurative comparisons express one thing in terms
3. Quotations that make a point in a clear and vivid way. When using a
direct quotation, you need to verbally acknowledge the person it came
III. Record information and sources (p. 108).
A. Annotated bibliography: a preliminary record of the relevant sources you
find pertaining to your topic.
2.
A good annotated bibliography includes:
a.
Complete citation for each source using appropriate style.
B. Research cards: individual index cards or electronic facsimiles that
identify the following:
1.
One piece of information relevant to your speech.
IV. Cite sources (p. 109).
A. You need to acknowledge the sources of your ideas and statements.
LECTURE IDEAS
1.
The following two articles investigate the relationship between students and online
research methods. Use both to generate a lecture on the role of the Internet in
student research, specifically addressing strategies and skills necessary for
2.
Determining the validity of information found on the Internet is a difficult endeavor.
Because websites do not require, or always adhere to, standards of credibility,
3.
Most campus libraries offer lectures tailored to your class requirements. Consider
either inviting a librarian to your classroom or having the students take a guided tour
of the library. This will enable them to receive first-hand information regarding the
library resources available to them.
NOTE: For the Instructor: You should be familiar with what is and is not available to
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.
In “The role of technology in research: Perspectives from students and instructors,”
sources that would not be credible? If someone chose to use such a source, would
he/she be able to get it past the audience unnoticed?
CLASS ACTIVITIES
Activity 6.1: Fun Fact Finder
Answer the following questions, making sure to record the source consulted. Ask
students to discuss the resource they consulted to locate each answer. This is also an
opportunity for students to learn how to properly reference sources.
1.
Who or what is on the current cover of Time magazine?
2.
What was the estimated world population in 2015?
Activity 6.2: Verbally Citing Sources
Using the information provided by each of the five following sources, arrange the
material to reflect how it would be said if a speaker were using it in a speech.
Remember, part of a speaker’s credibility depends on the verbal citation of sources;
therefore the audience must be able to hear the source along with the information being
cited. (NOTE: This activity could also be used to practice citing sources according to
MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.)
Source: Newsweek, October 25, 2016
Info: North Korea’s capabilities for widespread cyber attacks
Source: Fortune Magazine, October 7, 2016
Info: Samsung’s fix for its “exploding” phones isn’t good enough
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Monday, October 24, 2016
Info: Shaquille O'Neal buys Krispy Kreme store
Activity 6.3: Testing the Strength of Sources
Based on the guidelines given in the text, review the following sets and rank their
WORKSHEET
SET 1
A. University of Minnesota law student, Matt Daniels, claims the number of
Minneapolis children currently prescribed hyperactivity inhibiting drugs is at a
record high.
SET 2
A. In the September 16, 2005, issue of Time, National Education Commissioner
Paul Greenberg states that, based on a sample of 2,000, more than three-fourths
of college students admit that they have cheated on a major exam.
B. Martha White, twelve-year member of the Pickerington School District PTA,
SET 3
A. Basketball superstar LeBron James claims that Nike shoes provide the best
overall comfort and protection from ankle injuries.
Activity 6.4: Pre-Research Worksheet
This activity is designed to help students adequately research their speech topics.
Pre-Research Worksheet
Speech Goal:
I. List of potential print resources from the library:
•
III. Potential interview contact:
IV. Sample source data card:
AUTHOR:
Activity 6.5: Supporting the Speech and Building Credibility
This can either be used as a group activity outside of class, or as homework in
conjunction with a speech assignment. Students must use the library’s resources to
prepare a bibliography for their upcoming speech, incorporating each of the following
sources. The bibliography should be correctly written according to a specific style (APA,
MLA, Chicago).
SOURCES (one of each)
• Book
GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS
abstract: a short paragraph summarizing the research findings
closed questions: narrowly focused questions that require only very brief answers
comparison: illuminate a point by showing similarities
contrast: illuminate a point by highlighting differences
credentials: experiences or education that qualifies a presenter to speak with authority
on a specific subject
definition: a statement that clarifies the meaning of a word or phrase
expert opinions: interpretations and judgments made by authorities in particular
subject areas
factual statements: information that can be verified
hypothesis: an educated guess about a cause-and-effect relationship between two or
more things
leading questions: questions phrased in a way that suggests the interviewer has a
preferred answer
open questions: broad-based queries
oral footnote: reference to an original source, made at the point in the speech where
information from that source is presented
periodicals: magazines and journals published at regular intervals
plagiarism: the unethical act of representing another person’s work as your own by
rapport-building questions: nonthreatening questions designed to put the interviewee
at ease and demonstrate respect
reliable sources: have a history of presenting valid and accurate information
research cards: individual index cards or electronic facsimiles identifying a piece of
information, the key word or theme it represents, and its bibliographic data
secondary questions: follow-up questions designed to probe the answers given to
primary questions
TEST QUESTIONS
CHAPTER 6
Multiple Choice
1.
Which of the following is NOT a type of secondary research?
a.
ethnography
b.
