Chapter 11

Preparing and Researching

Presentations

• Understand the power of public speaking and how preparation eases natural nervousness

• Identify the purpose of your speech

• Analyze your audience• Choose an appropriate topic

and develop it

Chapter Objectives

• Support and enliven your speech with effective research

• Cull from among your sources the material that will be most convincing

• Give proper credit to sources and take responsibility for your speech

Chapter Objectives

The Power of Public Speaking

Public speaking includes…– A speaker with a

reason for speaking

– An audience that gives the speaker attention

– A message that is meant to accomplish a specific purpose

The Purpose of Your Speech

• The General Purpose– Informative

Speeches

–Persuasive Speeches

–Special-Occasion Speeches

The Purpose of Your Speech

• The Specific Purpose– What do I want my

audience to learn, do, consider, or agree with?

– An action statement encompassing the topic and general speech purpose

Analyzing Your Audience

• Determining audience expectations

• Types of audiences– Pedestrian audience– Passive audience– Selected audience– Concerted audience– Organized audience

Analyzing Your Audience

• Audience demographics–The quantifiable

characteristics of a large group

–May focus on statistics regarding gender, socioeconomic status, age, nationality, and so on.

Choosing Your Topic

• Find a topic that intrigues you

• Brainstorm your topic

• Narrow your topic– Am I interested?

– Does it meet the assignment’s criteria?

– Will my audience find it worthwhile?

Choosing Your Topic

• Developing a thesis statement–A statement that conveys the

central idea or core assumption about your topic

– Is more specific than the specific purpose statement

Researching the Topic

• Types of information– Expert testimony– Lay testimony– Statistics– Anecdotes– Quotations– Comparisons– Contrasts

Researching the Topic

• Researching Supporting Material–Talk to people

• Interviews• Surveys

–Search the literature–Use the Internet

Researching the Topic

• Evaluating Supporting Material–Credible–Up-to-date–Accurate–Relevant–Compelling–Reliable

Ethical Speaking

• Recognizing plagiarismPresenting someone else’s information

as your own• Taking accurate notes

– Quotes and paraphrases– Running bibliography

• Speaking ethically andresponsiblyBe trustworthy, respectful, responsible,

and fair