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The most likely sources of secondary research include books, newspapers, periodicals, government publications; reference works such as encyclopedias, almanacs, books of quotations, and atlases; and Internet sources such as blogs and social news sites. As you gather these materials, consider how you can use them to generate interest, illustrate meaning, and add solid evidence to assertions.

Books

Books by credible authors provide detail and perspective and can serve as an excellent source of supporting material. To locate a book in your library’s holdings, refer to the library’s online catalog. To search the titles of all books currently in print in the United States, refer to Books in Print at www.booksinprint.com. Alternatively, log on to Amazon.com or another online bookseller and key in your topic.

Newspapers and Periodicals

Newspapers contain a mix of eyewitness accounts, in-depth analyses of local and world events, and human-interest feature stories of all kinds. Three comprehensive databases for searching news articles include 50states.com (to search U.S. newspapers by state), World-Newspapers.com (to search world newspapers), and NewspaperArchive.com (to research historical newspapers from 1753 to the present).

A periodical is a regularly published magazine or journal. Periodicals can be excellent sources because they generally include all types of supporting material. Periodicals include general-interest magazines such as Time and Newsweek, as well as the thousands of specialized magazines, newsletters, and refereed journals. Articles in refereed journals are evaluated by experts before being published and supply sources for the information they contain. Articles in general-interest magazines rarely contain citations and may or may not be written by experts on the topic.

Many general-interest magazines are available in Infotrac Online and General OneFile; to locate both general periodicals and scholarly journals, see Academic Search Premier and Academic Search Elite. There are also an ever-increasing number of databases devoted to individual disciplines, such as business, health, education, and psychology (see Table 10.2, p. 74).

Government Publications

Nearly all the information contained in government documents comes from primary sources and is therefore highly credible. Get started by logging on to USA.gov, the official portal to all government information and services, with links to millions of Web pages from federal, local, and tribal governments as well as to nations around the world. The site also includes links to reliable statistics of every kind.

Digital Collections

Digital collections, including oral histories, letters, old newspapers, photographs, and audio and video recordings, can provide a rich source of primary materials. The Library of Congress offers an online gateway to a treasury of digitized images, recordings, and documents. Nearly all libraries now offer digital collections, which are generally organized by subject, time period, or geographic area.

Reference Works

Reference works include, but are not limited to, encyclopedias, almanacs, biographical resources, books of quotations, poetry collections, and atlases.

ENCYCLOPEDIASEncyclopedias summarize knowledge that is found in original form elsewhere. Their usefulness lies in providing an overview of subjects. General encyclopedias attempt to cover all important subject areas of knowledge. The most comprehensive of the general encyclopedias is the Encyclopaedia Britannica. For a more in-depth look at a topic, consult a specialized encyclopedia devoted to it. Specialized encyclopedias delve deeply into one subject area, such as religion, science, art, sports, or engineering.

Online, Wikipedia is the world’s largest experimental free encyclopedia, written collaboratively and often anonymously by anyone who wishes to contribute to it. Though Wikipedia’s instant accessibility and vast range make it tantalizingly easy to consult, be warned that information may or may not be accurate at any given moment, as people edit material at will. As with any encyclopedia, Wikipedia may provide an initial overview of a topic but should never serve as more than a jumping-off point for further research.² Further, references cited in a Wikipedia article can serve as research leads—as long as you follow the links and evaluate the information for trustworthiness (See “From Source to Speech: Evaluating Web Sources,” pp. 76–77). Be sure to compare the information in the article to credible sources not supplied in the entry itself, and do not offer Wikipedia—or any encyclopedia entry—as a source to audience members.

ALMANACS Almanacs and fact books, published annually, contain interesting facts and statistics on many subjects from notable Supreme Court decisions to vital statistics for all nations of the world. One of the most comprehensive sources is the World Almanac and Book of Facts. Other helpful almanacs include the Information Please Almanac, People’s Almanac, and Guinness World Records.

BIOGRAPHICAL RESOURCES For information about famous or noteworthy people, the Biography and Genealogy Master Index is an excellent starting point. For analyses and criticism of the published works of individuals you may be speaking about, see Current Biography or Dictionary of American Biography. Countless specialized biographies feature everything from African American Inventors to Famous Hispanics in the World and History (access is free at coloquio.com/famosos/).

BOOKS OF QUOTATIONS Public speakers often use quotations in the introductions and conclusions of speeches. Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations contains passages, phrases, and proverbs traced to their sources. Many books are targeted specifically at public speakers; others are devoted to specific topics.

POETRY COLLECTIONS Lines of poetry, if not entire poems, are often used by speakers both to introduce and conclude speeches and to illustrate points in the speech body. The Columbia Granger’s World of Poetry indexes poems by author, title, and first line and is available in print and online. The Library of Congress Poetry Resources Web Guide offers links to poetry resources. Poets.org is the Web site of the Academy of American Poets.

ATLASES An atlas is a collection of maps, text, and accompanying charts and tables. As well as helping you find a particular locale and learn about its terrain and demographics, many atlases use maps to explore other subjects, such as art history and human anatomy. For straightforward geographic atlases, consult National Geographic Atlas of the World and the Rand McNally Commercial Atlas and Marketing Guide. Online, go to the National Geographic Web site. To learn about what atlases offer beyond geography, conduct a search of atlases related to your topic, e.g., “art AND atlas.”

Weblogs and Social News Sites

Blogs and social news sites can provide up-to-the-minute information and opinions on certain speech topics, if the source is reputable. A blog is a site containing journal-type entries maintained by individuals or groups. Newest entries appear first. A social news site allows users to submit news stories, articles, and videos to share with other users of the site. The most popular items win more visibility.

Use these sources of supporting material with extreme care, referencing only those that are affiliated with reputable (local, regional, or national) news agencies and media outlets, or by well-known bloggers. See Chapter 10, “Finding Credible Sources on the Internet” for information on locating blogs and news sites.