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COMM 110 T/TH 11:00am Prof. Bennett: Home

T/Th 11:00am

COMM 110 T/TH 11:00 am Professor Stacey Bennett

Informative Speech Information Literacy Session

Bucks County Community College Library Bookshelves

Getting Started

Website for Speech Example Topics: 200 Informative Speech Topics that Work for any Class

Requirements:

  • Find three sources in library databases.
  • Cite your sources in MLA or APA format.

Reference Desk

Hours: Mon-Thur 7:45am-7:00pm; Fri 8:00am-1:00pm; Sat 9:00am-2:30pm; Sun 10:00-2:30  

Contact: Ph 215-968-8013 

Txt:  215-970-7123

Email: debra.carney@bucks.edu     

Picture of Debbie Carney               

DATABASES

These Library databases are good general starting points for Informative Speech topics. Here you will find high-quality, reliable information from reference books, journal articles, and newspapers. 

Credo Reference  is an online subscription database containing encyclopedias, dictionaries, and biographies. 

EBSCOhost is a collection of twenty-six databases covering multiple disciplines.  Academic Search Premier and Masterfile are good general databases to find articles.

NexisUni database focused on news articles, legal information, and business topics.

Opposing Viewpoints an online subscription database focused on controversial social issues.

WSJ full text of Wall Street Journal articles published 1984 through today.

Evaluating Sources

C.R.A.A.P.P. Test

Currency - When was the resource created? Is it recent enough for your topic?

Reliability- Are there references given for the resource? Is it content primarily opinion?

Authority / Accuracy - Who wrote the article? What are their credentials? Are they an expert in the field?

Purpose / Point of View - Why was the article published? Who is the intended audience?

Resources for Citing Sources

Information Literacy Defined

  • Information Literacy is most easily defined by the ACRL as "the set of skills needed to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information. (ACRL website)

  • Learn more about this topic at the Bucks Library Information Literacy page.

Search Strategy

  • Think about the subject of your topic and the best databases to choose for your search.
  • Break down your topic into search terms.
  • Utilize Boolean Operators to maximize your search results.

Brainstorming Worksheet

Boolean Operators