Job Success

Researching and organizing your presentation

The next step is to thoroughly research each point so you can find evidence to support your statement. Remember, providing supportive evidence lends to the overall credibility of your presentation.

To begin your research, check out:

• Credible online resources
• Libraries
• Encyclopedias
• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Expert interviews

Look for facts, figures, statistics, and definitions. Consider using expert testimony, quotations, personal stories, and humor that will communicate your purpose. You may find it necessary to rewrite your purpose statement if you have discovered new things about your topic.

There are several ways to organize your presentation:

• Topical. This is best when there are several ideas to present and one idea seems to naturally precede the other. It is a common pattern used for informative and entertaining presentations.
• Chronological. This is best when you want to organize your points using time sequence. It is a common pattern in informative and persuasive presentations, both of which require background information.
• Problem/Solution. This is best for persuasive presentations. The first part of a presentation details a problem, while the second part presents a solution.
• Cause/Effect. This is best for persuasive presentations. The first part describes the cause of a problem, while the second part describes its effect.