Internet webpage
c.
book
d.
biography
2.
articles can provide facts about and interpretations of both
contemporary and historical issues.
a.
a book
b.
an article from a periodical
c.
news media
d.
an encyclopedia
3.
involves conducting fieldwork observations, surveys, interviews,
original artifact or document examinations, or experiments.
a.
primary research
b.
secondary research
c.
local research
d.
personalized research
4.
For a speech on participation of college age students in elections for President, a
speaker is in need of information such as voting age, population, resident population
voting age, and percent reporting registered and voted. What is the best source for
obtaining this information?
a.
a book of quotations
b.
encyclopedias
c.
statistical sources
d.
personal websites
5.
Which of the following is NOT one of the four criteria used to determine accuracy,
reliability, and validity of sources?
a.
authority
b.
objectivity
c.
currency
d.
bias
6.
report factual information that can be counted on to be true.
a.
Friends
b.
Accurate sources
c.
Valid sources
d.
Librarians
ANS: c SEE PAGE 97
7.
Asking an interviewee “Any attempt to improve community recycling efforts is a
waste of time, isn’t it?” is an example of a(n) question.
a.
neutral
b.
open
c.
closed
d.
leading
8.
“What can you tell me about Harvard University?” is an example of a(n)
question.
a.
neutral
b.
open
c.
closed
d.
leading
ANS: a SEE PAGE 100
9.
The method of rapidly going through a work in order to determine what a topic is,
how it is covered, and whether it will be useful is called .
a.
skimming
b.
scanning
c.
scaling
d.
summarizing
10.
During her speech on how to brush a dog’s teeth, a speaker shared his/her
by explaining his/her experiences as a veterinary technician that qualifies him/her to
speak with authority on the subject.
a.
statistics
b.
primary research
c.
knowledge
d.
credentials
11.
What can be focused on a particular subject and include images, audios, and
audiovisuals but also provide personal viewpoints of an author?
a.
online social networks
b.
blogs
c.
articles
d.
encyclopedias
12.
Evaluating a website’s involves determining the date the article
was placed on the web or revised.
a.
authority
b.
objectivity
c.
currency
d.
relevance
ANS: c SEE PAGE 98
13.
Evaluating a website’s involves determining viewpoints and potential
bias presented in the site.
a.
authority
b.
objectivity
c.
currency
d.
relevance
14.
involves participation as an observer by engaging in interactions
and activities with the people you are studying, or as a nonparticipant observer.
a.
survey
b.
interview
c.
fieldwork observation
d.
experiment
15.
Nonthreatening questions designed to put the interviewee at ease are known as
.
a.
rapport-building questions
b.
neutral questions
c.
open questions
d.
secondary questions
16.
To develop the “what if” angle of a topic, a speaker can use a(n) .
a.
pothetical example
b.
elaboration
c.
hypothetical example
d.
expert opinion
17.A
A statement that clarifies the meaning of a word or phrase is a(n) .
a.
definition
b.
summary
c.
illustration
d.
statistic
18.
The key to using both stories and quotations in a speech is to make sure
.
a.
they directly reinforce the point of the speech
b.
they create a vivid impression with the audience
c.
they can be easily recalled
d.
they can be easily understood
19.
References to an original source, made at the point in the speech where
information from that source is presented are called:
a.
note cards
b.
oral footnotes
c.
visual aids
d.
statistics
20.
During Sammy’s persuasive speech about why ghosts exist, she used a personal
account of her interaction with what she called, “a friendly spirit.” This is an
example of a(n) .
a.
hypothetical example
b.
anecdote
c.
narrative
d.
quotation
21.
T F Research cards are preliminary records of relevant sources one would find
pertaining to a topic.
ANS: F SEE PAGE 108
22.
T F Wikipedia is a good place to begin research, but should not be theprimary
source.
23.
T F It is possible to conduct quality research on the Internet.
24.
T F The heart of an effective interview is good primary questions.
25.
T F Because you have already obtained permission to interview the expert
on your subject, it is unnecessary to get permission to quote.
26.
T F A hypothesis is an educated guess about a cause-and-effect relationship
between two or more things.
27.
T F While books are excellent sources of information, the information contained
within them could be at least two years old when published.
ANS: T SEE PAGE 95
28.
T F One of the best ways to give meaning to new ideas is through comparison
and contrast.
29.
T F The bibliographic information you collect from your sources will be the same
regardless of the type of source you are using.
30.
T F Failure to cite sources constitutes plagiarism and it is unethical.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Anonymous. (2000). The Internet edge: Social, technical, and legal challenges
for a networked world. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication,
30(4), 411.
Low, A. (2003). Research rules to live by: Eight strategies to ensure that
students use an on-line database effectively. School Libraries in
Canada, 22(4), 30– 32.
Thompson, C. (2003). Information illiterate or lazy: How college students use the
web for research. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 3(2), 259–269.
Trimber, J. (2014). The call to write (6th ed.) New York: Cengage Learning.
