Speaking in Other College Courses

Speaking in Social Science Courses

Students in the social sciences (including psychology, sociology, political science, and communication) learn to evaluate and conduct qualitative research (in which the emphasis is on observing, describing, and interpreting behavior) as well as quantitative research (in which the emphasis is on statistical measurement). Research methods and areas of investigation can be far-ranging, from experiments on biological bases of behavior to participant observation studies of homelessness.

For students in the social sciences, the focus of investigation is often on explaining or predicting human behavior or social forces, answering such questions as what, how, and why?”⁷ Instructors may ask you to evaluate a theory or body of research, debate an issue, review the relevant literature, or make policy recommendations. Additionally, as in science and mathematics courses, you might prepare a research, field study, or methods/procedure presentation.

Oral presentations in social science courses frequently include debates of controversial topics, the review of the literature presentation, theoretical research presentation, program evaluation presentation, and policy recommendation report. Other commonly assigned presentations are the poster presentation, scientific research presentation, methods/procedure presentation, field study presentation, evidence-based practice presentation, and case study presentation.

Review of the Literature

Frequently, instructors ask students to review the body of research related to a given topic or issue and offer conclusions about the topic based on this research. A communications student, for example, might review the literature on gender bias in the hiring of journalists. In addition to describing the available research, the student would offer conclusions uncovered by the research and suggest directions for future research. A review of the literature presentation typically includes the following:

Statement of the topic under review
Description of the available research, including specific points of agreement and disagreement among sources
Evaluation of the usefulness of the research
Conclusions that can be drawn from the research
Suggested directions for future study

Theoretical Research Presentation

Instructors often ask students in the social sciences to critically examine theories relevant to research questions such as “Why do some college students abuse alcohol?” or “What leads to infant neglect?” A theoretical research presentation typically addresses the following:

Introduction of the research question
Discussion of relevant theories of how and why it occurs, as described by research
Evaluation of the research and suggestions for future research

Evaluate Policies and Programs

In addition to explaining phenomena, social scientists often measure the effectiveness of programs developed to address these issues. Instructors may ask you to evaluate a program or policy, perhaps one you observed in a service learning project. Typically, a program evaluation presentation includes the following:

Explanation of the program’s mission
Description of the program’s accomplishments
Discussion of how the accomplishments were measured, including any problems in evaluation
Conclusions regarding how well or poorly the program met its stated objectives

Recommend Policies

As well as evaluating programs and policies, you may be asked to recommend a course of action on a current issue or problem. A policy recommendation report typically includes the following:

Definition and brief discussion of the problem
Recommendations to solve the problem or address the issue
Application of forecasting methods to show likely results of the recommended policy
Plan for implementation of the recommendations
Discussion of future needs or parameters to monitor and evaluate the recommendations

Preparing Effective Presentations in the Social Sciences

Good social scientific presentations clearly explain the research question, refer to current research, and use timely data.

Illustrate the research question. Pay attention to clearly illustrating the nature of the research question and the means by which the results were achieved.
Refer to current research. Credible social scientific presentations refer to recent findings in the field. Instructors are more likely to accept experimental evidence if it is replicated over time and supported by current research.
Use timely data. Instructors expect student presentations to include timely data and examples. For example, a report on poverty rates for a sociology course must provide up-to-date data, because poverty rates change yearly.

Since most of your social scientific and literature review presentations will be relatively brief, make sure to sufficiently narrow your topic research question and scale your findings to the time allotted. To ensure that you report the research accurately, maintain a working bibliography of your sources.