Research Synthesis in Speech Writing
Research Synthesis in Speech Writing
Research is composed of brainstorming, understanding types of sources, processing the information, and inserting that research into the speech.
Brainstorming: The Brain Dump Technique
Prior to conducting research, it is helpful to take a mental inventory of existing knowledge and perspective on a topic by completing a brain dump. Begin a brain dump by documenting all initial thoughts on the speech topic. Launching points include:
Consider the broad scope of the topic. These would be the main points you are considering.
Narrow down to sub-groupings of views and bring in focused aspects of the topic. These would be the supporting sub-points to each main point.
Consider what level of knowledge the audience has on the topic, and whether to define specific terms, processes, procedures, or theories.
Ask these questions:
Why did I select this topic?
Who does this subject impact?
What do I want my audience to believe or do after the speech?
Then, it is essential to log how concepts connect. Speech writing should be a process over time rather than one work session.
Be sure to schedule adequate time to reflect on the topic. And plan for the “brain dump” when planning a speech. Document all ideas in a notebook, on notecards, pieces of paper, computer, or digital device; whatever works best for you. The purpose is to notate subjects related to the overall speech subject. Do not assess these observations, simply document logical connections, patterns or theories.
Some individuals use symbols to show relationships between concepts. Others write on a notepad or note cards, bullet their ideas, or create lists. Carry the notes everywhere to chronicle flashes of insight. While you are not in the research phase yet, keep bookmarks in your Web browser. Alternatively, copy and paste the links into a document to help locate them later. Do not focus on organizing notes or research from the brain dump during this phase. The only goal is to generate as many launching points to guide the next phase in researching the topic.
Once critical concepts are planned, draw connections and organize those ideas as you conduct your research. It is much more time-effective to write as you research. Gathering quotes into a document allows you to shift around main ideas and corresponding sub-points as you complete chains of logic. Be flexible to make modifications in the organizational structure.
Primary Versus Secondary Sources
When conducting research, it is important to look for both primary and secondary source material.
Primary sources are first-hand accounts of opinions or data. For example, a speech, interview, government document, or court case. A primary quantitative source would be statistical data or polls.
Secondary sources are understandings and comments based on primary source research. For example, scholarly journals, magazines, reports from think tanks, documentaries, or news media reports.
Locating Sources
Wikipedia is a wonderful beginning place for general research. However, since anyone on the Internet can edit a Wikipedia page, be sure to carefully vet the content. The source citations included at the bottom of the page provide launching points for further research. Wikipedia as a resource can help in finding keyword terms for conducting keyword searches during the academic research process using university databases. Whether we are using general search engines or online academic databases, creating focused keyword searches makes it possible to create narrow research results in a shorter amount of time.
Online Boolean Searches: Boolean terms are used during academic database searches. Boolean searches broaden, narrow, or more accurately restrict search keywords while conducting online research. “Boolean operators” are the words AND, OR, and NOT. The + symbol can also be used instead of the word AND. This simple adjustment in our keyword search will narrow or broaden a search depending on our research preferences. You can find a relevant example of Boolean Search Operators from Lifewire, a service dedicated to providing context for technology, using the link below.
Periodicals: Professionals in a particular academic field write articles for trade journals using vocabulary specific to that profession. Researchers write scholarly journals to publish research and often use technical terminology. Journalists write magazines and newspaper articles interpreting research to persuade or inform an audience. The language used targets a generalized audience. So, if you want to use highly technical language, then find trade journals or scholarly journals. If you are seeking an anecdote with simplistic language, look for a newspaper article written by a journalist. Since trade and scholarly journals are published less frequently, magazine and newspaper articles are helpful for current events when we want to provide the most updated information.
Books: Autobiographical and biographical books provide vivid details about someone’s life and the larger cultural context during a specific period. Historical books provide researched facts of specific years. Books on science provide coverage on experiments and detailed explanations on specific topics. Books can also provide comprehensive interviews or highlighted experts from interviews formulating conclusions for the audience.
Processing Research with Taglines
Functions of Taglines
Taglines consolidate the analysis of our research into manageable bits of information. We are staging our notes for our full-sentence outlines. Taglines allow us to quickly recall our interpretation of the author’s line of reasoning by reading a single sentence. The data is organized and we save time.
Creating taglines allows us to organize large amounts of research into categories. In this way, we can insert research with similar tags in the same area of our outline.
Creating taglines enhances the efficiency of organizing the speech by assisting us in locating various types of research to insert into our presentation quickly. Creating taglines will prepare for the next step in selecting quotes to insert into the full-sentence outline.
Effective taglines enable us to adapt our research to various audience demographics and contexts. Think of a salesperson who has a product launch. That salesperson may make slight modifications to how she or he expresses ideas depending upon the audience's demographics. The message content does not change only word choice and organizational structures.
After working with the research in this way, there is an added value that our research may become memorized after creating the taglines, which act, essentially, as keywords or key phrases.
Now that you have created taglines as the launching points for outlining, inserting the research into the speech outline will be seamless.
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Using Direct Quotes
Step 1: Introduce the quote with complete source information.
Speeches are distinctive from research papers. In most instances, audience members do not have a copy of the speech and flip to the end of the document to refer to an endnote or parenthetical citation. Instead, a speaker introduces the source information prior to reading the quotation.
When citing sources in the outline, include the author’s name, qualifications, publication where the quote originates, nature of the publication and publication date.
For example “According to Dr. X (author’s name), who is an economist from the Brookings Institution (qualification), who was quoted in the April 2021 (date) issue of Magazine X (publication), which is a publication that informs the public on Y topic (nature of the publication).”
If we are citing a website, we need to be sure to include the relevant information about that website. For example “This website specializes in covering topics related to resource management and sustainable development.”
Similarly, if our research is from a think tank, state the expert credentials of the think tank. For example “The Heritage Foundation is a think tank which focuses on conservative public policy topics.” or, “The Human Rights Watch is a think tank that provides research and advocacy on human rights issues.”
Step 2: Read the direct quotation.
Make it clear to the audience that you are reading a quote. Speakers do not need to memorize research quotations. Nonverbal cues such as picking up our notes makes it clear that a quote is being read to the audience.
Be sure to say quote, then read the quote, then say end quote.
Step: Interpret the importance of the quote for the audience.
Rather than just reading the quote and transitioning to the next point, interpret the research for the audience to create cognitive linkages of ideas. Speakers can obtain additional mileage from the quotation by adding a quick paraphrase of the quote.
Interpreting the research supports the overall topic or enhances the audience’s understanding of the specific sub-point of the speech.
Generate conclusions for your audience. For example, “What this quote means is that the majority of Americans have agreed with this policy since its creation.”