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SPC 1608 (Goodwin) - Informative Speeches: Selecting Your Topic

Overview

On this tab, students can explore resources with potential topics and review suggestions on how to narrow the scope of the topic.

Selecting a Topic

The following resource will outline controversial issues, providing background, pro and con arguments, and links to further resources.  

  1. First browse potential topic areas of interest (consider researching something you're interested in learning more about or might relate to a future career path)
    For example, you might choose to browse the available topics under the library database Opposing Viewpoints in Context and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals LibGuide 
  2. Selecting 1 area of research
    For example, I might select UNSDG Goal 3 Good Health and Well-Being
  3. Consider how you might narrow the scope of this topic for a 4-6 minute speech. Review one or two resources available on the topic to help you narrow your scope. Ask yourself if are there subtopics that you'd be interested in exploring? Also consider, the who, what, where, why, or how people or things are affected by this topic.
    For example, after reviewing the UNSDG target goals for Good Health and Well-Being, you chose to narrow to scope to two potential subtopics topics: narcotic drug abuse or maternal mortality. You could then select one of the subtopics and consider the who and where affected by the topic. You could then select to research maternal mortality rates among African American/Black women in Florida. Now that's a narrowed speech topic!

Suggested Library Databases:

Suggested Web resources for current and controversial issues.