Upload
brittney-black
View
214
Download
1
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
BUILDING A BETTER SPEECH
Argumentative Resources, Statistics, Opinion Polls and How to Understand Bias Through Evaluation
Jason DupreeHead of Public Services
Forming an Argument
What kind of Information Sources should I use for my speech?
• Use both Electronic AND Paper Sources
• For current events, use materials published in the last 3-5 years
• Know BOTH SIDES of the story
Getting Started
• Identify your topic• State the position you will support• Highlight points of your discussion• Use information to support your
position– Pro/Con Materials– Opinion Polls– Statistics
Helpful Keywords to Use in Searches• Issue• Controversy • Statistic• Ethical• Rights• Debate• Attitude• Trend• Condition
Examples:
rights and abortion
death penalty and controversy
household spending and trends
Activity: Choose a Video
NASA launches Controversy 2008 Feb. 26: Public outcry erupts over plans to build new launch site in wildlife refuge.
Morbid Curiosity2007 Jan. 3: Should the viewing of capital punishment and torture be allowed on the Internet?
Transgender Rights Controversy2008 May 14: Need for laws to protect an individual’s rights and gender expression.
Violent Video Games2007 Apr. 21: Is the rise in violent behavior related to the increasing number of violent video games?
Argumentative Resources
Print Pro/Con Resources
• Book Series– Contemporary Issues– Opposing Viewpoints– Current Controversies
*title search in the Library Catalog
How do I choose a Database?• Subject Content• Date or Year Range of Coverage• Types of Material or Documents it
Indexes• Currency (how often updated?)• Format of information
– Citation Only?– Full-text?– Both?
Electronic Pro/Con Resources• CQ Researcher
– contains information on current and controversial issues specific to the U.S. Government
• Issues and Controversies– provides up-to-date, objective
information on the most prominent and hotly debated issues of the day
Exercise, Part 2: Argumentative Resources Worksheet
Pro/Con: Three arguable points
• Select the side you are defending• Identify three arguable points for
your side only
Opinion Polls
Which sounds better?
• Oil over $100 is cause for concern.
• Harvard economists believe oil over $100 is cause for concern.
– A COLLECTIVE OPINION IS STRONGER THAN A SINGLE OPINION
Opinions vs. Facts (Statistics)• Opinion-Strengths
– A consensus of opinions are much stronger than a single opinion
– Reflects the culture and society that experience these issues and events (primary resource)
• Opinion-Weaknesses– Less concrete– A view formed by
someone’s belief which can be biased
– Not necessarily the truth
– Opinions can differ widely
• Facts-Strengths– Very concrete– Based in
scientific/research methodology
– Data supports arguments
– Statistics helps determine the accuracy of information in the evaluation process
• Facts-Weaknesses– Data can be
manipulated– Unless data collection is
a regular practice, data can become outdated and irrelevant
Opinion Resources in Print
• Editorials on File– Ref 070.43 Ed48
• Gallup Poll – Ref 301.154 G13g– http://www.gallup.com– an organization studying human nature and
behavior for more than 70 years through public surveys
– collects attitudes and opinions of individuals and key groups within the American population concerning national and international issues and events
Electronic Opinion Resources• LexisNexis
– Full-text information from over 5,600 sources
– National and regional newspapers, wire services, broadcast transcripts, international news
• NYT Online – Search or browse the full text of the
New York Times from 1851–2004.
Opinion Resources on the Web
• Headline Spot• Polling Report• Ropert Center of Public Opinion
Archives
*Please refer to class website for more resources
Opinion or Fact?
• Whales are mammals.• Whales are superior to dolphins.• Stephen King is talented.• Stephen King is a prolific writer.• Abraham Lincoln was the best
president the United States has ever had.
• John Adams was the second president of the United States.
Statistics
Which sounds better?
• A lot of freshman drop out of SWOSU each academic year.
• 40% of freshman drop out of SWOSU each academic year.– NUMBERS CARRY WEIGHT,
PEOPLE ARE INFLUENCED BY STATISTICS
Statistical Resources in Print• Reference Collection (Behind Ref
Desk)– American Attitudes– Americans at Play– Education Statistics of the United States– Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics– Statistical Handbook on the American
Family– World Almanac
Electronic Statistical Resources• LexisNexis
– Full-text information from over 5,600 sources
– Statistical Resources
• GPO (Government Information)– Provides statistical information directly
from the U.S. Government and the agencies who collect the data.
