Research is something that I find very long and tedious sometimes and I am always trying to find ways to research more effectively. Chapter eight gives five suggestions for doing research. There are two specific suggestions that I think are the most important. One of them is to start your research early. This is very important because if you don't start early, you will end up getting stressed and take the chance that the materials you need may not be available. The other suggestion is to take notes. Taking notes is very helpful when it comes to writing your speech because they will be easy to look at and use. It is important however that note taking be done accurately and efficiently.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Blog 2
Chapter seven really explains some great ways to find a topic for a speech. I know that whenever I had to give a speech in high school, it was always really hard for me to decide on a topic. Doing a self-inventory is a great way to get started. Who knows you better than you? It is easier to give a speech on something that we are knowledgeable or passionate about. Brainstorming is another technique that the book suggests. Brainstorming hasn't always been easy for me and it probably isn't easy for other people as well. However, I think it is a great way to get some ideas on paper in a short amount of time. As a journalism major, I am always reading the news and keeping up with current events. The technique of reviewing the current media that the book describes is a great one for me. I can easily pull ideas for speeches out of the news. The last technique that is explained in chapter seven is surfing the web. This one is perfect for everyone. As a college student I surf the web multiple times daily. The web is easy to access here on campus and therefore can be used as a wonderful starting point when it comes to finding speech topics.
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It is nice to have a choice of what to present to the class. I feel that by doing this a person can speak more passionatly and confidently about a subject they are interested in. I also agree that the internet is an easy source to access information but it is not always accurate.
ReplyDeleteI know researching sucks, especially when it is online, because you never know whether sources are reliable or not. I know a great site that has reliable information, it is called Badgerlink. It is awesome and has helped me with many speaches, I hope it helps you too. As for citing sources I like to take notes on the computer (word processor) and then copy and paste the link to the site underneath the information so that I know where I got it, and if I use the information from that site I can always visit it to find the rest of the info, and if I don't use it than it saves me that much time :)
ReplyDeleteYou are very right when you say that we should do a self inventory to find a topic for a speech we are doing. When we do this we usually find a topic that we like, and for that reason we can be more energetic and enthusiastic about the speech.
ReplyDeleteI think you have a good point about starting the research early so we don't get stressed and try to do it at the last minute.
I totally agree with you and what you said about brainstorming. I don't really like it and im not very good at it. But once you are done its so much easier to write your paper because your thoughts and what you want to say are all written down. I also love the two tips you wrote down from chapter 8. They are both very true and helpful.
ReplyDeleteI think the internet is a good place to find a topic but it is SO easy to run into unreliable sources. So when it comes time to narrowing down your topic I would make sure that your sources are reliable so that you're whole speech isn't based off of an overall falsehood. I also agree that researching ahead of time is a good idea. Being a procrastinator I know all too well the stress that comes with that at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteIt sure is great to be able to pick WHAT you want to speak about as well as HOW you want to. You really are in control of if you either want to Inform, Entertain, or Persuade your audience. One of the easiest places to find this IS the internet, which will help you if you're stuck on ANYTHING!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you keep up on current events - doing so really is one of the easiest ways to get ideas for speeches that can be related to your audience.
ReplyDeleteJust a note for the people who left comments - while Brittany did make some great points and observations, I am looking for more than just "I agree with you, good job." Try to add some more "meat" to the replies, please!