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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
Select Speeches from the document limits or include Speeches, addresses, etc. as a SU Subject Term in your search.
ProQuest Central
Select Speech/Lecture from the Document type.
Gale Academic OneFile (1980 - current)
Select Speech from the Document Type.
Google Scholar
- 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

Vital Speeches of the Day (1934-present)
"Text of speeches on wide range of political topics."

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 ebooks:
speeches and Fannie Lou Hamer
Browse the ebooks 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 that where OR is not present. OR needs to be capitalized and parenthesis are ignored.
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.)
Evaluate the quality of the web site (ProQuest Research Companion).

American Presidency Project
UC Santa Barbara
Awards Databases (Oscars)
The Best Commencement Speeches, ever (NPR)
Black Abolitionist Archive
A collection of speeches and editorials from the antislavery movement. University of Detroit Mercy.
British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Transcripts
C-SPAN
A 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.
Library of Congress
See Speeches.
The Nobel Prize
Search for Nobel Lecture and Nobel Ceremony Speech.
The Presidency/Presidential Speeches
University of Virginia
Smithsonian Institution
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
Over 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
Integrates 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
A 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.

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