Source credibility is the audience’s perception of your effectiveness as a speaker.
Source credibility is important because it helps the audience understand “why you are telling us about this topic in this manner.”
The WHY emphasizes the goal or the purpose of your presentation.
The YOU emphasizes you as the speaker and why you have earned the right to speak.
The US invites you to analyze the audience to determine their reason for listening to you.
THIS TOPIC asks you to analyze the appropriateness of the subject you have selected.
THIS MANNER requires you to consider the organization and other strategies that you selected for your presentation.
Source credibility is created from the audience’s perceptions of four dimensions of credibility.
Audience perception of the speaker’s competence.
Audience perception of the speaker’s trustworthiness.
Audience perception of the speaker’s dynamism.
Audience perception of the speaker’s common ground with the audience.
Evidence for your speeches and other discussions come from various types of sources.
Your personal experience can add to your credibility and clarify your personal knowledge; however, personal experience should be carefully evaluated before use.
Library materials come in a variety of forms. The key to finding information in the library is knowing various databases to search.
The Internet provides quick access to a variety of information, but that information must be carefully verified for accuracy.
When using other persons, you should carefully plan interview questions to make your use of testimony more valid.
Citations should be used to document your use of evidence. Bibliographic citations appear on your outline whereas verbal citations are presented orally during your speech.
When looking for evidence, seven types of supporting material are typically used: examples, surveys, testimonials, numbers and statistics, analogies, explanations, and definitions.
Speakers are obligated to follow ethical principles for establishing credibility and using evidence.
You have an obligation to be true to yourself and have worthy purposes and goals.
You should employ ethical means to achieve ethical ends.
You have an obligation to use accurate information and to cite the sources of such information.
