Toastmasters Speech 7: How to Research Your Topic

This article talks about how to go about selecting a topic which can be supported by research for your Toastmasters Speech 7.  It delves into sources of research to consider and how to share the research in the most meaningful way.  

Toastmasters International Speech 7 is a five- to seven-minute speech with the theme “Research Your Topic.” You are encouraged to share your knowledge, at your club meeting, about a particular topic supported by cited sources that bolster your content.  In terms of getting started, pick a topic that is of interest to you but requires additional digging or research to deliver a compelling prepared speech.  

Why is Speech 7 Important?

Whether you are preparing a report for work, your PTA, speech projects, an international speech contest or even just for your own knowledge it is rare to know everything related to your topic at hand.  Often you must seek out additional information via credible websites, books, in-person interviews, videos etc. to develop a well-rounded analysis.  The goal of this speech is to help you conduct, and incorporate, the right amount of research to deliver an informative speech to your fellow Toastmasters’ members. 

Where to Start?

Example

Your own experiences and interests are often the best topics to consider. In 2024, I joined the sourdough bread band wagon that gained popularity during the pandemic when food shortages led people to get creative.  I am self-proclaimed “not a baker” but loved the idea of making bread from scratch for my family where I controlled the ingredients.  

Where did I start?  Google of course.  I found a popular blog that offered a step-by-step article on how to “create a sourdough starter” (aka the yeast) over 7-days.  Subsequent researched articles, podcasts and videos talked about how to maintain a starter and then different ways of using the starter to make bread products.  Since I am passionate about sourdough bread and have personal experience with it, this would easily make my list of proposed speech 7 speech topics and, I think my fellow Toastmasters club members would enjoy learning more about it.

What to Research? 

The time limit of 5-7 minutes for speech 7 is actually part of the challenge.  Once you get started on your outline and subsequent first draft of your speech, you’ll realize the need to be succinct with details supporting your main points. Brevity is often greatly appreciated during public speaking engagements.  You’ll need to carefully choose which pieces of research are most relevant to the discussion.

Identify the Gaps in your Knowledge

While at one point, I did read the science surrounding sourdough starter, I don’t recall the details and certainly wouldn’t be able to explain them to an audience.  This is a perfect place to conduct research which in turn can be incorporated into my speech.  Anticipate questions the audience might have and figure out the best ways to research and deliver on those questions.  For example, audience members will likely want to understand how it is that sourdough starter can be used as a replacement for commercial yeast.  Explain it!

Use Statistics Wisely

It can be easy to just throw a ton of statistics and quotes at your audience and call it a day. My advice is to be intentional with any stats or data you introduce.  Ask yourself “does this stat help my audience better understand my point?”  Back to the sourdough speech example, sharing that the typical loaf of store-bought bread often contains 30+ ingredients is extremely relevant to the conversation.  Most people will not be aware of this alarming number and will therefore be eager to learn how to prepare healthier loaves of bread at home.