One key element in your persuasiveness is your credibility: Does the audience see you as a speaker who knows their material? (competence)  Does the audience see you as someone who has their best interests at heart? (character)

You can help the audience to see you as competent by doing research and demonstrating that research. The strongest arguments are those that are made with full knowledge of the issues, including the opposing points of view.

During BOTH the Informative and Persuasive Speeches, you must refer to 4 different outside sources.

NOW is the time to find and evaluate those sources.

If you are doing both speeches on the same topic, you need do this research assignment only once, though you may need to find other sources as you develop your ideas.

If you are doing each speech on a different topic, then you must complete this research assignment for each topic.

STEP ONE: Locate 6 sources that might be of use for your topic. These may include: books, magazines, journals, newspapers, radio, television and interviews (with experts or peers). Many of those types of sources listed can be found in their entirety on the WEB. It is acceptable if you find all sources on the WEB, but you must be able to verify the author and evaluate the credibility of every source. You may also use libraries to find sources that have not been digitized.

All sources must be reliable and free from overt bias. No encyclopedias of any kind – especially Wikipedia.

A Good Place to Start: Google Scholar

 A Good Place to Start: From CCP’s library’s homepage, access “Indexes/Databases”. This will put you in touch with many (some full text) useful databases.

The database “Issues and Controversies” can be very helpful to get you oriented.

STEP TWO: Evaluate your sources, by answering the following questions.

1. Is this a reliable author whose expertise is obvious? You may not use any encyclopedias (Wikipedia) or any source not verifiable. If Yes, continue.

2.If yes, how might I use the source?

1. As part of a Historical Informative speech?
2. As part of a Spatial or cross-cultural Informative speech?
3. To establish the severity of the problem in a Persuasive speech?
4. To establish effects and causes of the problem in a Persuasive speech?
5. To establish a solution for the problem in a Persuasive speech?
6. Write out one eg of statistics, examples, or testimony you might use.

 3. If the author is arguing against me, what are the specific points of disagreement?

4. How might I counter these points? Do I still need more research to counter?

5. All speeches refer to 4 sources; write a full sentence showing how you will refer to this source in your speech. (E.g.: "According to the New York Times, in September of this year, the unemployment rate rose to its highest level in 70 years.”) 

 

BEFORE YOU COME TO CLASS ON THE DAY THIS ASSIGNMENT IS DUE, ENSURE YOU MEET THESE STANDARDS FOR THIS COLLEGE LEVEL WRITING ASSIGNMENT:

Format: Put the source at the top of the page; list the answers below.  No need to repeat the questions; just make clear the answer, and use full sentences in your answers.

--TYPED

--STAPLED or paper clipped

--Double spaced

-- No TYPOS (few patterned errors; see syllabus) 

Successful completion of this assignment is required to give speeches 4 and 5. Typically students who miss this deadline fail the course.

 

Remember, this is the CONTENT of the SPEECHES, not a separate assignment. YOU WILL CITE 4 SOURCES in both the Informative and Persuasive speeches. They may be the same 4 sources, if your topic is the same.