– Google Unclesam (Gov’t Search Engine) www.google.com/unclesam
– U.S. Census Bureau (Larger producer of stats in the world)
Statistical Resources on the Web• Statistics Resources Blog (What is a blog?)
– A Subject Tracer Information Blog for monitoring statistics resources and sites on the Internet.
• Pew Research Center– A “Fact Tank” vs. “Think Tank”– The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan
"fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It does not take positions on policy issues.
Statistical Resources on the Web
• STATS• Fedstats• Various government statistical sites
*Please refer to class website for more resources
Exercise, Part 3: Argumentative Resources Worksheet
Pro/Con: Three information sources
• Locate one opinion poll• Locate one statistical
source/report• Locate one article discussing this
topic.
Evaluation
Library Online Sources vs. the Internet: What’s the
difference?
• Subscription vs. “free” resources aka “the hidden web”
• Evaluation time• Not every good source that is
available to you is in digital format
Evaluating Information
• Authority – Who?• Accuracy – What?• Currency – How? Why?• Objectivity – When?
Step 1: Authority
• Books & Articles– Who is responsible
for content?• Author(s)?• Editor(s)?• Publisher• Credentials
offered?
• Newspapers• Writer(s)• Editor(s)• Columnist(s)
• Web Pages– Who is
responsible for content?
• Webmaster?• Web team?• Organization?• Institution?• Company?
Domain Names
• Which one is right?– www.whitehouse.co
m– www.whitehouse.go
v– www.whitehouse.ne
t– www.whitehouse.or
g
• Whois.net– www.whois.net
• .gov• .org• .mil• .com• .edu• .net• .int
Step 2: Accuracy
• Books & Articles– Can the
information be verified?
• Bibliography• Works Cited• Peer-reviewed
(journals only)
• Newspapers• Interviews• Eyewitness
Accounts
• Web Pages– Can the
information be verified?
• Links to credible sites
• Copyright• Works Cited• Fact check with a
printed source
Step 3: Objectivity
• Books & Articles– Biased or
Objective?• Persuasion/
Emotion• Author’s Point of
View
• Newspapers• Subscriptions ($)• Advertising ($)• Owners• CJR review
• Web Pages– Biased or
Objective?• Opinion/Fan sites• Sponsoring
Organization• Agendas• Political
Propaganda• Web hosting
Objectivity
• Fox News• Al Jazeera • NPR
Understanding/Detecting BiasNational Right to Life Organizationhttp://www.nrlc.org/Planned Parenthoodhttp://www.plannedparenthood.orgOperation Rescuehttp://www.operationsaveamerica.orgNational Abortion and Reproductive
Rights Action League (NARAL)http://www.naral.org/
Step 4: Currency
• Books & Articles– When was it
published?• Copyright date• Important based
upon subject– Science– Social Science– Allied Health– Education– Pharmacy– Computer Science
• Newspapers published daily
• Web Pages– When was it created
and last updated?• Well maintained web
sites have an indication when it was last updated or modified
• Accessibility– Dead links
• Stability– Changes URLs
frequently
Exercise: Evaluation
• www.who.int/en/• www.dhmo.org• www.genochoice.com • www.martinlutherking.org• www.defendamerica.mil• www.oshp.net
Remember to Evaluate!• Authority
– Who created it? Who is responsible?– What credentials do they hold? What makes them
qualified to discuss the topic?• Accuracy
– Can the information be verified?– Check the facts!
• Objectivity– How is the information being presented?– Is it objective or biased? What’s the point of view?
• Currency (important based on subject)– When was it published?– When was it last updated?
RESOURCE REVIEW:
Pro/Con: • Issues & Controversies, CQ Researcher,
Opposing Viewpoints
Collective Opinion: • Editorials on File, Gallup Poll,
LexisNexis, Polling Report
Statistics: • LexisNexis, Statistics Resource Blog,
Pew Research, U.S. Census Bureau
Thank You
Jason Dupree, Head of Public [email protected]://faculty.swosu.edu/jason.dupree/publicspeaking.htm