From speaking, listening, and reading to critical thinking, high school debate promotes many necessary skills, including research.

Research isn’t simply flicking through pages of books or Wikipedia. Part of research is focusing on your ideas, so you’re not aimlessly browsing. Once the main idea is formed, then an argument and support can develop. The initial research allows students to organize and present the information in an engaging fashion that in turn produces powerful speech delivery. Another important piece of research is to explore a new opinion that goes beyond personal experience.

To have a solid argument, student’s need to research the topic thoroughly. While it’s important to argue for your opinion, you also need to understand your opponent’s belief as well to retaliate constructively and build counterarguments. It’s each speaker’s responsibility to recognize all sides of a topic or dispute before making a final decision.

An argument can’t be based solely off of emotion, which is why research provides evidence to support the reasoning.The facts presented in a debate must be accurate and up-to-date, so it’s critical that students know how to find a reliable source. Fact-checking to understand the truth is an essential part of the research. High school debate expects students to assess the integrity of the news source and look for similar news on authentic media channels.

Research skills developed in high school debate continue to benefit students personally, in college academically, and professionally in their future careers. They empower students, so that they remained knowledgeable and can support their ideas with trustworthy information.