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Critiques--Do they need evidence?

Well, that depends on your definition of evidence. If you define evidence as quotations from published materials (as I do in Breaking Down Barriers: How to Debate), then my answer is no you do not. I would say the same thing about any argument-quoted material is good but it is not critical. Reasons that a debater generates can be just as strong support as quoted material.

In particular, critiques often depend on an analysis of the values and assumptions in arguments and hence may be in less need of reference to quoted material. If an affirmative case makes racist arguments, then a critique of those racist claims can be made logically by a debater without reference to an expert. If a critique attacks consumerist mentalities exhibited in the affirmative plan, then evidence documenting why this is an important failure in the case and why it should be rejected would be helpful.

Thanks to Jason Regnier and Matthew Ho Puck for this question.

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