For each debate, one team will be assigned to argue the affirmative case and one side will argue the negative. Here are some ground rules and pieces of advice:

1. The debate will follow this structure:
   • Affirmative opening (5 minutes)
   • Negative opening (5 minutes)
   • Affirmative rebuttal (5 minutes) (by the team member who did not present the opening)
   • Negative rebuttal (5 minutes) (by the team member who did not present the opening)
   • Class questions and discussion

2. Prior to the debate, each team must hand in a 2-3 page argument sheet which outlines your major arguments and the facts supporting each argument. This sheet should also outline the anticipated major arguments of the other side and your rebuttal. A bibliography of sources used should also be included.

3. The debaters are not allowed to use any supporting visual materials during the debate – no overhead transparencies, no PowerPoint slides, etc. Rely on your verbal skills and concentrate on developing an effective verbal presentation. This does not prohibit the use of notes for the speaker, but remember also that an effective presentation rarely involves reading text verbatim. Just prepare an outline and notes, not text.

4. During the two opening statements, the individuals who will be making the rebuttals should stay in their seats and take notes about the opening statements and structure their rebuttals accordingly. Before the rebuttals begin, the teams have one minute to organize their rebuttals.

5. The assignment will be evaluated as follows:
   • Overall quality of the debate (group level): 25%
   • Quality of the arguments (team level): 50%
   • Presentations (individual level): 25% (click here for the presentation grading scale)

   The quality of the arguments is based upon the debate and the argument sheet that each team turns in. This involves the structure of your arguments, the accuracy of your evidence, and the effectiveness of your rebuttals.

6. Debaters are not allowed to
   • Use insulting or offensive language
   • Make personal attacks
   • Speak out of turn or interrupt other speakers
   • Use supporting visual materials (see #3 above)

7. To prepare for the debate, construct an outline which has four components: the proposition, issues, arguments, and evidence (Ericson and Murphy, 1987). The proposition is the debate statement ("Resolved that..."). The issues are the primary assertions that should be proven to support the proposition. Arguments are the reasons for accepting an issue. Evidence is a statement of fact or opinion used to make the argument convincing. Here is an example from Murphy and Ericson (1987, p. 27):

   PROPOSITON:	Resolved: That the United States would be justified in significantly increasing trade restrictions.
   ISSUE:	I. National security considerations would justify increasing trade restrictions for,:
   ARGUMENT:		A. Highly technical products reach our adversaries
   EVIDENCE:			1. Secretary of State testimony regarding loss of important computer advances to communist world
   			2.Defense Department report on military equipment sold through third parties.
   ARGUMENT:		B. Technical losses endanger our security.
   EVIDENCE:			1. Congressional hearing citation regarding uses made of our technology by others which have harmed U.S. security
   			2. Statement from Joint Chiefs of Staff concerning danger to our military personnel resulting from technical transfers
   ISSUE:	II. Domestic industries need protection, for:
   ARGUMENT:		A. The textile industry has been hurt by imports.
   EVIDENCE:			1. Statistics on lost jobs in textiles due to imports
   	Etc.

8. There are two types of refutation: direct and indirect (Murphy and Ericson, 1987). Direct refutation challenges the other team's evidence and reasoning. Indirect refutation uses the construction of a counterargument to challenge the other's teams position. Indirect refutation therefore uses a separate set of issues and arguments than that used by the first team.

9. Watch for the use of fallacies. Here are some important informal fallacies (following Hurley, 1985).

Sources
Jon M. Ericson and James J. Murphy (1987) The Debater's Guide, Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press.

Patrick J. Hurley (1985) A Concise Introduction to Logic, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.