Tips for searching for Speeches
- Search terms to include: oration, speeches, rhetoric, keynote address, commencement address
- Include limits in Document Types as listed below each database.
- If you find an article referencing a speech that does not include the speech, email Diane Zydlewski (zydlewsd@emmanuel.edu) for help finding the transcript.
Article Databases
- Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new windowSelect Speeches from the document limits or include Speeches, addresses, etc. as a SU Subject Term in your search.
- Gale Academic OneFile (1980 - current) This link opens in a new windowSelect Speech from the Document Type.
- Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
- Click on the Full-Text@Emmanuel at the right of articles or the more option below the item record.
- Search for the journal title using the A-Z Journals by Title list to verify the journals peer-reviewed status.
Selected Journals
Additional Resources
- Search Primary Document Resources for transcripts of speeches.
Tips for searching for Speeches
- Search terms to include: oration, speeches, rhetoric, keynote address, commencement address along with terms related to a topic or a specific person's name.
Example keyword search using the below search box to search for books:
speeches and Fannie Lou Hamer - Browse the books using Subject Search for "Speeches, addresses, etc."
You may wish to add terms related to a topic or a specific person's name. - If you find a book referencing a speech that does not include the speech, email Diane Zydlewski (zydlewsd@emmanuel.edu) for help finding the transcript.
Selected Books
Tips for searching for Speeches on the Web
- Search terms to include: oration, speeches, rhetoric, keynote address, commencement address and limit search to specific extensions by including site: (e.g., .edu or .gov)
- Example Google Search: "Stacey Abrams" "commencement address" site:.edu
Note: Google assumes AND between all terms where OR is not present. OR needs to be capitalized and parenthesis are ignored.
- Example Google Search: "Stacey Abrams" "commencement address" site:.edu
- Explore reputable organizations/agencies connected to a topic of interest (e.g., U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development).
- Search for archives, often associated with a college, dedicated to a topic of interest (See Primary Document Resources for examples.)
- See FAQ on How to evaluate a web site.
- American Presidency ProjectUC Santa Barbara
- Black Abolitionist ArchiveA collection of speeches and editorials from the antislavery movement. University of Detroit Mercy.
- C-SPANA collection of government hearing, speeches and ceremonies from around the world with a particular emphasis on the United States. Also included are C-SPAn produced documentaries.
- The Nobel PrizeSearch for Nobel Lecture and Nobel Ceremony Speech.
- The Presidency/Presidential SpeechesUniversity of Virginia
- Voices of Democracy"The Voices of Democracy project promotes the study of great speeches and debates in U.S. history. " University of Maryland.
Depending on how much you know about the person who originally gave the speech, you may wish to read a brief biography on them.
Note: Use the resources on the Databases/Selected Journals and Books tabs if you want detailed information on them.
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowOver 700 reference books covering a variety of disciplines and including foreign language dictionaries. Includes a concept map, which provides related subjects and noted personalities to assist beginning research.
- Gale in Context: Biography This link opens in a new windowIntegrates GALE Cengage Learning reference works along with magazine and journal articles, images, videos, audio files, and website links. Search for current or historical people by name, occupation, nationality, and birth/death dates. Use the advanced search feature for further search options.
- Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new windowA database of encyclopedias and specialized reference resources for multidisciplinary research, including: fashion, film and filmmakers, pop culture, and multicultural issues. Includes the six-volume Beachams Guide to the Endangered Species of North America.
Need Help?
Associate Librarian for Reference, Instruction, and Outreach
zydlewsd@emmanuel.edu | 617-735-9927
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