Choose a topic of interest and that fits your speech assignment. It can be difficult to speak about a topic you're not interested in. Let curiosity be your guide!
Start with background information that can be found through Google or DuckDuckGo searches and Wikipedia. Use the information you find to create lists of keywords, organizations, historic events, legislation, and other concepts related to your topic.
Don't stop with your first search and sources! There are so many other resources available, such as the UMD Library Articles & Books search and our collection of databases. Find the most relevant information to make the speech writing process easier!
Get expert advice from UMD Librarians on search strategy, source evaluation, and citations!
Choosing the right words to search with is an essential and ultimately timesaving piece of the research puzzle. It can be helpful to formulate your topic into a research question, like this: "What are the advantages and disadvantages of driving a hybrid car?"
You could also try mind-mapping, visually organizing information to show relationships and connections between concepts.
Next, break your research question or mind map into key concepts looking for the "who, what, where, why, and how." For example:
Keep adding to this list as you do your background research. Once you have a clearer idea of the direction you want to go, isolate the top 2-3 keywords for a search and find additional information. Search multiple times using different combinations of words and limiters to narrow the scope to what's relevant. If the search results aren't getting you the information you need, change up your search!
