BUILDING A BETTER SPEECH

Argumentative Resources, Statistics, Opinion Polls and How to Understand Bias Through Evaluation

Jason DupreeHead of Public Services

Forming an Argument

What kind of Information Sources should I use for my speech?

• Use both Electronic AND Paper Sources

• For current events, use materials published in the last 3-5 years

• Know BOTH SIDES of the story

Getting Started

• Identify your topic• State the position you will support• Highlight points of your discussion• Use information to support your

position– Pro/Con Materials– Opinion Polls– Statistics

Helpful Keywords to Use in Searches• Issue• Controversy • Statistic• Ethical• Rights• Debate• Attitude• Trend• Condition

Examples:

rights and abortion

death penalty and controversy

household spending and trends

Activity: Choose a Video

NASA launches Controversy 2008 Feb. 26: Public outcry erupts over plans to build new launch site in wildlife refuge.

Morbid Curiosity2007 Jan. 3: Should the viewing of capital punishment and torture be allowed on the Internet?

Transgender Rights Controversy2008 May 14: Need for laws to protect an individual’s rights and gender expression.

Violent Video Games2007 Apr. 21: Is the rise in violent behavior related to the increasing number of violent video games?

Argumentative Resources

Print Pro/Con Resources

• Book Series– Contemporary Issues– Opposing Viewpoints– Current Controversies

*title search in the Library Catalog

How do I choose a Database?• Subject Content• Date or Year Range of Coverage• Types of Material or Documents it

Indexes• Currency (how often updated?)• Format of information

– Citation Only?– Full-text?– Both?

Electronic Pro/Con Resources• CQ Researcher

– contains information on current and controversial issues specific to the U.S. Government

• Issues and Controversies– provides up-to-date, objective

information on the most prominent and hotly debated issues of the day

Exercise, Part 2: Argumentative Resources Worksheet

Pro/Con: Three arguable points

• Select the side you are defending• Identify three arguable points for

your side only

Opinion Polls

Which sounds better?

• Oil over $100 is cause for concern.

• Harvard economists believe oil over $100 is cause for concern.

– A COLLECTIVE OPINION IS STRONGER THAN A SINGLE OPINION

Opinions vs. Facts (Statistics)• Opinion-Strengths

– A consensus of opinions are much stronger than a single opinion

– Reflects the culture and society that experience these issues and events (primary resource)

• Opinion-Weaknesses– Less concrete– A view formed by

someone’s belief which can be biased

– Not necessarily the truth

– Opinions can differ widely

• Facts-Strengths– Very concrete– Based in

scientific/research methodology

– Data supports arguments

– Statistics helps determine the accuracy of information in the evaluation process

• Facts-Weaknesses– Data can be

manipulated– Unless data collection is

a regular practice, data can become outdated and irrelevant

Opinion Resources in Print

• Editorials on File– Ref 070.43 Ed48

• Gallup Poll – Ref 301.154 G13g– http://www.gallup.com– an organization studying human nature and

behavior for more than 70 years through public surveys

– collects attitudes and opinions of individuals and key groups within the American population concerning national and international issues and events

Electronic Opinion Resources• LexisNexis

– Full-text information from over 5,600 sources

– National and regional newspapers, wire services, broadcast transcripts, international news

• NYT Online – Search or browse the full text of the

New York Times from 1851–2004.

Opinion Resources on the Web

• Headline Spot• Polling Report• Ropert Center of Public Opinion

Archives

*Please refer to class website for more resources

Opinion or Fact?

• Whales are mammals.• Whales are superior to dolphins.• Stephen King is talented.• Stephen King is a prolific writer.• Abraham Lincoln was the best

president the United States has ever had.

• John Adams was the second president of the United States.

Statistics

Which sounds better?

• A lot of freshman drop out of SWOSU each academic year.

• 40% of freshman drop out of SWOSU each academic year.– NUMBERS CARRY WEIGHT,

PEOPLE ARE INFLUENCED BY STATISTICS

Statistical Resources in Print• Reference Collection (Behind Ref

Desk)– American Attitudes– Americans at Play– Education Statistics of the United States– Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics– Statistical Handbook on the American

Family– World Almanac

Electronic Statistical Resources• LexisNexis

– Full-text information from over 5,600 sources

– Statistical Resources

• GPO (Government Information)– Provides statistical information directly

from the U.S. Government and the agencies who collect the data.

