Deck 12: A: Preparing and Researching Presentations

Question 1

Why are ethics important in public speaking, and what steps should a speaker take to ensure he or she takes responsibility for his or her own speech and communicates ethically?

Answer 1

Ideal answers will acknowledge the power that is exercised when one speaks and the trust the audience places in the speaker. When we choose to speak, we are responsible for the choices we make-about what to say as well as how to say it. Although we are all guaranteed the right to speak, we are not shielded from the consequences of our choice to speak. Throughout history, the power of speech has been used to create great positive change in our world but has also been used to degrade, manipulate, and harm others. All people are deserving of respect and dignity, and speakers who have great integrity make the choice to communicate in a manner that reflects this truth. Ethical speakers take steps to avoid plagiarism and make the choice to address their audiences in a trustworthy, respectful, responsible, and fair manner.

Question 2

Your roommate is researching a presentation for one of his classes but is having a tough time with it. He tells you that he just can't find any information. Based on what you learned in this chapter, what advice would you give to help him gather good information?

Answer 2

Ideal answers will include a discussion of traditional publications like books, newspapers, and magazines, as well as newer Internet databases. Students may also use familiar resources like Internet search engines and Web sites, as well as less familiar resources like library gateways and metasearch engines. Books, newspapers, and other traditional forms of literature may require more work to find, and many databases require the user to go to a library or to pay a fee to view or print an article. However, the quality of the information is often superior to what is available via the Web. Library gateways will produce fewer results than using a search engine or even a database would, but because humans have reviewed the resources, they are often superior in quality. Internet search engines provide access to a wealth of information but can provide more information than a person can sift through, and much of the information found on the Web is unverified and potentially inaccurate.

Question 3

List and define the various types of information discussed in your textbook that a speaker could use to clarify the ideas in his or her speech. Are there notable advantages or disadvantages to using any specific types of supporting information?

Answer 3

Ideal answers will include all of the following information types: •Expert testimony-opinion of an expert on the subject. Experts carry great authority, but the information may be difficult for a lay audience to relate to. •Lay testimony-opinion of a non-expert with relevant experience. Lay testimony is relatable to a typical audience but carries little authority, so the accuracy should be checked. •Statistics-information provided in numerical form. Statistics can be dry and boring and lacking in the personalization that makes a speech memorable. They are also often inaccurate or simplistic and require explanation. •Factual statements-truthful, realistic accounts based on real people, places, events, or dates. They, too, can be dry and boring and lacking in the personalization that keeps an audience interested in the subject. Such statements are also sometimes subject to interpretation. •Anecdotes-brief personal stories that make a point. Anecdotes add a face to the statistics and facts and emphasize emotions, though they can be overly emotional and take more time to discuss. •Quotations-using the words of another person. Quotations can lend a sense of history and eloquence but work best when they are kept short. •Comparisons-statements that measure the similarity of two things. They allow the speaker to bring other types of support together in a meaningful way; thus, the speaker must ensure that the items are meaningfully similar.

Question 4

Explain why audience analysis is important in the speech preparation process and how a speaker would go about analyzing his or her audience.

Question 5

Pulling together what you have learned throughout this chapter, why would you say it is important for college students to take a public speaking course?

Question 6

Describe and provide an example of plagiarism that one might commit or observe in a professional speaking context. Why do we consider plagiarism to be a problem? What steps can a speaker take to ensure he or she is not committing the crime of plagiarism?

Question 7

Compare and contrast the three general purposes for public speaking. Briefly list and describe one example of each type of speech for which you have been an audience member at some point in your life.

Question 8

What do you think are the most important criteria for evaluating the quality of a source? Why? Based on these criteria, provide an example of a source you would recommend using and a source you would not recommend using, and give a brief explanation why.

Question 9

Your friend Don has been assigned the task of giving an informative speech. Don is very passionate about animal rights, and after contemplating his personal interests he has decided to give a speech on how a vegetarian diet benefits people, animals, and our planet in hopes that his audience will think twice the next time they eat meat. Synthesizing information from throughout this chapter, what advice would you give Don to help him prepare and research a great presentation for this assignment?
Answer Key

Question 10

Aisha needs to give a speech in one of her classes but isn't having any luck coming up with a good topic for the presentation-she doesn't seem to know how to get started. What would you say to her to explain the process a speaker goes through to develop ideas, make a selection, and then narrow the topic for a speech?