Research Guides: Public Speaking Research Guide: Find Speech Topics

Librarian

Hannah Menendez

she/her/hers

Contact:

hmenendez@shsu.edu
936-294-3195
NGL 223J (Library)

General Speech Topics - General Resources

Facts on File: Weekly World News Digest with Cumulative Index
Call Number: REF D410 .F3
A weekly digest of world events containing summaries of news reports from U.S. and world newspapers.
Statesman's Yearbook
Call Number: REF JA51 .S7
The most recent edition is located in the Reference Collection; older editions are on the 4th floor.
Contains key world facts, information on each county including history, territory and population, government and elections, defense and international relations, economy, trade and industry, and culture. Also provides key information about intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations and European Union.

Statistical Abstract of the United States from the GPO (1878-2012) Contains statistics about many aspects of the United States for 2012 and earlier editions. New editions will not be added to this site after 2012.

Controversial & Current Issues Speech Topics

Speeches can be written on any topic. However, many speeches focus on controversial or current issues. The following databases and series of books are particularly helpful for these types of topics.

CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Explores "hot" issues in the news with in-depth, objective, balanced reports. Topics range from social and teen issues to environment, health, education and science and technology. Every 12,000-word report is written by an experienced journalist and features comments from experts, lawmakers, and citizens on all sides of every issue. Reports also include charts, graphs, sidebar articles, pro-con feature, chronology, lengthy bibliographies, and a list of contacts.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context (OVIC) This link opens in a new window Library of current event topics, including the facts as well as the arguments of each topic's proponents and detractors. Viewpoint articles allow students to explore each topic's many facets. Also features statistics and government data placed in context.
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Britannica ProCon
At Issue (Book Series)
Various books from this series are available in the library; follow the link to the library catalog to see topics and call numbers. Each book in this series provides a collection of articles from a variety of perspectives on a selected topic.
Current Controversies (Book Series)
Various books from this series are available in the library; follow the link to the library catalog to see topics and call numbers. This series furnishes a variety of viewpoints on controversial topics by providing essays originally published in periodicals, books, government documents, public and private organizational publications, and newspapers.
Taking Sides (Book Series)
Various books from this series are available in the library; follow the link to the library catalog to see topics and call numbers. Designed to present a balance of viewpoints, this series offers the background of controversial issues and arguments of leading social and behavioral scientists, educators, and contemporary commentators.

General Speech Topics - Subject Encyclopedias

It is often necessary to research a topic in order to have enough information to write a speech about it. The following sources provide introductory, background, or statistical information on many topics and serve as good starting points for developing speeches.

American Medical Association Complete Medical Encyclopedia
RC81.A2 A497 2003 - Reference
Beacham’s Guide to International Endangered Species
QL82 .B435 1998 - Reference
Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology
HM425 .B53 2007 - Reference
Countries and Their Cultures
GN307 .C68 2001 - Reference
CQ’s Politics in America
JK1012 .C63 2010 - Reference
Encyclopedia of American Education
LB17 .U54 2007 - Reference
Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy
E183.7 .H28 2004 - Reference
Encyclopedia of Antislavery and Abolition
HT1031 .E53 2007 - Reference
Encyclopedia of Bioethics
QH332 .E52 2004 - Reference
Encyclopedia of Criminology
HV6017 .E5295 2005 - Reference
Encyclopedia of Domestic Violence
HV6626 .E534 2007 - Reference
Encyclopedia of Diasporas: Immigrant and Refugee Cultures Around the World
JV6225 .E53 2004 - Reference
Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol & Addictive Behavior

HV5804 .E53 2009 - Reference
Encyclopedia of Family Life
HQ534 .E53 1999 - Reference
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
ML102 .P66 G84 2006 - Reference
Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society
HT1521 .E63 2008 - Reference
Encyclopedia of Serial Killers
HV6245 .N49 2006 - Reference
Encyclopedia of Terrorism
HV6431 .C65 2007 - Reference
Europa World Yearbook
JN1 .E85 2009 - Reference
International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences
H40 .A2 I5 2008 - Reference
Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History
HQ1121 .O93 2008 - Reference
Total Baseball: the Ultimate Baseball Encyclopedia
GV863.A1 T68 2004 - Reference