Tool Kit

Practically Speaking by J. Dan Rothwell

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Chapter 4 Gathering Material

• Using the Internet for Finding Quality Research

• Evaluating Internet Research and Information

• Using Libraries Effectively

• Conducting Interviews to Generate your own

Relevant Information

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Chapter 4 Learning Objectives

• 4.1 Properly use online research to select credible sources for a given speech.

• 4.2 Effectively distinguish which library resources can help a speaker locate credible sources for a given speech.

• 4.3 Identify how effectively planning and conducting interviews can add expert citations for a given speech.

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Gathering Material

College Libraries Virtual Libraries

WikipediaBlogging Sites

Newspapers

Periodicals Books

Interviews

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The Internet: Online Research

• Search Engines (e.g. Google, Bing, Yahoo)

• Virtual Libraries (e.g. Universal Digital Library)

• Government Sites (e.g. U.S. Census Bureau)

• Survey Sites (e.g. Pew Research Center)

• Wikipedia

• News and Blogging Sites

• Famous Quotation Sites (e.g. Brainyquote)

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INTERNET SEARCH TIPS

1. Use nouns, not articles, pronouns, conjunctions, or prepositions

2. Use no more than 6 to 8 keywords

3. Combine keywords into phrases using quotation marks (e.g. “solar energy”)

4. Spell carefully

5. Avoid redundant terms

6. After accessing 20-30 sites, try a different keyword search

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Evaluating Internet Information

Four steps to evaluating information online:

1. Consider the source

2. Consider source bias

3. Determine document currency

4. Use fact-checking sites

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Evaluating Internet Information: Consider the Source

“Not because of sound science, but because of its absence, marijuana was classified as a schedule 1 substance.” Dr. Sanjay Gupta, August 8, 2013 CNN Health

The CNN biography provides credible source information about Sanjay Gupta.

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Evaluating Internet Information: Consider Source Bias

Are These Biased Sources?

• Vitacost

• Health Central

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• National Center for Complementary & Integrative Health

• Earth Clinic

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Evaluating Internet Information: Evaluating Document Currency

Even a day may affect the currency of information

• “Pluto will remain our ninth planet.” August 24, 2006

• “[A]stronomers voted for…demoting Pluto down to a new classification…” August 25, 2006

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Evaluating Internet Information: Fact Checking

• The validity of claims can be checked for accuracy at a number of sites

• Examples of Fact Checking Politicians: – Donald Trump’s May 22, 2019 Fox News interview

fact checked

– Joe Biden fact checked – Nancy Pelosi fact checked – Presidential candidates, 2007-2016, fact checked

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Evaluating Internet Information

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Evaluating Internet Information (cont.)

Let’s ask Snopes.com…

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Evaluating Internet Information (cont.)

Hmmm…Snopes?

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Library Research

Video: Ask a Librarian

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Library Research

• Ask your librarian for help with navigating and accessing information

• Do keyword searches in online library catalogues

• Browse periodicals and newspapers for current and archived popular information

• Use reference works and databases

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Interviewing

• Prepare an interview plan • Act appropriately • Interview by email if face-to-face is not possible

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Interviewing: Come Prepared with an Interview Plan

Before your interview, decide:

• What you hope to find • Who you will interview and why • A specific meeting time and place • Prepared questions – Ask open-ended questions – Avoid questions that have obvious answers – Avoid leading questions

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Interviewing: Act Appropriately

• Dress appropriately • Be on time • Do not record your interview without explicit

consent from your interviewee

• Avoid meandering into unproductive side conversations

• Take careful notes • Stay within allotted time • Thank your interviewee for their time

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Interviewing: Interviewing by Email

• Helpful when experts are not local or are unavailable face- to-face

• Make a short, initial inquiry about being interviewed

• If the expert agrees, be brief and concise

• Ask only a few well-phrased, precise questions

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Review of Chapter 4 Learning Objectives

• 4.1 Properly use online research to select credible sources for a given speech.

• 4.2 Effectively distinguish which library resources can help a speaker locate credible sources for a given speech.

• 4.3 Identify how effectively planning and conducting interviews can add expert citations for a given speech.