{"id":124,"date":"2022-04-05T14:14:25","date_gmt":"2022-04-05T14:14:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hcfl.edu\/speechcomm\/chapter\/using-research-as-support\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T15:05:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T15:05:33","slug":"using-research-as-support","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hcfl.edu\/speechcomm\/chapter\/using-research-as-support\/","title":{"raw":"7.2 Using Research as Support","rendered":"7.2 Using Research as Support"},"content":{"raw":"

7.2 Using Research as Support<\/h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1359\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"200\"]\"business Photo by Pavel Danilyuk from Pexels. Image included in It\u2019s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn public speaking, support<\/em> refers to the strategies you use to back up your central idea and specific purpose. Whether you're informing, persuading, or entertaining, support helps make your speech stronger, clearer, and more credible.\r\n\r\nWe often use the terms support<\/em> and evidence<\/em> interchangeably, but evidence<\/em> is more commonly associated with persuasive speeches. In this chapter, we\u2019ll stick with the broader term support<\/em> to cover all types of speeches.\r\n\r\nUp next, we\u2019ll explore why support matters and how to use it effectively in your presentations.\r\n

Why Support Matters in a Speech<\/h3>\r\nSupport is what gives your speech structure and substance. Think of it like the legs of a table\u2014without it, your message has no foundation and won\u2019t stand up. A speech without support can feel empty, leaving your audience unconvinced or uninterested. Using support helps clarify your ideas, boosts your credibility, and makes your message more vivid and memorable. Whether you're informing, persuading, or entertaining, strong support turns your speech from surface-level talk into something meaningful and impactful.\r\n

To Clarify Content<\/h4>\r\nSpeakers often choose a piece of support because a previous writer or speaker has phrased something in a way that evokes a clear mental picture of the point they want to make. For example, suppose you\u2019re preparing a speech about hazing in college fraternities. You may read your school\u2019s code of student conduct to find out how your campus defines hazing. You could use this definition to make sure your audience understands what hazing is and what types of behaviors your campus identifies as hazing.\r\n

To Add Credibility<\/h4>\r\nAnother important reason to use support is because it adds to your credibility as a speaker. The less an audience perceives you as an expert on a given topic, the more important it is to use a range of support from authoritative sources. By doing so, you let your audience know that you\u2019ve done your homework on the topic.\r\n\r\nInadequate support or support from questionable sources diminishes your credibility as a speaker, as does distorting the intent of a source to try to force it to support a point. For example, the famous 1798 publication by Thomas Malthus, \u201cAn Essay on the Principle of Population,\u201d has been used as support for various arguments far beyond what Malthus could have intended. Malthus\u2019s thesis was that as the human population increases at a greater rate than food production, societies will go to war over scarce food resources (Malthus, 1798). Some modern writers have suggested that, according to the Malthusian line of thinking, almost anything that leads to a food shortage could lead to nuclear war. For example, better health care leads to longer life spans, which leads to an increased need for food, leading to food shortages, which using this flawed line of reasoning, would lead to nuclear war. Clearly, this argument makes some giant leaps of logic that would be hard for an audience to accept.\r\n\r\nFor this reason, it is important to evaluate your support to ensure that it will not detract from your credibility as a speaker. Use the CRAAP method (currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose) found in Chapter 8 of this book to evaluate the quality of your sources.\r\n

To Add Vividness<\/h4>\r\nSupport doesn\u2019t just clarify your message or boost your credibility\u2014it also makes your speech more vivid and memorable. Vividness<\/em> is your ability to present ideas in a striking, engaging way that sticks with your audience.\r\n\r\nFor example, instead of simply stating that seat belts save lives, one student illustrated the impact of a crash by comparing it to falling face-first from a second-story classroom window. Because the audience was familiar with that exact location, the image was powerful and easy to visualize.\r\n\r\nUsing vivid support like this helps your audience connect emotionally and mentally with your message, making your speech not just informative\u2014but unforgettable.\r\n
\r\n
\r\n

Licenses and Attribution<\/h3>\r\n

CC Licensed Content, Original<\/h4>\r\nSpeech Communication<\/em> 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<\/a>, except where otherwise noted.\r\n\r\nThis 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.\r\n

CC Licensed Content, Previously Shared<\/h4>\r\n

Using Research as Support<\/h5>\r\n\u201c7.2 Using Research as Support\u201d<\/a> by Douglas Marshall, James Yeargain, June Pulliam, Sara Kim, and Victoria VanNest, published in It\u2019s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century<\/a><\/em> by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network, was adapted for this section.\r\n\r\nThe source material is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License<\/a>. The material was revised, reorganized, condensed, and supplemented with original and AI-assisted content for this edition.\r\n\r\nAdapted portions derived from this source, including revisions to those portions, are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License<\/a>. Independently created portions developed specifically for Speech Communication<\/em> are licensed under the book\u2019s Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License<\/a>, except where otherwise noted.\r\n

