Chapter 6Researching Your Topic

AgendaChapter 6 – Researching Your

TopicChapter 7 – Supporting Your

Ideas

We do research all the time…Your family wants to go on a

vacation together…◦How do you research your options?

What your audience expects…Audience members rely on you to

provide clear, accurate, current, and balanced information.◦What do you think I mean by

balanced?

Research Process Three Phases:1. Preparing for the search2. Gathering information3. Evaluating information

Preparing for your search…What do you already know about

your topic?How did you find this information

out?◦Can you go back to this “source” for

more information?What sources can you use to find

out more overall?◦Internet, library, interviews…

It is important to…Examine your own experience.Indentify multiple perspectives

about your topic.◦This is particular important in your

persuasive speech.

Primary vs. Second SourcesPrimary: Expresses the author’s

original ideas or findings from original research.

Secondary: Are others’ interpretations or adoptions of primary sources.◦If you go “straight to the source” you

will get better quality information…why? The information hasn’t been filtered through other authors’ perspectives/perceptions.

WikipediaShould you ever use it?

◦How could you use it?

◦My recommendation for this class: Use Google Scholar

Page 118-119 of your textbook.List of databases that you may

find helpful for researching your topic.

When do you conduct an interview?Specialized information you can

only get through an interview (or gives a better perspective).

Not when you can get the same information from another source.

Interview Questions – Table 6.7Primary questions are your main

questions that you will plan before an interview.

Secondary questions can be more difficult to plan. ◦Often times they are spontaneous. ◦They are based off of the responses

from the primary questions.◦Could be as simple as, “Go on.”

Asking questions…Open vs. Closed questions.

◦Open-ended questions are broadly stated.◦Closed-ended questions usually result in

“yes” or “no” type of feedback.Neutral vs. Leading

◦An ethical interviewer will not try to lead someone to answer in a specific way. “Which sport do you think is better for children

to play, soccer or basketball?” Only gives the interviewee two options to

chose from.

What to do before you begin…How you open an interview sets

the tone for the entire conversation.◦1. Establish rapport (get

comfortable)◦2. Provide orientation (explain how

the interview is going to take place – ask if it is okay if you can record and make sure this question and answer is on your recording)

BeforehandPractice your interview with

either yourself or someone else.Have a guide for the questions

you are going to ask.Pick an appropriate setting.If possible record the interview

(ask permission first.)

During interview…Ask one question at a time.Monitor your verbal and

nonverbal cues.

Question…How might you “cite” your

sources during your speech?◦Ideas?

This chapter…Has a lot of helpful information

that I would like to you “check out” on your own.

Table 6.8 on page 128 – Questions for evaluating sources.

Table 6.9 on page 130 – How to cite different sources in APA style. (PLEASE use this.)