1. BrainstormING
Evidence & Research

2. Topic
Resolved: On balance, students in grade benefit when their schools offer interscholastic sports.

3. Dealing with New Topics
1. Define and understand key terms
2. Make a list of all pro/con arguments – know the arguments!

4. Brainstorm Key Terms Balance Benefit
Resolved: On balance, students in grade benefit when their schools offer interscholastic sports.
Two key words:
Balance
Benefit

5. On balance All students, not just athletes
Can be some positives and negatives, but one outweighs the other
Therefore, the debate becomes what’s more important
Education
Health
Happiness
Economics
Gender
Skills

6. Benefit Benefiting STUDENTS (approx. 12-18 years old) Benefits how?
Not Schools
Not Parents
Benefit some groups not others
Benefits how?
Education
Health
Happiness
Economics
Gender
Skills

7. Advanced tips
Research all sides of the major issues and specific examples
Expand outward – keep trying to figure out the truth

8. Pros & Cons
Education Health Happiness Economics Gender Skills

9. Evidence What is evidence?
Supporting material known or discovered, but not created by the advocate.

10. Forms of Evidence Facts, e.g., Statistics Examples
Hypothetical Examples
Literal Examples
Testimony – authoritative opinion

11. Tests of Evidence Source credibility Source bias Recency
Internal Consistency
Completeness
Corroboration (external consistency)

12. Citing Evidence
According to a 2013 evaluation by the University of Chicago, competitive sports create lasting improvements in boys’ study habits and mental maturity. Thus participating in interscholastic sports helps students perform better in their future career. Fortune Magazine finds 95% of Fortune 500 executives participated in high school athletics. The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth found that men at age 32 who have played high school sports are paid 31% higher wages than men who have not.

13. Research Methods Keys to effective research: Do it early
Good search terms
Quotations, keywords, truncation, maximize operators
Use the advanced search
Be aware of how results are displayed
Focus on more than one source
Effective filtering of results
Disregard irrelevant articles
Read summary; first/last paragraph
Apply the tests of evidence, e.g., recency, bias, etc.

14. Research Methods Google www.google.com Scholar Sort by date
Advanced Search
News
Books

15. Hierarchy of Evidence Consensus of empirical studies
Empirical Evidence/Consensus of expert opinion
Expert Opinion/Consensus of lay opinion
Lay Opinion (outside area of expertise)
Judicial Notice or Common Knowledge
Assertion