CC Licensed Image<\/h4>\r\n

Business Meeting with People Working<\/h5>\r\nPhoto by Pavel Danilyuk from Pexels. The image appears in \u201c7.2 Using Research as Support\u201d<\/a> in It\u2019s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century<\/em> by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network.\r\n\r\nLicense: The source chapter is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License<\/a>. The photograph remains subject to the applicable Pexels license and terms.\r\n\r\nChanges: The image was resized, and its alternative text was revised for this edition.\r\n

Other Content Included<\/h4>\r\n

The Art of Public Speaking<\/h5>\r\nLucas, S. E. (2023). The art of public speaking<\/em> (13th ed.). McGraw Hill.\r\n\r\nThis source informed the discussion of supporting material, credibility, clarity, and vividness in public speaking. The publication remains subject to the rights and terms of its author and publisher and is not included under the Creative Commons licenses applied to Speech Communication<\/em>.\r\n
An Essay on the Principle of Population<\/h5>\r\nMalthus, T. R. (1798). An essay on the principle of population<\/em>. J. Johnson.\r\n\r\nThis work is referenced in the discussion of how a source\u2019s ideas may be extended beyond the author\u2019s original argument. The original work is in the public domain, although particular editions, introductions, annotations, and reproductions may be separately protected.\r\n
Stand Up, Speak Out<\/h5>\r\nOpenStax. (2020). Stand up, speak out: The practice and ethics of public speaking<\/a><\/em>. Rice University.\r\n\r\nThis resource informed the discussion of support and evidence in public speaking. It remains subject to the license and attribution information provided by OpenStax.\r\n
The CRAAP Test<\/h5>\r\nMeriam Library, California State University, Chico. (n.d.). Evaluating information: The CRAAP test<\/a><\/em>.\r\n\r\nThe CRAAP method\u2014currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose\u2014is referenced as a framework for evaluating the quality and credibility of sources. The webpage and related materials remain subject to the rights and terms of California State University, Chico.\r\n

Third-Party References and Links<\/h4>\r\nLinked books, webpages, photographs, scholarly works, examples, and other third-party materials referenced in this section remain the property of their respective authors, photographers, publishers, organizations, and copyright holders. Their inclusion as citations, links, examples, or intellectual foundations does not place the underlying materials under the Creative Commons licenses applied to Speech Communication<\/em>.\r\n\r\nUnless a separate license is specifically identified, third-party content may not be copied, redistributed, or adapted independently of the permissions provided by its copyright holder or applicable law.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"

7.2 Using Research as Support<\/h2>\n
\"business
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk from Pexels. Image included in It\u2019s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In public speaking, support<\/em> refers to the strategies you use to back up your central idea and specific purpose. Whether you’re informing, persuading, or entertaining, support helps make your speech stronger, clearer, and more credible.<\/p>\n

We often use the terms support<\/em> and evidence<\/em> interchangeably, but evidence<\/em> is more commonly associated with persuasive speeches. In this chapter, we\u2019ll stick with the broader term support<\/em> to cover all types of speeches.<\/p>\n

Up next, we\u2019ll explore why support matters and how to use it effectively in your presentations.<\/p>\n

Why Support Matters in a Speech<\/h3>\n

Support is what gives your speech structure and substance. Think of it like the legs of a table\u2014without it, your message has no foundation and won\u2019t stand up. A speech without support can feel empty, leaving your audience unconvinced or uninterested. Using support helps clarify your ideas, boosts your credibility, and makes your message more vivid and memorable. Whether you’re informing, persuading, or entertaining, strong support turns your speech from surface-level talk into something meaningful and impactful.<\/p>\n

To Clarify Content<\/h4>\n

Speakers often choose a piece of support because a previous writer or speaker has phrased something in a way that evokes a clear mental picture of the point they want to make. For example, suppose you\u2019re preparing a speech about hazing in college fraternities. You may read your school\u2019s code of student conduct to find out how your campus defines hazing. You could use this definition to make sure your audience understands what hazing is and what types of behaviors your campus identifies as hazing.<\/p>\n

To Add Credibility<\/h4>\n

Another important reason to use support is because it adds to your credibility as a speaker. The less an audience perceives you as an expert on a given topic, the more important it is to use a range of support from authoritative sources. By doing so, you let your audience know that you\u2019ve done your homework on the topic.<\/p>\n

Inadequate support or support from questionable sources diminishes your credibility as a speaker, as does distorting the intent of a source to try to force it to support a point. For example, the famous 1798 publication by Thomas Malthus, \u201cAn Essay on the Principle of Population,\u201d has been used as support for various arguments far beyond what Malthus could have intended. Malthus\u2019s thesis was that as the human population increases at a greater rate than food production, societies will go to war over scarce food resources (Malthus, 1798). Some modern writers have suggested that, according to the Malthusian line of thinking, almost anything that leads to a food shortage could lead to nuclear war. For example, better health care leads to longer life spans, which leads to an increased need for food, leading to food shortages, which using this flawed line of reasoning, would lead to nuclear war. Clearly, this argument makes some giant leaps of logic that would be hard for an audience to accept.<\/p>\n

