Finding a Speech Topic

What do you want to talk about? What experience and expertise have you? What are your personal concerns and convictions?

After brainstorming topics for which you have interest and experience, begin to talk with colleagues to clarify your position.

What has your audience asked you to address? According to Raymie McKerrow, Bruce Gronbeck, Douglas Ehninger and Alan Monroe, a topic may interest an audience for several reasons:

1. It concerns their health, happiness or security;
2. It offers a solution to a recognized problem;
3. It is surrounded by controversy or conflict of opinion; and/or
4. It provides information on a misunderstood or little understood issue.

Once you have a sense of your subject, it's time to limit the scope of it. Research will assist you in this effort.

Beebe and Beebe recommend that you

• Brainstorm topics and develop a long list of possibilities; and
• Listen to the media and read; keep up with current news.

The Library of Congress reference librarians have compiled a virtual reference shelf for starting your topic quest. Go to www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/virtualref.htm to search under 20 categories including the basics such as Almanac and Fast Facts, Statistics, Education, Government, and Health/Medical, as well as expanded areas such as Awards/Prizes, Arts and Music, Calendars and Clocks/Times, Genealogy, Quotations, and more. Information Please Almanac is available online at www.infoplease.com. It offers searches under World and News, History and Government, Biography, Sports, Arts and Entertainment, Business, Society and Culture, Health and Science, as well as featured categories. FedStats has a list of topics covered by U.S. Federal agencies, with extensive statistics for each at www.fedstats.gov. Stats are offered from more than 100 federal agencies. Search by topic, by state, or by agency.

Click here to Search for a Topic