Page 204 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

Chapter 7 Researching Your Message 171

about the Vietnam War, information from several years ago is probably fi ne.
But if you want to discuss the current war on terror, information even a few
days old may be out of date.
• Are the Web site links functional? One of the hints that a Web site is out of
date is that it contains dead links.

Relevance

• Does the information answer your question or need?
• Is this information at an appropriate level for your audience?
• Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining that this is one
you will use? Is this the best source you can fi nd to make your point?

Authority
• Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor, and what are their credentials
or organizational affi liations? Most books and periodicals will tell you some-
thing about the author. Also, a Google search (which we will discuss later)
can often help you learn about a source. Clicking “about us” or “contact us”
on the Web page may help.
• What are the author’s qualifi cations to write on the topic?
• Is there contact information, such as a publisher or e-mail address?
• Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source? For example, is URL
the site a .com, .edu, .gov, .org, or .net? We will discuss these in more detail Uniform Resource
later in this chapter. Locator: the address
for Web sites, such as
Accuracy www.mhhe.com.
• Can you tell where the information comes from?
• Is the information supported by evidence such as footnotes or links to other
verifi able sources?
• Has the information been reviewed or refereed by experts? A newspaper, for
example, normally edits and checks sources before publishing a story; many
Web sites do not.
• Can you verify any of the information using another source or from personal
knowledge?
• Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?

Purpose

• What is the purpose of the information? A Web site touting a nutritional
supplement is suspect if it invites you to click on a link to buy the
product.
• Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
• Does the information seem unbiased, or is it merely opinion or propaganda?
Does the language or tone seem unbiased and free of emotion?
• Are there obvious political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or
personal biases?