Gathering andEvaluating

Information

Researching Information

►Gathering and evaluating information ●Examine what you know already and

areas where you need additional information.

●Locate and evaluate information sources.

●Prepare research cards.

●Cite sources.2

Chapter Sections►Locate & evaluate information

sources

►Identify and select relevant information

►Record information

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Chapter Section One

Locate & Evaluate Information Sources

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Personal Knowledge

►Based on experience, and observation

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Secondary Research►The process of locating

information about your topic that has been discovered by other people

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Types of Secondary Research ►Encyclopedias

►Books

►Articles

►Newspapers

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Types of Secondary Research (cont..)►Statistical sources

►Biographies

►Quotation books and websites

►Government documents

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Skimming to Determine Source Value►A method of rapidly going through a work to determine what is covered and how

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Evaluating Sources

►Criteria for judging sources

●Authority

●Objectivity

●Currency

●Relevancy10

Primary Research►Conducting your own study in the

field●Fieldwork Observations

●Surveys

●Interviews

●Original artifact or document examinations

●Experiments

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Fieldwork Observations►Also known as ethnography

►The focusing on specific behaviors or observations and taking notes on your observations

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Surveys

►A canvassing of people to get information about their ideas and opinions, which are then analyzed for trends

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Interviews►Planned, structured conversations

where one person asks questions and another answers them.

Rob_Loud / Getty Images

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Interview Steps►Selecting the best person

►Preparing the interview protocol

►Conducting the interview

►Processing the interview

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Preparing the Interview Protocol ►Primary and secondary questions

►Open and closed questions

►Neutral and leading questions

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Conducting the Interview►Dress professionally.

►Be prompt.

►Be courteous.

►Ask permission to record.

►Listen carefully.17

Conducting the Interview (cont..)►Keep the interview moving.

►Monitor your nonverbal reactions.

►Get permission to quote.

►Confirm credentials.

►End on time, and thank the interviewee.

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Processing the Interview►Sit down with your notes as soon as

possible after the interview and make individual research cards of the information you may want to use in the speech.

►If at any point you are not sure whether you have accurately transcribed what the person said, contact the person to double-check.

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Original Artifact orDocument Examinations►This consists of examining an original

unpublished source, such as an ancient manuscript, a diary, personal correspondence, or company files; or

►Viewing an object to get the information you need, such as a geographic feature, a building, a monument, or an artifact in a museum.

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Experiment►A designed study to test a hypothesis

you have●You must understand the principles of the

scientific process of experimentation to be able to trust results of a formal experiment.

●Alternatively, you can try an informal experiment to test the results of a study you learn about elsewhere.

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Chapter Section Two

Identify and Select Relevant Information

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Types of Relevant Information►Factual Statements

►Expert Opinions

►Elaborations

►Drawing Information from Multiple Cultural Perspectives

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Factual Statements►Statements that can be verified

●Statistics - numerical facts

●Examples - specific instances that illustrate or explain a general factual statement

●Definition - a statement that clarifies the meaning of a word or phrase

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Factual Statements (cont..)

●Expert opinions - interpretations and judgments made by authorities in a particular subject area

●Elaborations - Both factual information and expert opinions can be elaborated on through anecdotes and narratives, comparisons and contrasts, or quotable explanations and opinions

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Multiple Cultural Perspectives►It is important to draw your

information from culturally diverse perspectives by,

●Seeking sources that have differing cultural orientations, and by

●Interviewing experts with diverse cultural backgrounds.

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Chapter Section Three

Record Information

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Recording Information►Preparing research cards

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Citing Sources in The Speech► Failure to cite sources is unethical.

► Failure to cite sources orally during your speech constitutes plagiarism.

► You must provide oral footnotes during your speech - references to an original source.

► Include enough information for listeners to access the sources themselves.

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