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Public Speaking: Websites

A guide to help you identify good speech topics and find quality, appropriate resources for them.

How can I tell what Internet sites are credible?

  Not sure if the website you just found is an acceptable source?  Use this guide to help you figure out what websites are sources of legitimate information and which are not.

Evaluating Websites

Why use statistics and polls?

  Numerical data can help convince your audience that your argument is valid.  The US government collects a myriad of statistics and is a great place to start.  "Softer" data about how people feel about issues, etc., can often be found at polling websites.

Topic ideas

Online publications that often have good speech ideas:

U.S. Statistics

  • American Fact Finder  
    Demographic statistics compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau with an easily accessible search box by zip code, city, county, or state.
  • CIA World Factbook Online  
    Easily select and compare different nations in terms of demographics, military entities, and government bodies, produced by the US Central Intelligence Agency.
  • Nation Master  
  • A statistical comparison of country data, a variation on the CIA site, produced commercially.

You can find many more sources for US government statistics here

International Statistics

  • UN Data
    The United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) brings UN statistical databases within easy reach of users through a single entry point. Users can now search and download a variety of statistical resources of the UN system.
  • United Nations Population Information Network
    POPIN strives to make international, regional and national population information, particularly information available from United Nations sources, easily available to the international community.
  • OECD iLibrary - Statistics
    Some areas of the site available by subscription only, but many data sets are available for free. From the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
  • Eurostat is the statistical office of the European Union situated in Luxembourg. Its task is to provide the European Union with statistics at European level that enable comparisons between countries and regions.
  • World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory
    Provides access to data and analyses for monitoring the global health situation.
  • Open Data from the World Bank
    The World Bank Group now offers free access to more than 2,000 financial, business, health, economic and human development statistics that had previously been available only to paying subscribers.

Polls

  • Annenberg Public Policy Center
    Use the navigation on the left, under "Ongoing APPC Initiatives" to access reports and data from specific surveys undertaken by the Annenberg Center.
  • The Gallup Poll
    Use the Gallup Poll tab to browse through their "channels" or search within their polls. You need to sign up for a 30-day free trial to see the actual results of each poll.
  • The PEW Research Center for the People and the Press
    Click on Survey Reports to find an advanced search option for this web site.
  • Polling Report.com
    Use the site directory or search box to see what is available under each topic. You will find Gallup Poll results on this site as well.