Support Material
and Evidence
Acknowledging Your Sources
 Public speakers acknowledge their sources in 2
ways: orally in the speech and in written form in
the bibliography or Reference Page.
 With oral citations, speakers mention, or cite,
the sources of their information during the
speech. For example:
o According to a June 2010 article in the San
Jose Mercury News, the phrase “digital music”
poses the highest risk of leading searchers to
websites containing spyware and viruses.
2
Citing Sources Orally
 Dr. Ruben Stein, a business professor at
Columbia University, found in his
research that a supervisor’s
communication competence has a
dramatic influence on subordinates’
satisfaction with workplace
communication. His 2008 article in the
Journal of Business Communication
also reported a direct link between how
supervisors communicate and job
satisfaction.
3
Oral Source Citations
 In these examples, the speaker tells the
audience who authored or published a
particular piece of information, and what
year it was published.
 In the written Reference Page (attached to your
outline), your information would include the
author, date of publication, title, place of
publication, and publisher.
You’ll need this information to give credibility to
your argument.
4
How current in your information and
sources?
 Does the author refer to statistics or developments that
are several years old?
 Are examples drawn from current events?
 Does the author’s language suggest that the document
was written recently or several years ago?
 For a website or webpage, do many broken links
appear on the page?
 Is the source biased?
 Is the source credible?
5
Use 4 Types of Supporting
Material/Evidence
 Examples: Illustrates, describes, or represents
things; it can be brief or extended. Use real,
not hypothetical examples. Examples put a
human face on statistics and information.
 Statistics: Data that demonstrates
relationships. Stats summarize information,
demonstrates proof, makes points
memorable.
 Expert Testimony: Provides credibility to
definitions, statistics, etc.
 Definition: Defines the proposition, current
policy, laws, etc.
6
Types of Definitions
• Logical:
A dictionary definition
• Etymological/historical: Explains how the word or policy you’re
defining was derived. Its link to some historical event or
drawn from root words. Example: “boycott”
• Operational: Explains how something or some policy works or
operates; or steps that make up a process.
• By Negation: Sometimes the best way to clarify a term is to explain
what it’s not. Abstract notions are hard to define, thus we
reference to opposites. Example: I can’t tell you what justice
is, so I’ll tell you what it is not.
• By Authority: A word/policy/law is defined by a credible source.
• By Example: Explain by demonstration or narrative. Examples help
make terms concrete. They perk up your audience by adding
human interest/drama.
7