6.1 What Is Research?

6.1 What Is Research?

Research in Public Speaking

Research is the process of gathering and evaluating information to develop a better understanding of a topic. In public speaking, research helps speakers support their ideas with credible evidence, explain complex issues accurately, and present informed arguments.

There are two primary types of research: primary research and secondary research.

Primary Research

Primary research involves collecting original information directly from people, events, or situations. Common methods include surveys, interviews, observations, experiments, and focus groups.

For example, suppose you want to understand student concerns about campus parking. You might design a survey and distribute it to a sample of students. Their responses would provide original data that you could analyze and use as evidence in your speech.

Before conducting a survey, consider the following questions:

• Are the questions clear and unbiased?
• Does the information already exist in a reliable source?
• Do participants have enough knowledge to answer accurately?
• Are participants likely to respond honestly?
• Does the sample reasonably represent the population being discussed?

Surveys may be conducted online, by mail, by telephone, or in person. Each method has advantages and limitations. Online surveys can reach many people quickly, but some individuals may not respond. In-person surveys allow researchers to clarify questions, but they require more time and may influence how participants answer.

Interviews

Interviews are another form of primary research. An interview involves asking prepared questions to gather another person’s knowledge, experiences, opinions, or perspective.

One-on-one interviews allow a researcher to explore a topic in depth and ask follow-up questions. For example, if you are preparing a speech about student leadership, you might interview officers from campus organizations about the challenges they face when managing projects or recruiting members.

Focus Groups

A focus group is a guided discussion involving several participants. Focus groups allow researchers to observe how people respond to ideas and interact with one another.

For a speech about student leadership, you might conduct a focus group with students who have participated in successful and unsuccessful campus projects. Their discussion could reveal common concerns, disagreements, and experiences that may not emerge during individual interviews.

Primary research can provide valuable information, but speakers must conduct it ethically. Participants should understand the purpose of the research, know how their information will be used, and be treated respectfully. Sensitive or personally identifiable information should not be disclosed without appropriate permission.

Secondary Research

Secondary research involves using information that has already been collected, analyzed, or published by someone else. Sources may include books, scholarly articles, government reports, newspapers, documentaries, databases, and credible websites.

Secondary research is the most common form of research used in student speeches because it allows speakers to build on the work of experts and researchers. However, not every published source is equally reliable. Speakers should evaluate each source for authority, accuracy, currency, relevance, purpose, and possible bias.

Use the Source You Actually Consulted

When using secondary research, cite the source you actually read, watched, or examined. Suppose a textbook summarizes the findings of a study, but you have not read the original study. You should not imply that you personally reviewed the original research.

You may cite the textbook as a secondary source or locate and read the original study before citing it directly. This distinction matters because secondhand summaries may omit context, simplify findings, or interpret the original research inaccurately.

Information passed through several sources can become distorted, much like a message in the game of “Telephone.” To maintain accuracy and integrity, verify important claims whenever possible and be transparent about where your information originated.

Conclusion

Research strengthens public speaking by helping speakers develop informed, credible, and well-supported messages. Primary research allows speakers to collect original information, while secondary research gives them access to existing knowledge and expert analysis.

Regardless of the research method used, ethical speakers evaluate information carefully, represent sources accurately, and clearly identify where their evidence originated.

Licenses and Attribution

CC Licensed Content, Original

Speech Communication was created by Lana Iapicco and Marie Torres. Independently created original and AI-assisted content developed specifically for this book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

This educational material includes content generated or revised with the assistance of large language models. Lana Iapicco and Marie Torres reviewed, edited, and take responsibility for the final published content.

CC Licensed Content, Previously Shared

“What Is Research?” is adapted from “What Is Research?” by Douglas Marshall, James Yeargain, June Pulliam, Sara Kim, and Victoria VanNest, published in It’s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network.

The source material is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. The material was revised, reorganized, expanded, updated, and supplemented with original and AI-assisted content for this edition.

Adapted portions derived from this source, including revisions to those portions, are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Independently created portions developed specifically for Speech Communication are licensed under the book’s Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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