– Google Unclesam (Gov’t Search Engine) www.google.com/unclesam

– U.S. Census Bureau (Larger producer of stats in the world)

Statistical Resources on the Web• Statistics Resources Blog (What is a blog?)

– A Subject Tracer Information Blog for monitoring statistics resources and sites on the Internet.

• Pew Research Center– A “Fact Tank” vs. “Think Tank”– The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan

"fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It does not take positions on policy issues.

Statistical Resources on the Web

• STATS• Fedstats• Various government statistical sites

*Please refer to class website for more resources

Exercise, Part 3: Argumentative Resources Worksheet

Pro/Con: Three information sources

• Locate one opinion poll• Locate one statistical

source/report• Locate one article discussing this

topic.

Evaluation

Library Online Sources vs. the Internet: What’s the

difference?

• Subscription vs. “free” resources aka “the hidden web”

• Evaluation time• Not every good source that is

available to you is in digital format

Evaluating Information

• Authority – Who?• Accuracy – What?• Currency – How? Why?• Objectivity – When?

Step 1: Authority

• Books & Articles– Who is responsible

for content?• Author(s)?• Editor(s)?• Publisher• Credentials

offered?

• Newspapers• Writer(s)• Editor(s)• Columnist(s)

• Web Pages– Who is

responsible for content?

• Webmaster?• Web team?• Organization?• Institution?• Company?

Domain Names

• Which one is right?– www.whitehouse.co

m– www.whitehouse.go

v– www.whitehouse.ne

t– www.whitehouse.or

g

• Whois.net– www.whois.net

• .gov• .org• .mil• .com• .edu• .net• .int

Step 2: Accuracy

• Books & Articles– Can the

information be verified?

• Bibliography• Works Cited• Peer-reviewed

(journals only)

• Newspapers• Interviews• Eyewitness

Accounts

• Web Pages– Can the

information be verified?

• Links to credible sites

• Copyright• Works Cited• Fact check with a

printed source

Step 3: Objectivity

• Books & Articles– Biased or

Objective?• Persuasion/

Emotion• Author’s Point of

View

• Newspapers• Subscriptions ($)• Advertising ($)• Owners• CJR review

• Web Pages– Biased or

Objective?• Opinion/Fan sites• Sponsoring

Organization• Agendas• Political

Propaganda• Web hosting

Objectivity

• Fox News• Al Jazeera • NPR

Understanding/Detecting BiasNational Right to Life Organizationhttp://www.nrlc.org/Planned Parenthoodhttp://www.plannedparenthood.orgOperation Rescuehttp://www.operationsaveamerica.orgNational Abortion and Reproductive

Rights Action League (NARAL)http://www.naral.org/

Step 4: Currency

• Books & Articles– When was it

published?• Copyright date• Important based

upon subject– Science– Social Science– Allied Health– Education– Pharmacy– Computer Science

• Newspapers published daily

• Web Pages– When was it created

and last updated?• Well maintained web

sites have an indication when it was last updated or modified

• Accessibility– Dead links

• Stability– Changes URLs

frequently

Exercise: Evaluation

• www.who.int/en/• www.dhmo.org• www.genochoice.com • www.martinlutherking.org• www.defendamerica.mil• www.oshp.net

Remember to Evaluate!• Authority

– Who created it? Who is responsible?– What credentials do they hold? What makes them

qualified to discuss the topic?• Accuracy

– Can the information be verified?– Check the facts!

• Objectivity– How is the information being presented?– Is it objective or biased? What’s the point of view?

• Currency (important based on subject)– When was it published?– When was it last updated?

RESOURCE REVIEW:

Pro/Con: • Issues & Controversies, CQ Researcher,

Opposing Viewpoints

Collective Opinion: • Editorials on File, Gallup Poll,

LexisNexis, Polling Report

Statistics: • LexisNexis, Statistics Resource Blog,

Pew Research, U.S. Census Bureau

Thank You

Jason Dupree, Head of Public Services774-3031jason.dupree@swosu.eduhttp://faculty.swosu.edu/jason.dupree/publicspeaking.htm