 Invite me into your home. Not literally, of course, but think with me for a minute about the place where you hang your hat. Let's imagine you live in a multi-story house. How do you get from one story to the other? Presumably it has a front porch or patio and a roof as well. What about the details, though? You probably have furniture, a television, pictures hanging on the walls. How did this stuff get there? Did you just randomly grab it off a street corner, or was it carefully selected and organized? Now, think of your speech as if it's a house. The different floors represent the various main points. The staircase represents connectives, which lead you from one main point to the next. Your inviting front porch stands in for the speech introduction, and it's all covered by the roof, just like your conclusion. That's all well and good, but it's not going to be very comfortable or compelling without those finishing touches. Just like a nice comfy couch and big-screen TV are necessities in any reasonable American home, research and support provide the all-important details in your speech. In this video, we'll talk about the types of research and support used in speeches, how to secure this information, and how to evaluate the sources of these materials. Let's get started. First, let's look at the various types of support commonly used in speeches. Examples illustrate an abstract or generalized piece of information through the communication of a specific situation or narrative. For instance, instead of just talking about the number and types of animals in shelters, you could tell us a story of one particular animal to put a face on that information and to help humanize it for the audience. Examples come in all shapes and sizes. Some are brief, meaning a sentence or two, and others are extended and involve a longer explanation. The use of statistics or quantifiable evidence can also be a powerful tool in supporting main ideas. There are a couple of key things to keep in mind when using statistics. First, use statistics sparingly. Audiences are not going to be engaged by a long series of stats and numbers, so pick your spots carefully. Secondly, be sure that your statistics come from a reputable source. We'll talk about evaluating your sources in just a moment. For now, suffice it to say that we all know how numbers can be massaged and twisted. Be sure that you don't get taken in by this misinformation. Next, be sure that any statistics used can be easily understood and that you explain them to the audience. Try to relate statistics to something familiar to the audience. When you tell your audience that the average farm size in the United States is 147 acres, they may have trouble understanding just how big that is because many won't be familiar with acre as a unit of measurement. You can relate it to them more by adding that 147 acres would be just over 110 football fields. Facts are another way that you can support main ideas. Facts are simply documented occurrences, events, dates, times, people and places related to the speaker's topic. Finally, you can use testimony in support of your ideas. Testimony is a quote or statement given by someone with a connection to the speaker's topic. There are two basic categories of testimony, expert and peer. Expert testimony comes from someone who's a recognized expert in that particular field. Peer testimony would be provided by someone who has firsthand experience in that area. If you were speaking about cancer, for example, information from an oncologist, a doctor who specializes in cancer would be expert testimony. A quote or story from a cancer survivor would be peer testimony. Whatever type of testimony you are using, it's important to make sure that your source is credible. Not you know about the various types of supporting material, but where do you find all this information? I'm glad you asked. Supporting material can come from a lot of different sources. Information gathered by you personally is called primary research. Primary research could come from personal experience in the form of personal testimony. You can also engage in primary research by conducting your own interviews and surveys. Information you gather that has been produced by others is known as secondary research. Secondary research can come from the internet, books, newspapers, government publications, reference works and many other sources. Not all secondary research is created equally, however, and you'll want to be diligent in selecting and evaluating any source you use in your speech. Speaking of evaluating your source materials, there are four things that you should consider when determining the credibility of a source. First, consider the authorship. Who wrote this information? What are their credentials? Do they have any inherent bias on this topic? Second, look for and consider any sponsorship information. If the article that provided your spectacular facts in favor of legalizing marijuana was on a website or in a publication sponsored by normal, the national organization for the reform of marijuana laws, then you may have a problem. Next, consider the recency of the information. It will be good to know that the article you found touting the benefits of smoking on skin complexion and overall vitality was published in 1947. Finally, cross reference materials to make sure that there's a wider spread support for the information. Reliable information can be found in multiple credible sources. If you can't find it anywhere else, then it might be best to leave it out. Just like a house with no furniture or decorations seems cold and empty, your speech may be lacking if it's not filled out with quality supporting materials. Considering the type, source and evaluation of these materials is the difference between having a home where everyone wants to watch the Super Bowl and the house that kids cross the street to avoid. Don't be that house. Make sure your speech is filled with compelling and credible support that comes from diligent research.