For this reason, it is important to evaluate your support to ensure that it will not detract from your credibility as a speaker. Use the CRAAP method (currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose) found in Chapter 8 of this book to evaluate the quality of your sources.<\/p>\n

To Add Vividness<\/h4>\n

Support doesn\u2019t just clarify your message or boost your credibility\u2014it also makes your speech more vivid and memorable. Vividness<\/em> is your ability to present ideas in a striking, engaging way that sticks with your audience.<\/p>\n

For example, instead of simply stating that seat belts save lives, one student illustrated the impact of a crash by comparing it to falling face-first from a second-story classroom window. Because the audience was familiar with that exact location, the image was powerful and easy to visualize.<\/p>\n

Using vivid support like this helps your audience connect emotionally and mentally with your message, making your speech not just informative\u2014but unforgettable.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Licenses and Attribution<\/h3>\n

CC Licensed Content, Original<\/h4>\n

Speech Communication<\/em> 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<\/a>, except where otherwise noted.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

CC Licensed Content, Previously Shared<\/h4>\n
Using Research as Support<\/h5>\n

\u201c7.2 Using Research as Support\u201d<\/a> by Douglas Marshall, James Yeargain, June Pulliam, Sara Kim, and Victoria VanNest, published in It\u2019s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century<\/a><\/em> by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network, was adapted for this section.<\/p>\n

The source material is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License<\/a>. The material was revised, reorganized, condensed, and supplemented with original and AI-assisted content for this edition.<\/p>\n

Adapted portions derived from this source, including revisions to those portions, are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License<\/a>. Independently created portions developed specifically for Speech Communication<\/em> are licensed under the book\u2019s Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License<\/a>, except where otherwise noted.<\/p>\n

CC Licensed Image<\/h4>\n
Business Meeting with People Working<\/h5>\n

Photo by Pavel Danilyuk from Pexels. The image appears in \u201c7.2 Using Research as Support\u201d<\/a> in It\u2019s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century<\/em> by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network.<\/p>\n

License: The source chapter is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License<\/a>. The photograph remains subject to the applicable Pexels license and terms.<\/p>\n

Changes: The image was resized, and its alternative text was revised for this edition.<\/p>\n

Other Content Included<\/h4>\n
The Art of Public Speaking<\/h5>\n

Lucas, S. E. (2023). The art of public speaking<\/em> (13th ed.). McGraw Hill.<\/p>\n

This source informed the discussion of supporting material, credibility, clarity, and vividness in public speaking. The publication remains subject to the rights and terms of its author and publisher and is not included under the Creative Commons licenses applied to Speech Communication<\/em>.<\/p>\n

An Essay on the Principle of Population<\/h5>\n

Malthus, T. R. (1798). An essay on the principle of population<\/em>. J. Johnson.<\/p>\n

This work is referenced in the discussion of how a source\u2019s ideas may be extended beyond the author\u2019s original argument. The original work is in the public domain, although particular editions, introductions, annotations, and reproductions may be separately protected.<\/p>\n

Stand Up, Speak Out<\/h5>\n

OpenStax. (2020). Stand up, speak out: The practice and ethics of public speaking<\/a><\/em>. Rice University.<\/p>\n

This resource informed the discussion of support and evidence in public speaking. It remains subject to the license and attribution information provided by OpenStax.<\/p>\n

The CRAAP Test<\/h5>\n

Meriam Library, California State University, Chico. (n.d.). Evaluating information: The CRAAP test<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

The CRAAP method\u2014currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose\u2014is referenced as a framework for evaluating the quality and credibility of sources. The webpage and related materials remain subject to the rights and terms of California State University, Chico.<\/p>\n

Third-Party References and Links<\/h4>\n

Linked books, webpages, photographs, scholarly works, examples, and other third-party materials referenced in this section remain the property of their respective authors, photographers, publishers, organizations, and copyright holders. Their inclusion as citations, links, examples, or intellectual foundations does not place the underlying materials under the Creative Commons licenses applied to Speech Communication<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Unless a separate license is specifically identified, third-party content may not be copied, redistributed, or adapted independently of the permissions provided by its copyright holder or applicable law.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"menu_order":2,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":["liapicco","mtorres54"],"pb_section_license":"cc-by-nc-sa"},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[61,62],"license":[57],"class_list":["post-124","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","contributor-liapicco","contributor-mtorres54","license-cc-by-nc-sa"],"part":118,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hcfl.edu\/speechcomm\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hcfl.edu\/speechcomm\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hcfl.edu\/speechcomm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hcfl.edu\/speechcomm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hcfl.edu\/speechcomm\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1856,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hcfl.edu\/speechcomm\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/124\/revisions\/1856"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hcfl.edu\/speechcomm\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/118"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hcfl.edu\/speechcomm\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/124\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hcfl.edu\/speechcomm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hcfl.edu\/speechcomm\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=124"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hcfl.edu\/speechcomm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=124"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hcfl.edu\/speechcomm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}