CMJ 103: Public Speaking

You're being asked to develop several speeches throughout the semester. Here are some things to keep in mind as you begin research on your topics.

1. Begin with an idea. What do you want to focus on?

If you’re not yet sure, scan the home page of a few news sources to see what stories are popular, or look at some suggested starting points.

Determine a question you would like to answer. For example:

• How is climate change affecting the fishing industry in Maine?
• How does college loan debt impact college students' decisions about majors?
• How do gun control laws affect school shootings?

2. To begin your search for information, step back and think about the types of information you want to find.   Who actually created the information, and why did they create it? 

Then you can think about where the information might be found:

• Books - overviews of topics, sometimes scholarly, sometimes not
• Journal articles - scholarly research sources; usually narrowly focused
• Library databases - can search for material in books, journals, magazines, news sources, statistics
• Open Web - general background, sometimes research, also news, some statistics and opinions
• GenAI - information generated based on large models of text; often put together using language patterns, no actual author

3. Develop context for your topic/question by exploring background information on it. Consider the many resources available to you, including information on the open web, books/ebooks through Fogler’s LibrarySearch, news databases, the library’s access to Statista (for statistics), public opinion polls, or streaming video options. You may want to try specific GenAI sources as a starting point, as well.

4. In addition to background information, search for scholarly articles to discover what has been analyzed or studied on your topic. You can use LibrarySearch for a general search, or specialized library databases for more specific searches. 

5.  As you learn more about your topic, allow yourself to change your mind and consider new perspectives on your topic.

6. Read and evaluate the sources you find to determine their credibility and appropriateness for your speeches.

7. Remember that the ethical use of information involves giving credit to the sources you consult when you present ideas about your topic. For your speeches, you will do this through oral and written citations. Not only does this help you avoid plagiarism, but it helps your audience trace the development of your ideas. Organize your sources in a way that allows you to manage your workload and properly cite the materials you use.