GCAN Speech Courses: Evaluating Information

When doing research for your speeches, look for these kinds of resources:

• Reputable, mainstream newspaper articles, like those from the New York Times or Washington Post
• In-depth news magazine articles, like those from Time or The New Yorker
• Credible websites and reports from professional, non-profit, or research organizations; educational resources; or the government, such as the CDC, the UN, or Pew Research

Whenever possible, trace back references or links to the original source. It's better to look at it yourself than to trust somebody else's interpretation.

No source is 100% good or bad, but the indicators on the right can help you decide whether a source is a good choice to use.