Evidence in LD

By John Peterson
Cherokee High School Debate
The Purpose of Evidence

 To introduce a point
 To lend ethos to a point you made yourself
 To contradict an opponent’s point
 To prevent unreasonable dissent in a rebuttal
How to cut cards

1. Find evidence you like. In this case, I will cut an excerpt from Robert
Edmundson’s ‘Principle of Respect for Autonomy’.
How to cut cards
2. Decide what needs to be said and what doesn’t.
Robert Edmundson, Professor of Ethics at Washington
University, illustrates in Key Ethical Principles: [Robert
Edmundson. “Principle of Respect for Autonomy”. Key Ethical
Principles. Scension. Professor of Ethics. Washington
University in St. Louis. January 26th, 2008.]
As commonly understood today, autonomy is the capacity for
self-determination. Being autonomous, however, is not the
same as being respected as an autonomous agent. When one
respects a person’s capacity for self-determination they
acknowledge the worth of that [an] individual as an
independent agent. To respect an autonomous agent is to
acknowledge that person’s right to make choices and take
action based on that person’s own values and belief system.
The principle of respect for autonomy implies that one
should be free from coercion in deciding to act, and that
others are obligated to protect confidentiality, respect
privacy, and tell the truth. The principle of respect for
autonomy, however, does not imply that one must cooperate
with another’s actions in order to respect that individual’s
autonomy.
Robert Edmundson, Professor of Ethics at Washington
University, illustrates in Key Ethical Principles: [Robert
Edmundson. “Principle of Respect for Autonomy”. Key
Ethical Principles. Scension. Professor of Ethics.
Washington University in St. Louis. January 26th, 2008.]
As commonly understood today, autonomy is the capacity for
self-determination. Being autonomous, however, is not the
same as being respected as an autonomous agent. When one
respects a person’s capacity for self-determination they
acknowledge the worth of that [an] individual as an
independent agent. To respect an autonomous agent is to
acknowledge that person’s right to make choices and take
action based on that person’s own values and belief system.
The principle of respect for autonomy implies that one
should be free from coercion in deciding to act, and that
others are obligated to protect confidentiality, respect
privacy, and tell the truth. The principle of respect for
autonomy, however, does not imply that one must cooperate
with another’s actions in order to respect that individual’s
autonomy.
How to cut cards

3. Keep the full text in case your opponent asks for it in the prep time, or your
judge asks for it after the round. This is allowed, and you can do it too.
The standard of evidence

 Evidence should be factual enough to withstand scrutiny from a judge or your

opponent were they to compare a full text version of the source of your
evidence with another source.
 Evidence should be read and prepared in such a way that the core meaning it
is trying to convey is not misconstrued or lost.
 Evidence should be from reputable sources. Reading Infowars.com in front of
the wrong judge will lose you the round.
Ellipses and brackets

Ellipses should not be used in evidence unless they are from the source because
they can hide and distort the argument an author is making. Brackets are a little
less clear, but in general debaters should avoid using brackets because it is not
always clear when brackets change the meaning of evidence. Here are a few
examples:

“Presumed consent does help those in poverty” can be bracketed to say,

“Presumed consent does [not] help those in poverty.”
“There are three reasons why presumed consent increases organ donation rates”
can be bracketed to say, “There are three reasons why presumed consent
increases organ donation rates [for three reasons].”
“Some authors have argued that presumed consent is good” can be bracketed to
say, “Some [Many] authors have argued that presumed consent is good.”
“Clipping” cards

Clipping occurs when you don’t read aloud the full underlined text in your case.
This violation will cause your disqualification from a tournament if it is
committed.
Example:
If the case contained the following text, and you were only to read the
highlighted text aloud:
Mo Professor of Public Policy and Education at Vanderbilt.
, Cecilia. Assistant “The Case For National Service.” All Gov. June 02,

2017. Web. August 18, 2017 . <http://www.allgov.com/news/top-stories/the-case-for-national-service170602?news=860201>.

TFA participation is also linked with less racial resentment and greater
dissatisfaction with the treatment of minority groups. In other words, TFA
participants are more likely to attribute racial inequality to systemic and
historical factors as opposed to lack of effort on the part of black Americans.
Cutting concisely

Speaking time is an important factor in LD debate. You have a little time to make
a lot of points, and even less time to refute your opponent’s points. Make sure
that you cut cards with this in mind. Time yourself reading each card, make
changes to the cards, and then time yourself reading it again to get the time you
spend reading each card as low as possible. Always opt for more arguments over
more verbose arguments, especially in an affirmative case.