The document discusses best practices for conducting online research and citing sources for speeches. It provides guidance on evaluating the quality, credibility, and objectivity of internet sources. Examples are given of determining the credibility of various websites based on attributes like author credentials, date, and peer-review process.

1. Online Research and Citing
Sources for Speeches
Verbally and on your outline

2. Internet Research
 Internet research is an easy
way to obtain information
about your topic.
 However, not everything
online is college-level
quality
 Evaluating the quality of a
website involves looking at:
 Credibility
 Objectivity
 Currency

3. Criteria for Internet Research
 Credibility
 Can you establish who wrote the article? Do they have
the necessary credentials?
 Objectivity
 Is the author presenting an objective point of view or a
biased opinion?
 Currency
 Is this information current? For some topics like
technology, the environment, and medical advances,
you should use only the most current information.

4. Determining Website Credibility
 We‟ll look at six websites
 Try to determine if they meet the
criteria for internet research or not.
 What principle of internet research
might they violate?
 Note: these websites may contain
copyrighted material and are used only
for educational purposes

5. Wikipedia

6. Verdict: Not Credible
 Why not?
 Wikipedia is a great source of general
information for personal use. However, for
college level research, you should use primary
resources where you can check the validity and
credibility of the information directly.
Shhh! Sometimes these primary sources can be
found at the bottom of the Wikipedia page! Click
on them to view!

7. Blogspot

8. Verdict: Not Objective
 Why not?
 Blogs can be created by anyone who wants one.
Just because someone writes something doesn‟t
mean they are qualified to do so or that they are
presenting a balanced view.
 Most people use blogs to share their personal
views.
 Most blogs are not research based or peer
reviewed.

9. About.com

10. Verdict: Not current
 Why not?
 There is NO DATE on this website, so it‟s
impossible to tell how current the information is.
When it comes to a scientific topic, it‟s best to
find the most current information possible, as
the information is constantly evolving.
 It‟s a good rule of thumb that if you can‟t find an
author or date, don‟t use the website.

11. Journal Article

12. Verdict: Credible
 Journal Articles are usually upfront about
who wrote them and the credentials of that
person.
 Most journals note up front as well whether
or not they are peer-reviewed and scholarly.
 If you can find all the information about the
author and date, there‟s a good chance it‟s a
credible source of information.

13. Social Science Research Network

14. Verdict: Objective
 Empirical studies tend to be objective and
contain vast amounts of information
 Anything contained on a Research Network as
well will probably be peer-reviewed and
deemed scholarly as well.

15. SpringerLink

16. Verdict: Current
 The date is clearly stated on this document.
As I created this PowerPoint activity during
2012, one can safely assume a 2012 document
is a current source of information for Global
Warming.
 Other information on this website would also
indicate that this is a scholarly source of
information.

17. Where do I find these better
sources?
 Instead of going straight to Google, try Google
Scholar OR
 Go to your college library‟s website

18. Once you‟re at the Library page…

19. Check out:
 Resources for you
 Research Assistance
 Search Magazines and Articles
 Search Databases
 (I
recommend Academic Search Complete,
Opposing Viewpoints, or CQ Researcher!)
 Use the LibGuides—many for persuasive
speeches are already in there!
 Email the Librarians for specific help

20. Works Cited
 A list of sources used in a presentation
 Use a uniform style
 APA
 MLA
 Designed to enable someone else to
locate the supporting material you
used

21. Citing Sources of Information
Correctly
 Bibliographic Reference
 (AKA—Works Cited Entry)
 Internal References
 Verbal Citations

22. Which citation is which?
Harter, L. A. (2008). Human
 Internal

Communication (3rd ed.).
McGraw-Hill Publications. references
 “According to James Darnell, a
researcher for the Institute of
Higher Learning…”  Bibliographic
Reference
 At the same time, their levels
of absenteeism declined
(Oyserman, Beebe, & Terry,
2006)  Verbal Citations

23. Were you correct?
Harter, L. A. (2008). Human
 Internal

Communication (3rd ed.).
McGraw-Hill Publications. references
 “According to James Darnell, a
researcher for the Institute of
Higher Learning…”  Bibliographic
Reference
 At the same time, their levels
of absenteeism declined
(Oyserman, Beebe, & Terry,
2006)  Verbal Citations

24. Help with MLA
 Use these helpful websites to find out more
about citing sources for your Bibliography/
Works Cited and Internal references.
 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/search.php
 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/74
7/2/
 http://www.easybib.com/

25. Why should I verbally cite?
 Verbal citations:
 Tell listeners WHO the source is and that s/he is
reliable, credible, and qualified
 Verify how CURRENT the information is
 Ensure that you are not PLAGIARIZING
 Leave a PATH for listeners to
find your research later

26. Where are my verbal citations?
 When you research for your speeches, you are
already taking down the information about
the source for your Bibliography/Works
Cited.
 You‟ll also reference the source in your
outline, wherever the information is
 But a verbal citation is when you say it OUT
LOUD, DURING your speech, wherever the
information is

27. Examples
 Ineffective: “Margaret Brownwell writes in her
book Dieting Sensibly that fad diets telling you
„eat all you want‟ are dangerous and
misguided.” (Although the speaker cites and
author and book title, who is Margaret
Brownwell? No information is presented to
establish her authority on the topic.)
 Better: “Margaret Brownwell, professor of
nutrition at the University of New Mexico , writes
in her book, Dieting Sensibly, that …” (The
author’s credentials are clearly described.)
Note: some of the above examples are quoted from:
Metcalfe, Sheldon. Building a Speech. 7th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2010. Google Books.
Web. 17 Mar. 2012.

28. Examples
 Ineffective: “An article titled „Biofuels Boom‟ from the
ProQuest database notes that Midwestern energy companies
are building new factories to convert corn to
ethanol.” (Although ProQuest is the database tool used to
retrieve the information, the name of the newspaper or
journal and publication date should be cited as the source.)
 Better: “An article titled „Biofuels Boom‟ in a September
2010 issue of Journal of Environment and Development”
notes that midwestern energy companies…” (Name and date
of the source provides credibility and currency of the
information as well as giving the audience better
information to track down the source.)
Note: some of the above examples are quoted from:
Metcalfe, Sheldon. Building a Speech. 7th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2010. Google Books.
Web. 17 Mar. 2012.

29. Examples
 Ineffective: “According to
generationrescue.org, possible recovery from
autism includes dietary interventions.” (No
indication of the credibility or sponsoring
organization or author of the website is given)
 Better: “According to pediatrician Jerry
Kartzinel, consultant for generationrescue.org,
an organization that provides information about
autism treatment options, possibly recovery from
autism includes dietary interventions.” (author
and purpose of the website is clearly stated.)
Note: some of the above examples are quoted from:
Metcalfe, Sheldon. Building a Speech. 7th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2010. Google Books.
Web. 17 Mar. 2012.

30. Help with Verbal Citations
 For more help with Verbal Citations, go to
this website:
 http://libguides.greenriver.edu/content.php?
pid=53310&sid=2604145