LibGuides: CM 498: Communication Research: Researching Artifacts

Sources for artifacts

Artifacts for a rhetorical analysis can come in many forms. Here are a few suggestions:

Speeches
Novels, poems
Art exhibits
Advertising
Film or documentary film
Song lyrics
Social media

Artifacts should not have a a single, clear meaning, but be open to interpretation. A good artifact addresses a certain problem, and encourages a specific action to change the situation.

Featured Books & eBooks

Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History by William Safire (Editor)
Call Number: Online e-book
Publication Date: 2014
Landmark Speeches of National Socialism by Randall L. Bytwerk
Call Number: Online e-book
ISBN: 9781603444415
Publication Date: 2008
The Handbook of Rhetoric and Public Address by J. Michael Hogan (Editor); Shawn J. Parry-Giles (Editor)
Call Number: PN 4096 .H36 2010
The Public Work of Rhetoric: citizen-scholars and civic engagement by John Ackerman; David Coogan
Call Number: P 301.5 .P67 P83 2010
Daily Show and Rhetoric: arguments, issues, and strategies by Trischa Goodnow (Editor)
Call Number: PN 1992.77 .D28 D35 2011
Rhetorica in Motion: feminist rhetorical methods & methodologies by Eileen E. Schell (Editor); K. J. Rawson (Editor)
Call Number: P 301 .R4716 2010
Rhetorical Analysis: a brief guide for writers by Mark G. Longaker; Jeffrey Walker
Call Number: PE 1408 .L67 2011
ISBN: 9780205565702
Publication Date: 2010

Finding Artifacts

American Rhetoric: Online Speech Bank
Database of and index to 5000+ full text, audio and video versions of public speeches, sermons, and more.
American President: Presidential Speech Archive
A collection of some of the most important presidential speeches in American history. These speeches all have transcripts, and some are available in their entirety in audio or video. (from the Scripps Library, University of Virginia)
Gifts of Speech: Women's Speeches from around the world
Historic and contemporary speeches by women, sponsored by Sweet Briar College.
Presidential Inaugural Addresses and more
The American Presidency Project offers transcripts of all inaugural addresses plus state of the union messages, radio addresses, debates, FDR's Fireside chats, and more.

Chambers Book of Speeches (online)
Publication Date: 2006
Brings together a diverse selection of eloquent, powerful, witty and passionate speeches, given by politicians, monarchs, rebels and intellectuals from around the world.

Streaming Video Collections at Eckerd College
Eckerd College Library offers access to over 37,000 streaming videos for faculty and students. Video collections support the academic program and include documentaries, feature films, primary source materials, theatre productions, and more. This guide links to all the streaming video collections provided by Eckerd Library.

Finding Information Relevant to Artifacts

Context

What was the political/social/cultural climate in which your artifact was created? How does it relate to the intention of the artifact you are analyzing?

Resources for finding context:

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Database of over 240 encyclopedias and dictionaries in Art, Biography, Business, History, Literature, Religion, Science, Technology and more.
Gale Virtual Reference Library (Gale eBooks) This link opens in a new window
Database of encyclopedias, almanacs and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.
Opposing Viewpoints (Gale in Context) This link opens in a new window
Full-text magazine and news articles of information on social issues. Access viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, and links to websites. Subjects include abortion, animal rights, bioethics, crime, education, health care, national security, pollution, sex education, women's rights, and more.

People

Who are the relevant people related to your artifact? These may include the author, as well as specific groups or people mentioned in the artifact.

Resources for biographical information:

Biography (Gale In Context) This link opens in a new window
Biography in Context offers authoritative reference content alongside magazine and journal articles, primary sources, videos, audio podcasts, and images. Covering a vast array of people from historically significant figures to present-day newsmakers, it’s continuously updated to ensure that students have access to the very latest information.

Outcomes

What are the relevant statistics related to your artifact? How have others reacted to the artifact, within the popular media, or scholarly studies?

Resources for finding outcomes:

NewsBank: Access World News This link opens in a new window
Research diverse perspectives, topics and trends that align with curricular areas such as Political Science, English, Sociology, Humanities, Business, International Studies and more. Features reliable, credible information from a wide variety of international, national and local news sources. Also available remotely 24/7 on any device.
New York Times Online (Registration link) This link opens in a new window
All faculty, students, and staff can access the New York Times website directly by setting up their access via the Eckerd Library subscription. An initial one-time registration from ON-CAMPUS is all you need to access the NY Times online from your laptop, tablet, or phone from anywhere in the world. You can connect your existing NY Times account or create a new one. Access includes articles from 1851 - current, The New York Times Magazine, current access to the Spanish and Chinese editions, as well as access via mobile app (except NYT Crossword app). See our First Time Account Setup Instructions for more information about the process.
New York Times TimesMachine (1851 - 2002) This link opens in a new window
The TimesMachine contains digital replicas of New York Times papers from 1851 - 2002. You will need to login with your Eckerd-linked New York Times account to access this resource.
Communication & Mass Media Complete This link opens in a new window
Full-text, abstracts, and indexing for more than 500 journals and selected coverage of 200 more, with a combined coverage of 690 titles in communications, mass media, and other closely related fields. (380 titles are full-text).
Statista This link opens in a new window
Statista.com provides direct access to over 18,000 quantitative data sources on media, business, finance, politics, and a wide variety of other areas of interest or markets. Data sources include market research reports, as well as trade publications, scientific journals, and government databases.