Chapter 8Supporting Your Ideas

Introduction

Reduce Abstraction

There are lots of community colleges in the United States.

Community colleges enroll a large number of students and play a vital role in American higher education.

According to the Department of Education, there are more than 1,100 community colleges in the United States. They enroll some 12 million students each year, which is 44% of all U.S. undergraduates

ExamplesBrief examplesExtended examplesHypothetical examples

Brief ExamplesAlso called “specific instances”Referred to in passing to

illustrate a pointOption to “pile them on.”

Extended ExamplesNarrative, illustration, anecdoteTypically longer and written more

vividly

Hypothetical ExamplesDescribes an imaginary situation“Imagine this:”Seeks to connect audience

members to topic at hand

Tips for Using Examples

Clarify Your IdeasReinforce Your IdeasPersonalize Your IdeasMake Examples VividFocus on Examples During

Rehearsal

StatisticsUnderstanding Statistics

◦Are they representative?◦Are the measures used correctly?◦Are the sources reliable?◦Tips

TestimonyExpertPeerQuoting vs. ParaphrasingTips

Oral CitationsListeners don’t have access to

your outlineWho, What, Where, When, WhyLucas, p. 161

Start ResearchingGeneral web searchesGoogle ScholarLibrary Website

◦Academic databases