I’m not joking, this is possibly one of the most valuable articles that I have published on the Ethos website. That is because this article is a list of different documents that I have made or have seen used by other debaters that became essential to my success. Each resource includes an access link to the template. If you decide that it is something you would like to use, then make a copy of the document and go crazy. For those who are members of Ethos Legends, this article gets even better because y’all have access to Lectures that I have released that go into depth on how to use some of these documents. If you feel like you need a little bit of extra help when it comes to maximizing your use of these documents, then consider getting access to Ethos Legends for a full tutorial.
Affirmative Research and Argumentation Log
Link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1I9dtPrxwCFV7rSLTPH64owpxZZoqSvSFMKjh6GfH_OU/edit?usp=sharing
Description: This document helped transform me from a double-octas kinda debater to a finals debater. It has two components. The first is the Affirmative specific research log. This is a great page to upload the documents that you find as you are trying to build up your case. Especially when you find your search browser crashing because of how many tabs you have opened, this allows you to close a couple without being afraid of losing the piece of gold that you worked so hard to find. The second tab is a place for you to log all of the arguments that debaters have run against your case. Once you log them, you can also write down what your response is and then begin drilling them to make sure that you truly know your case like the back of your hand.
General Research Log (Aff and Neg):
Link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ycLksm1tUFy6dKtpmKDtnXhliW7OBE_TJkTLzEMz6WE/edit#gid=0
Description: This resource is very similar to the affirmative research resource except it is formatted for general research on the debate resolution and allows for specific tabs for unique cases. That way, when you are crafting your negative briefs, you have some place to put all of your hard work.
Brief Template:
Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dFjHyAfU3h2fH2ol0LTxhR-IJBlOvFD-jxM0B53nopo/edit?usp=sharing
Description: This is a classic but time efficient document. Especially for those who volunteer as research leaders in their clubs, this document provides you with a format for you to use when collecting briefs. One of the most annoying things is to open up a brief only to see that someone has decided to style it with bright neon green and yellow font colors. This link is the solution to that problem.
Case List:
Link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1O9at_XF85IvZfKcMa7n9r4cCPdexGnJDBUKRIlT-kag/edit?usp=sharing
Description: Especially with competition season upon us, knowing how to collect cases is extremely important. Not only is it something that will put you way ahead of your competition, but it will also be a great help to unifying clubs and teams as y’all all begin to work together to compile a list of debate cases. A debater from back when I was competing, Clara Raabe, originally constructed this google sheet, so I hope y’all are able to enjoy the resource!
Well, that’s all of the resources for now. I hope that y’all find this content useful and are better equipped to perform as debaters!
Jala Boyer has earned numerous 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place medals and competed at the NCFCA National Championship in five categories. As an intern on the Student Advisory Council of the NCFCA, Jala worked alongside the executive director, Kim Cromer, to learn the inner workings of competitive speech and debate, helping students create long-term and meaningful success. Jala is currently an Honors student at Liberty University studying communication and business with focus in Spanish and Biblical Studies. To book a coaching session with Jala, follow this link https://www.ethosdebate.com/ coaching/book-coach/