Step 4- Find the author
Bibliography/Author's Credentials together = 30% of total "informative speech" grade.
The Author's credentials are half of the grade of the bibliography. Each article, book or source must have some verifying information proving the validity of the information:
-multiple author articles (provide author's credentials on ONE of the authors, not all)
Information about your author should include:
- institution & highest level of education
- year of graduation from highest level
- degree concentration
- current job title/organization
- years of experience
- #of publications
- awards
- affiliations
- articles published by companies, institutions, government sites should find all of the following information:
- date established
- person or group who founded
- specialty field
- mission statement or statement of purpose
- number of employees (of importance. For example, if the publication is authored by a medical institution, #of medical doctors & researchers are important).
- number of locations
- awards or achievements
Researching the information on author or corporate background can be done using Google, Linkedin, etc. but takes detective work and persistence. For businesses, try looking for an annual report.
Bergen Community College
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Step 1- Your Assignment
READ THIS CAREFULLY!
This is the assignment for both your COM 100 informative & persuasive speeches -
1. Research is to be done using the college library resources.
2. Topics for each assignment must be approved by Prof. Melvin prior to starting your research.
3. You must have a minimum of 7 reliable, recent and credible sources from library resources for your bibliography. *Prepared students know the value of gathering 10-12 articles so you can choose the articles which work the best for you.
4. Articles must be a minimum of 4 pages in length. Shorter, reference articles may be used and are encouraged, but may or may not be included in the minimum required based on the quality of your other sources.
5. APA citation style is required for the bibliography.
6. For each citation in the bibliography, an author bio is required. If an article (source) has more than one author, choose only one author to research credentials. This is the only time you can use the free web to find information (Google, LinkedIn, company profiles, etc.)
These are to be included in the author bio:
- Author’s education and degree concentration
- Year of graduation from highest level of education
- Job title and or professional affiliation
- Years of experience in the field
- Number of authored titles (authored publications)
- Awards or recognitions
7. Attention-getters are required. You will need 2 for the informative speech and 4 for the persuasive speech assignment.
Once your topic is approved, begin your research with some of the Library's more general databases.
Informative speeches are strictly factual based. No opinions are allowed.
- Academic Search Premier (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new windowGeneral database good for all subject areas. Contains newspaper, magazine and scholarly journal articles.
- ProQuest Central This link opens in a new windowSearch more than 30 databases for full-text articles
- New York Times (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window(1980 - present) Full text database coverage through ProQuest. **
- Statista This link opens in a new windowContains statistical data on media, business, finance, politics, and a wide variety of other areas. Easy to download graphs and charts for powerpoint presentations.
For health related topics, take a look at one of these databases-
- Health Reference Center Academic This link opens in a new windowContains overviews and definitions for health-related topics, including: conditions and diseases, mental health, health and wellness, and body systems.
- Nursing & Allied Health This link opens in a new windowJournals and dissertations covering nursing, allied health, and alternative and complementary medicine.
If your topic is more specific (related to science, history, biography for example), you may want to look at a more subject specific database-
Once your topic is approved, begin your research. Think about the argument you are going to make and remember to investigate all sides of the issue. These databases will help you with that-
- Issues & Controversies This link opens in a new windowExplore hundreds of hot topics in politics, government, business, society, education, and popular culture. Presented in a balanced, pro/con format, each article presents the key facts, arguments, history, and current context - a great starting point for research.
- Opposing Viewpoints In Context This link opens in a new windowContains overviews and pro/con essays on current controversial issues. Also includes recent newspaper, magazine, and journal articles.
- Points of View Reference Source This link opens in a new windowPro and con essays that present multiple sides of a current issue. Also contains newspaper and magazine articles.
You may also want to consider some of the more subject specific databases-