CHAPTER 6

Research for Effective Communication

Public speakers, especially politicians, are often accused of offering their audiences nothing but hot air – lots of words and energy, but little content. In order to be an effective speaker, you must have more than enough information about your chosen topic to share with your audience. The  way to find that information is to do research. Research might sound difficult or intimidating, but it is something you do every day – you gather information about topics you’re interested in so you can make better choices. If you were considering taking a job, buying a car, or getting a roommate, you would spend time gathering and assessing information about your options. That is research! Research for a presentation should be more thorough and more selective than deciding on a restaurant to eat in this weekend, but both tasks involve the strategic acquisition of information.

Key Terms

Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Mind the GAP: Gather, Assess, Place
Statistics
Examples
Testimony