POLICY RESEARCHERS—FOLLOW THESE EXPECTATIONS

 

 

ALL FIRST TIME WEST COAST RESEARCHERS

You need to turn in two pages of work to Aaron to be reviewed to assure you are doing your work right.

This is recommended for returning workers too.

 

 

 

EXAMPLE POLICY EVIDENCE FILE

 

Use this Template: westcoast.dot

 

How to use the Template (it is the Whitman Template)

 

 

1) USE UP-TO-DATE EVIDENCE.

--When people look at the evidence, we want them to think “this is new stuff.”

--If the issue is timely (e.g., uniqueness, current policy)—it should be VERY RECENT.

--Otherwise, the more recent, the better but not absolutely critical (USUALLY, THE PAST 2 YEARS but salient, important works that aren’t as new should not be overlooked).

 

2) USE DIVERSITY OF QUALITY SOURCES.

--Don’t overuse one source for your evidence

--Minimize the use of less credible sites such as blogs, Reuters, “crazy ideologue websites,” etc.

--TRY TO GET QUALIFIED EXPERTS

--You may not turn in material from sources such as Lexis if you do not have legal access to use that source for business purposes such as our handbooks.

 

3) USE QUALITY EVIDENCE THAT GIVES WARRANTS

 

4) NEW! COMPLETING “ONE PAGE” OF EVIDENCE

--You need at least 3 pieces of evidence to count as a page.

--If the page is not 80% or more filled with evidence, you need another piece of evidence on the page.

--If the page is filled with 1 or pieces of evidence, you need to provide the 2nd and 3rd pieces of evidence on a separate page (but it still counts as part of the one page).

 

5) CITATION FORMAT. Make sure your citations look like this:

 

First Last, Qual, dd-mm-yyyy, "Title," Publication, pg

 

For regular citations:

June Jones, District Attorney, 9-12-2010, “Mental Health Stuff,” The Legal News, p. 12.

 

For web citations:

Harry Bustamente, Professor of Psychology, 4-1-2010, “Mental Health Issues,” Mental Health Web, www.mentalhealthweb.com/psycho/helpers/tips23.htm

 

Citation Questions Answered

NOTE: YOU DO NOT NEED A PAGE NUMBER FOR WEB PAGE CITATIONS.

 

NOTE: YOU DO NOT INCLUDE TITLES OF JOURNAL/NEWSPAPER ARTICLES.

 

6) NEW! Underline your evidence.

--Be generous in your underlining—typically more than you would with college files (hs coaches aren’t keen on hyper-underlining and the kids can underline further if they wish).

--Focus what you underline on the key claims and warrants needed to support your tag.

--Do not underline just one or two words in a sentence.

--Do not skip over items that contradict your tag. If that happens—you need a different piece of evidence.

 

7) REMOVE FOOTNOTES!

Remove ALL footnotes that were in the original articles; that includes footnotes that look like this

*83

[76]

19

 

8) ALL EVIDENCE IS SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY.

Email it to Aaron.

 

9) USE TIMES ROMAN 10 POINT FONT.

Use 1 inch margins ALL THE WAY AROUND.

 

10) FORMAT USING . . .

F5: card (the quotation itself)

F6: tag

F8: citation (last name and year)

F9: bold underline in the card

 

11) WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR ASSIGNMENTS

 

Keep in contact with Aaron for details. Exact page expectations vary depending on the topic and specific assignment.

 

AFFIRMATIVE

1AC 5 pages

Backup 22 pages*

--backup for harms, inherency, solvency

--answers to disads, counterplans, kritiks

--answers to topicality args

*may be less if the handbook has a shared section for harms/solvency.

 

NEGATIVE

17 pages*

--frontlines against harm/inherency/solvency

--frontlines against the 2 to 3 likely advantages and extensions

--specific links to generic disadvantages

--specific disadvantages, specific counterplans and extensions

--topicality shells and extensions

*may be less if the handbook has a shared section for harms/solvency.

 

DISADVANTAGES

Shell 2-3 pages

Backup with uniqueness, generic links, impacts, 17-18 pages

Responses to the Disad (not unique, no link, turns), 10 pages

 

COUNTERPLANS

Shell 1-2 pages

Backup for solvency, links to net benefits, 15-16 pages

Responses to the Counterplan (perm, no solvency, disads), 10 pages

 

IMPACT/HARMS/SCENARIO ARGUMENTS

(e.g. warming bad/good; happening/not happening)

Frontlines and backup—contact editor for expected pages

Frontline responses and backup—contact editor for expected pages

 

KRITIKS

Explanation Text: 1 page

Shell 2-3 pages

Backup 13-14 pages

Responses to the Kritik (perms, no link, turns): 10 pages.

 

If you have more or less—we can work around that BUT WE NEED TO KNOW. CONTACT AARON.

 

A Typical Affirmative Handbook has:

A Table of Contents

Topic Analysis and Affirmative Cases Paper

5 Affirmative Cases

Answers to the 4 WC Disadvantages

Answers to the 2 WC Counterplans

Answers to the 2 WC Kritiks

A Typical Negative Handbook has:

A Table of Contents

Topic Negative Arguments Paper

Definitions

Responses to 5 WC Affirmative Cases

4 Disadvantages

2 Counterplans

2 Kritiks

A Typical Sept Update has:

A Table of Contents

150-175 pages of evidence that was not put out at camps.

 

The Oct-May Updates:

Oct 1, Nov 1, Dec 1, Jan 1: 50 pages ea.

Feb 1, Mar 1, May 1: 50 pages ea.