Page 201 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

168 Part 3 Putting Theory Into Practice

We have all had the experience of hearing speeches by well-respected speakers
who never cite a single source. For example, the authors have heard speeches by
Nobel Peace Prize–winners Elie Wiesel and Mikhail Gorbachev. These speak-
ers didn’t need to say “according to an article in . . .” to show that they knew
what they were talking about. We have also attended many lectures by less well-
known speakers who, because of their expertise in a particular area, have not
relied on other sources to document their claims.
For most of us, however, and certainly for students beginning their public
speaking careers, it is important to use credible evidence from reliable sources
to support what is said in our speeches. To do so requires research: the process
research
of fi nding and evaluating supporting materials.
The process of fi nding
and evaluating support-
Why Do Research?
ing materials.
There are several reasons why research is important. First, unless we are simply
relating fi rst-hand experience, speeches that neither refl ect nor cite research can
convey false (or at least questionable) information to an audience. Second, keep
in mind our ethical responsibility to provide good reasons to our audience for
believing what we say. Without evidence, what assurance do our listeners have
that our claims aren’t simply made up? Third, unless our audience perceives
us as knowledgeable, we are unlikely to convince them of our claims without
documentation. Aristotle called such believability ethos, and contemporary re-
searchers call it source credibility. Both agree that it is key to the art and science
of public speaking. Our believability as speakers is enhanced by citing evidence
1
from multiple sources in the body of our speeches. Doing so requires research
to uncover evidence from multiple sources. But there’s a catch: We need to make
sure that we research and orally cite sources that have weight with audience
members and that can be readily checked on should audience members so de-
sire. Telling an audience we pulled the evidence from some generic Web site and
citing the URL just doesn’t cut it.
We know that this is easier said than done. Hence, the remaining sections of
this chapter will give you the tools not only to fi nd information for your speeches
but also to evaluate that information in a way that will enable you to convey it
credibly to an audience.

Developing a Research Plan

Purposeful research begins with a research plan. And a research plan must
begin with a thorough analysis of your rhetorical situation, the topic we empha-
sized in Chapter 6. Who will be your audience? What topics are of interest to
them and you? What are your purposes—both general and specifi c?
For students in a basic speech class, some of these matters are predetermined.
For example, your classmates constitute your audience. Depending on how far
the term has progressed, you may have a clear idea of what topics interest them.
But if it’s early in the term then you may want to test-drive some ideas with class-
mates (we often have brainstorming sessions in class where different topics are
discussed).
The general purpose of a speech may also be predetermined by your instruc-
tor. You will typically be asked to give a speech to inform or persuade and will