Guides: How Do I Find ~ Oral Communication Resources: Home

About this Guide

The purpose of this guide is to provide resources for finding information to support oral presentations and arguments

Why is Oral Communication Important?

Oral Communication is defined by the American Association of Colleges and Universities . . . a prepared, purposeful presentation designed to increase knowledge, to foster understanding, or to promote change in the listeners' attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors.

Hamilton also values Communication and Expression (expressing oneself with clarity and eloquence, in both traditional and contemporary media, through writing and speaking, and through visual, aural, gestural and other modalities) as part of the College's Purpose and Goals

TED Talks

Nancy Duarte: The Secret Structure of Great Talks

Julian Treasure: How to Speak so People Want to Listen

Sebastian Wernicke: Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics (about TED Talks)

Amy Cuddy: Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

From the Library

Conquering Communication Anxiety
Call Number: Burke Library DVD PN4121 .C65 2005

Supporting Your Arguments

For more resources see How Do I Find ~ Statistics

Statista This link opens in a new window
A statistics portal with data from over 18,000 sources -- private, public, and proprietary from North America, Europe, and Asia. Also included are U.S. industry reports, country reports, and colorful infographics.
All statistics can be downloaded as PowerPoint, Excel, and JPEG files, along with the original source with full citations in APA, Chicago, Harvard, and MLA formats.
Statistical Abstract of the United States This link opens in a new window
The standard source for U.S. statistics, published since 1878. Coverage: 2013-present.
See also:
Historical Statistics of the United States: 1600-2000
Statistical Abstract of the U.S., 1878-2012

World Development Indicators
World Bank data. More than 900 indicators for 210 economies. Coverage: 1960-present.
American FactFinder
Easy access to census data in the form of maps, tables, and reports. data.census.gov resources include 2000 and 2018 census data. 1990 data can be downloaded from the census FTP site.
Help: Video Tutorials

For more resources see How Do I Find ~ News Sources

Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
Index of nearly 8,000 scholarly journals and popular magazines in all areas of study. Includes the full text for more than 4,600 titles. Coverage varies by publication.
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
More than 11,000 news, business and legal sources from LexisNexis®—including U.S. Supreme Court decisions dating back to 1790.
Search Tips
Access World News: Research Collection This link opens in a new window
Full text of over 17,000 local, regional, national and international news sources -- newspapers, newswires, broadcast transcripts, blogs, periodicals, videos and web-only content.
Alternative Press Index This link opens in a new window
Index of over 300 alternative, radical and left periodicals, newspapers and magazines. Coverage: 1969-present.

For more resources see How Do I Find ~ Primary Sources

Readex AllSearch This link opens in a new window
Collections of books, pamphlets, broadsides, newspapers, government documents and ephemera printed in America over three centuries.
Includes:
America's Historical Imprints
America's Historical Newspapers
American State Papers, 1789-1838
House and Senate Journals, Series I, 1789-1817
Senate Executive Journals, 1789 - 1980
U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1980
U.S. Congressional Serial Set Maps, 1817-1980
Digital National Security Archive This link opens in a new window
Declassified documents central to U.S. foreign and military policy since 1945. Documents include presidential directives, memos, diplomatic dispatches, meeting notes, independent reports, briefing papers, White House communications, email, confidential letters, and other secret material. Coverage: 1942 to present.

European History Primary Sources
Index of scholarly websites that offer online access to digitised primary sources on the history of Europe.
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing permanent access for researchers, historians, scholars, people with disabilities, and the general public to historical collections that exist in digital format that includes texts, audio, moving images, software, and archived web pages.

Books and eBooks

Oral Communication

Thinking and Speaking by Otis M. Walter; Robert L. Scott
Call Number: PN4121 .W325 1968
Publication Date: 1984-01-01
Listening and speaking; a guide to effective oral communication by Ralph G. Nichols and Thomas R. Lewis
Call Number: PN4121 .N5
Publication Date: 1954
Speak up with Confidence: how to prepare, learn, and deliver effective speeches by Jack Valenti
Call Number: PN4121 .V28 1982
Persuasive speaking by Thomas M. Scheidel. Douglas Ehninger, consulting editor in speech.
Call Number: PN4121 .S278
Publication Date: 1967
Presentations: Simple ideas for painless public speaking
Call Number: ebook
ISBN: 9781908474926
Publication Date: 2012-03-29
Public Speaking by Michael Osborn
Call Number: PN4121 .O833 1994
ISBN: 0395675782
Publication Date: 1993-10-01

Overcoming Anxiety

Talk-Power : how to speak without fear : a systematic training program by Natalie H. Rogers
Call Number: PN4121 .R668 1982
Publication Date: 1982-10-01
Mastering Presentations by D. Staneart; Doug Staneart
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2012-11-14
From Fear to Success: a practical public-speaking guide by Thomas B. Dowd
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2012-09-10

Engaging Your Audience

Prophets, Gurus, and Pundits by Anna M. Young
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2014-01-01
The Leader's Guide to Speaking with Presence by John Baldoni
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2013-11-13
Communicate to Inspire by Kevin Murray
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2014-02-03

Campus Resources

Oral Communication Center

Contact R&ID

In person:
Research & Design Studio hours

Call us:
315-859-4735

Email us:
askus@hamilton.edu

Make an appointment:
request form

Ask Us

Alexandra (Alex) Wohnsen
Research Librarian for
Teaching & Learning Initiatives
awohnsen@hamilton.edu
315-859-4321
Make an appointment for research help

How Do I Find ~ Oral Communication Resources: Home

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