LHS Libguide: Public Speaking

Exploring Topics for Your Speech

Try searching some of our databases for inspiration!

• CQ Researcher: in depth reports on todays issues, can browse topics
• Gale in Context: Global Issues: current topics affecting the world, can browse the topics
• JSTOR: provides access to more than 12 million academic journal articles, books, and primary sources in 75 disciplines.
• Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints: current debatable topics, can browse by topic

Click on the Destiny Discover logo to access Destiny Discover. You must be logged in with your school Google Account to search using databases!

How to Search for and Save Research in Destiny Discover

When searching for information:

• Searching for a person? 
  • type the person's last name, first name (ie Lincoln, Abraham) and click on the Subject tab 
  • type the subject of a person you want plus the word biography (ie musician - biography) and use the Subject tab
• Books will be found under the BOOKS tab
• Prescreened Websites will be found under the WEBSITES tab
• Magazine and database articles will be found under the DATABASES tab

Our subscription databases offer factual and up-to-date information to help you as you research. How to access the databases:

Visit the Lincoln Library database website for links to each database.

• When you are at school you'll be automatically logged in!
• When you are not at school you will need to use a username and password for many databases. CLICK HERE for a list of those usernames and passwords (you will need to be logged into your school Google account to access the document).

BadgerLink is Wisconsin's Online Library, which provides Wisconsin residents access to databases and resources for research. BadgerLink can also be searched in Destiny Discover.

Visit the BadgerLink website. If you aren't at school, you'll be asked to login:

• Option 1: Use the login information for our databases here (you'll need to be logged into your school Google account)
• Option 2: Use your Manitowoc Public Library Virtual Card Number (find your number here)

Recommended Databases in BadgerLink for Informative/Persuasive Speeches

• Academic Search Premier
• EBSCO
• Master File Premier
• Newspaper Source Plus
• Newswires

Below are some suggestions to help evaluate the credibility of an informational source. Remember that information found online may not be credible: it is up to you to determine if the source is reliable or not!

Remember to check the credibility of your sources by checking the following:

• Who is behind the information?
  • Who is the organization or author?
  • What are their motives? Should they be trusted?
• What is the evidence for their claims?
  • Are statements opinions or facts?
  • Are the claims supported by evidence?
  • Are alternative sides acknowledged?
• What do other sources say?
  • Find another source on the same topic and compare facts, statistics, and claims.
• CRAAP Test

Tips for finding information:

• Use Journals for accurate information: remember they have been peer reviewed by experts in the field
• For current topics make sure you check current materials
  • Encyclopedias typically will not have current information
  • Information in the most current books will still be 2-3 years old
  • Journals and magazines will have information that is a week to several months old
  • Newspapers and Newswires will have some of the most current information on the topic since they come out daily and hour
• Select specific sources for the type of information you need
  • If you need statistics on individual states, check the state website not the country website
  • If you are looking for information on a business, select a business journal or business newspaper
• Don't forget that Primary Sources are one of the best sources for real life accounts
  • Interview a person who has experienced something: a police officer on the frequency of drug overdoses in your community
  • Read or Listen to Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream" speech for information on segregation in the 1960's
  • Watch the video clip on the Hindenburg disaster when researching failed technologies

NoodleTools is an online tool to help you organize research. Use NoodleTools to create citations, a works cited page, and take notes as you research.

Login with your school Google account to access NoodleTools.

Use the DOI (Digital Object Identifier), the Permalink, or the Persistent Link when copying the link location from databases. These can be found in the article itself (on the side of the article, top of the article, or at the bottom of the article.)  Do no use the web address located in the address bar.