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COM 231: Beck: Informative Speech

This research guide will present you with all of the research tools you need to complete assignments for Dr. Beck's COM 231 class.

The Informative Speech

 

For this assignment, you will prepare a speech that informs your audience about a topic of your choosing; your goal is to increase your audience’s knowledge about and understanding of this topic.  The information you present should be offered in such a way that you are informing the audience rather than seeming to convince them of a particular point of view.  You will need to include outside research and a digital presentation in your speech.

 

There are several information areas you might want to consider for your speech, which may include (but are not limited to): (a) political, economic, social, or technological issues (be careful to remain neutral/informative!), (b) historical or current events, (c) theories, principles, or laws, (d) people, or (e) definitions of words, thoughts, or concepts.

Library Databases

eLibrary from ProQuest

eLibrary from Proquest

Use this database to find a research topic or get started on background research. 

CREDO Reference

CREDO Reference

Background and Reference information; an excellent starting point for all research. 

Statista

Statista: Statistics & Demographics

Millions of statistics with charts and graphs. 

Statistical Abstract of the U.S.

The authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political and economic conditions of the United States.

eBook Central

Authoritative and scholarly eBooks.

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The Assignment

If you need to refer to your assignment, you can download it here:

Research Tips

Here are some tips to help you find the best possible resources for your research:

  • Think of keywords before you begin searching. These are the terms that are most relevant to your topic. For example, if you are studying The Ketogenic Diet, you might want to search for "ketogenic", "diet fads", or "low carbohydrates".
  • Think of any synonyms for your keywords. If you are searching for information on The Ketogenic (Low Carb) Diet, both "ketogenic" and "keto" are two different keywords that might both contain helpful information.
  • Use quotations around phrases, such as "Low Carbohydrates" to ensure results that contain both words together.
  • Too many results? Try adding more keywords or using more specific keywords in your search. No results? Remove keywords or try to think of broader keywords to use.
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