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Public Speaking & Speech Resources: Reference

Information resources for preparing and delivering speeches and presentations.

Keys to Finding Biographical Information

Variant Names — Make note of and search for various spellings, nicknames, and transliterated or anglicized names (e.g., Rachmaninoff OR Rachmaninov for Рахманинов). 

Other key facts about a person can help you find more information about them.

Some biographical reference sources focus on specific times, places, or characteristics, including: 

Time Period — During which the person lived & worked, e.g., Renaissance, 17th Century.

Country or Region — Where the person lived, e.g., Japan, Southeast Asia, Pacific Rim.

Occupation -—Including various ways to describe their occupation or field, e.g., lawyer, attorney, painter, cinema.

Characteristics — Such as ethnicity, gender, genre, etc., e.g., black, women, post-modern, expressionist.

Glossary

Biography — About a person.
Bibliography — List of sources of information, such as articles and books.
Autobiography  A biography written by the person it's about.
Contemporary — About living people (at the time of publication).
Historical — About people no longer living.
Works — Compositions, performances, recordings, etc.
Signed — Articles with a named author.

General Biographical Reference

These have information on people from around the world and over long periods of time. 

General & Biographical Reference

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