• Unit 6: Researching Your Speech

    In the introduction to the chapter in the textbook which covers the topic of research, the authors emphasize an entity whose role in society is being usurped by other developments. That entity is the librarian and the most influential of those "other developments" is the Internet. Pursuing accurate, ethical, and relevant research today is complicated by the sheer number of sources of information that is now available. In the past, libraries and librarians acted as gatekeepers to screen out many flawed or misleading sources of information; today, however, access to the Internet gives the researcher the freedom to make his or her own choices, regardless of whether that individual is adequately prepared to do so. As this issue becomes increasingly important, educators are emphasizing information literacy as a "core" skill – like public speaking – which is a requisite for success in the information-driven, information-overloaded world we live and work in today.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 5 hours.

    • 6.1: What is Research?

    • 6.2: Developing a Research Strategy

    • 6.3: Citing Sources

    • 6.4: Unit 6 Exercises