Determine Soure Authority
When using sources to support your speech points, it matters that you know the perspective of those sources. While no source is is truly "objective," your authority will be enhanced if you are aware of the particular message that your sources are trying to convey.
To help with anaylzing source perspectives, use SourceWatch, "a directory of the people, organizations and issues shaping the public agenda." Or, FactCheckEd.org, an educational resource "designed to help students learn to cut through the fog of misinformation and deception that surrounds the many messages they’re bombarded with every day."
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Check out this source, Tips for Evaluating Sources to help you evaluate what you are finding. Here are the key things to think about:
| ♦Authorship | ♦Sponsorship | ♦Purpose & Audience | ♦Currency |
Databases to find Resources for Speeches
When conducting research for a speech, the following databases will lead you to both popular and scholarly information on topics.
- Academic Search Premier (EBSCO)This database leads to journal and magazine articles across all disciplines - the humanities, sciences, business, education, etc.
- Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center (Gale)Issues are presented in a pro-and-con format. Sources include viewpoint edited articles as well as citations and/or full-text access to articles, primary source material, biographies, etc. on the topic.
- CQ Researcher Each CQ Researcher report offers in-depth coverage of political and social issues. Reports on topics in health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the U.S. economy appear routinely.
- LexisNexis AcademicThis LEXIS-NEXIS product provides access to the full text of hundreds of major business and legal journals, general interest magazines, and U.S. and international newspapers.
- Biography in Context
- History Resource Center (U.S)
- History Resource Center (World)
- Science Resource Center
- Credo Reference
- More Butler Libraries DatabasesAdditional subscription-based databases classified by broad subject area.
Additional Web Sites for Speech Content
These web sites state that they committed to providing objective, non-partisan content on topics.
- FactCheck.org A project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, this organization is a "nonpartisan, nonprofit "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics."
- RealClearPoliticsAn independent political web site, RCP brings together commentary, news, polling data, and links to important resources from all political viewpoints and covers the important issues of the day.
- Public AgendaA non-partisan, non-profit organization that researches public opinion on public policy issues.
- Politics1Politics1 is published as a non-partisan public service to promote fully informed decision-making by the American electorate.
- IDEA (International Debate Education Association) DebatabaseA database of over 400 debate topics. Provides an overview of the issue, pros and cons, and additional resources to consult. This resource is designed to get you started on a topic, it is not comprehensive in the overviews.
Primo: Find some of Everything! (ebooks, print books, articles, etc.)
Statistics & Public Opinion Polls
- The 2010 Statistical AbstractThe bible of government statistics. Contains statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.
- County and City Data BookContains statistical information from the 1944-2000 County and City Data Books.
- Historical Census BureauContains U.S. Census data from 1790-1960.
- Associated Press PollsContains polling data collected by the Associated Press and Ipsos from 2003 to the present.
- Gallup PollsContains recent polling data from the Gallup Poll. Archived polls are available with subscription.
- New York Times PollsContains polling data collected by The New York Times from 2002 to the present.
- Pew Research CenterContains surveys and reports produced by Pew Research from 1987 to the present.
- PollingReport.comAn independent, nonpartisan resource on trends in American public opinion.
- The Washington Post PollsContains polling data from The Washington Post from 1997 to the present.
Images, Audio, and Video for Speeches
- AP ImagesThe AccuNet/AP Multimedia Archive provides a sensory journey of photographs, audio sound bites, graphics and text spanning over 160 years of history.
- Butler Libraries Images & Mulitimedia database linksLinks to subscription-based and free online images.
Bibliography Help COM 102
Below is the handout that was covered in class. Use this as your first defense in creating your bibliography.
Bibliography Help II COM 102
Below are additional sources to consult for your Public Speaking Bibliographies:
Published Style Guides: Located at the Irwin Library Information Commons desk and in the Stacks
- MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers REF DESK LB2369 .G53 2009
- Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association REF DESK BF76.7 .P83 2010
Web Sites:
- Citation Guides - Butler University Libraries
- Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University
- Duke University Libraries - Assembling a List of Works Cited
Speech Call Number Ranges
The call number range for books about speeches, speechmakers, or containing speeches themselves is:
PN6121-6129 - 4th floor, Butler Irwin Library
Historical Speeches (Websites)
- Speeches and Speechmakers: Communication Studies Resources: The University of IowaGreat gateway site to speech collections maintained at the The University of Iowa.
- American RhetoricOnline speech bank of more than 5000 speeches.
- Douglass Archives of American Public AddressReview speeches and related documents by speaker, title, chronologically, controversy/movement.
- History Channel Speech Archives Broadcasts and recordings (RealAudio required) of historic speeches. Each speech has a separate webpage, on which appear a text excerpt and the speech’s historic context.
- Presidential Speeches
Historical Speeches (Library Databases, Journals, Books, Video/DVD collections)
- LitFinder (Gale)From antiquity to modern times, these speeches represent the finest examples of recorded oratory. A collection of the best and the best-known speeches of the past 2,500 years, categorized by easily searchable genres.
- Representative American Speeches
- Vital Speeches of the DayA professional journal that publishes speeches by recognized leaders in both the public and private sectors.
- The World's Great SpeechesFourth (1999) Edition. Contains 292 speeches from Pericles to Nelson Mandela
- Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History
- Words that Shook the World: 100 Years of Unforgettable Speeches and Events
- Great American Speeches: 80 years of Political Oratory [videorecordings]Beginning with a 1912 speech by Theodore Roosevelt and ending with 1984 speeches by Mario Cuomo and Jesse Jackson, traces the history of visually recorded American oratory and discusses the evolution of how, through technology, politicians present themsel
Librarian for College of Communication |
 Sally Neal Links: Profile & Guides |
Speech Writing & Delivery Tips
- Hallway Blogs: Public Speaking GuideThe power of sharing information online lives! This site was recommended by a student at Valley Charter School in Northern California who is using this guide for their research. The site provides tips on speech writing and delivery.
Thanks for the recommendation!
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