Your Topic
Select Your Topic
- Select a topic you care about
- Select a topic you know a lot about (or can learn about). Audience loses respect for you if they know they know more than you.
- Select a topic that interests your audience. Audience analysis.
NOTE: Visit the Informative Speech Topics website for easy to understand guides for choosing informative speech topics, as well as effective public speaking tips.
General Purpose
Decide on a purpose for your speech. Generally, the General Purpose of your speech will be
- To Inform
Goal: Have audience learn/remember new information - To Persuade
Goal: To change minds or behavior - To Entertain
Goal: Provide your audience with a pleasant experience
Specific Purpose Statement
Prepare a Specific Purpose Statement for your speech. The Specific Purpose Statement has two functions
- To Narrow
- To Focus
Whatever the function, the Specific Purpose Statement should state exactly what you want to accomplish in your speech.
- Begin with infinitive "to"
"To" (inform, persuade, entertain) - Include reference to audience
"To inform my audience..." - Limit statement to one major idea
- Make statement as precise as possible
- Make sure your purpose can be met in the allotted time
- Don't be too technical
Central Idea
Your Central Idea is the basic message of your speech. It is
- What the audience goes away with
- What they should remember even if they forget everything else
About your Central Idea
- It controls your speech
- Use only one Central Idea per speech
- Use your Central Idea to direct your research and help formulate your speech
Benefits
There are three benefits to formulating your General Purpose and Specific Purpose Statements
- Saves you time
- Helps to focus your thoughts
- Helps to produce a better speech
Finding Information on Your Topic
- Library Resources
- Books, periodicals, journals
- Computer data bases
- Librarians who might enjoy helping you
- Interviews
Be prepared, take notes/record
Ask both prepared and spontaneous questions - Evaluate your sources
Are they credible?
Are they comprehensive?
Are they understandable?
Can they lead to other sources?