Divide into groups. Working individually, select a topic of interest, and jot down the steps you would follow in a research plan. Then share your research plan with the group. After each plan is presented, have the other group members provide additional suggestions for how the topic might be researched effectively.

Working in groups, make a list of several potential speech topics. Then create a composite character for a person who would be a credible source on that topic. What is this source’s educational background? Occupation? Reputation in the field? Observational capacity?

Suppose you are considering whether to purchase the next generation Apple iPod. In groups, discuss and rank the credibility of the following sources of information about this product: (a) a friend who has purchased the product, (b) a sales representative at the Apple Store, (c) an article by the technology editor of your local newspaper, (d) an instructor in the music department at your college, (e) a Web site that ranks portable media players.

Video Activity 7.4: “Kruckenberg, John Kanzius and the Quest to Cure Cancer.” Watch David Kruckenberg’s speech. Identify the evidence sources he uses. Evaluate the credibility of each source based on the criteria of expertise, objectivity, observational capacity, and recency.

Go to the campus library and locate a book on a topic you are considering for a speech. Then try the process discussed on pages 202–3 to find other books on your topic. Did you find additional useful information in these books?

Use an index for scholarly sources, such as Academic Search Premier or JSTOR, to find three articles on a topic you are considering for a speech. Then find three Web sites that cover that topic. Compare the credibility of the authors of the scholarly sources with that of the online sources, as well as the content of the information.