West Coast Policy CX Researchers

 

 

ALL FIRST TIME WEST COAST RESEARCHERS

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

This is recommended for returning workers too.

 

 

 

Use the Verbatim Paperless Template

 

Example Policy Evidence File                       Example Topic Analysis Assignment

 

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR ASSIGNMENTS. 1

QUALITY STANDARDS FOR EVIDENCE. 4

 

 

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR ASSIGNMENTS

 

Keep in contact with Jim for details.

You are expected to provide the number of pieces of evidence noted below.

You are NOT paid for evidence beyond the numbers listed below.

 

MARCH THROUGH MAY RESEARCH

 

Assignments typically due in later April, later May. See emails from Jim for deadlines.

 

Assignments you may receive include the below:

 

TOPIC ANALYSIS ASSIGNMENT (typically 1 assignment)

TOTAL IS 6 pages of topic overview essays, 3 definitions of key terms, and 5 to 6 shelled topicality arguments, $260

You are not paid for material in excess of these requirements; the pay is always $260.

·       2 pages analyzing the wording in the topic

·       2 pages with suggestions for affirmative cases with strategies and responses to negative arguments

·       2 pages with suggestions for negative arguments with strategies and responses to affirmative cases

·       At least 3 definitions for each key term in the topic (skip Resolved and should, for example). Topic specific terms should mostly use topic specific literature definitions rather than dictionary definitions.
--NOTE: Tag and cite and format definitions just like you do for regular evidence.

·       5 to 6 shelled topicality arguments (at least half of which must be topic specific, e.g. “ocean” is a topic specific t argument, “significantly” is a general t argument)

Example Topic Analysis Assignment

 

AFFIRMATIVE ASSIGNMENTS (typically 5 aff assignments are assigned)

TOTAL IS 62 affirmative and 32 negative cards plus 1 paragaph explaining the case/answers to case, $380

AFF PART OF THE AFF ASSIGNMENT

You are not paid for material in excess of these requirements; the pay is always $380.

·       1 paragraph explaining the affirmative case (counts as 1 piece of evidence); typically 5 to 7 sentences long: explain the case/plan, provide key lines of argument, strategic tips.

·       1AC 14 tagged pieces of evidence

·       Backup 47 tagged pieces of evidence*

·       --backup for harms, inherency, solvency

·       --plan specific answers to disads, counterplans, kritiks (can include a few plan specific analytics but you are not paid for analytics)

·       --plan answers to topicality args (can include a few plan specific analytics but you are not paid for analytics)

*may be less if the whole west coast affirmative evidence finished file has a large shared section for harms/solvency; ask Jim.

--contention/advantage titles should be very concise complete sentences, not just a word “Economy” NO “Carbon taxes hurt the Economy” YES

NEG RESPONSES TO THE AFF PART OF THE AFF ASSIGNMENT

·       32 tagged and formatted pieces of evidence*

·       --frontlines against the 2 to 3 likely advantages and extensions with harm/solvency take outs/turns

·       --specific links to generic disadvantages

·       --specific disadvantages, specific counterplans and extensions

·       --up to 1 plan specific topicality shell (counts as 2 pieces of evidence)

*may be less if the whole west coast negative file has a large shared section for harms/solvency; ask Jim.

 

DISADVANTAGE ASSIGNMENTS (typically 4 disad assignments are assigned)

TOTAL IS 41 negative and 28 affirmative tagged and formatted cards plus 1 paragraph explaining the disadvantage, $280

You are not paid for material in excess of these requirements; the pay is always $280.

·       Negative Specifics:

·       1 paragraph explaining the disadvantage (counts as 1 piece of evidence) typically 5 to 7 sentences long: explain the disad, provide key lines of argument, strategic tips.

·       Shell 3 to 5 tagged pieces of evidence

·       Backup with uniqueness, generic links, impacts, 36 to 38 tagged and formatted pieces of evidence

·       --contention/disadvantage titles should be very concise complete sentences, not just a word “Economy” NO “Carbon taxes hurt the Economy” YES

·       Aff Specifics:

·       Aff Responses to Disads (not unique, no link, turns, impact takeouts), 28 tagged and formatted pieces of evidence.

 

COUNTERPLAN ASSIGNMENTS (typically 2 cp assignments are assigned)

TOTAL IS 36 negative and 28 affirmative tagged and formatted cards plus 1 paragraph explaining the counterplan, $260

You are not paid for material in excess of these requirements; the pay is always $260.

·       Negative Specifics:

·       1 paragraph explaining the counterplan (counts as 1 piece of evidence) typically 5 to 7 sentences long: explain the counterplan, provide key lines of argument, strategic tips.

·       Shell 1 to 2 tagged pieces of evidence

·       Backup for solvency, links to net benefits, 34-35 tagged and formatted pieces of evidence

·       --contention/cplan titles should be very concise complete sentences, not just a word “Economy” NO “Carbon taxes hurt the Economy” YES

·       Affirmative Specifics:

·       Aff Responses to the Counterplan (perm, no solvency, disads), 28 tagged pieces of evidence

 

KRITIK ASSIGNMENTS (typically 2 k assignments are assigned)

TOTAL IS 36 negative and 28 affirmative tagged and formatted cards plus 1 paragraph explaining the kritik, $260

You are not paid for material in excess of these requirements; the pay is always $260.

·       Negative Specifics:

·       1 paragraph explaining the kritik (counts as 1 piece of evidence) typically 5 to 7 sentences long: explain the kritik, provide key lines of argument, strategic tips.

·       Shell 3 to 5 tagged and formatted pieces of evidence

·       Backup 31 to 33 tagged and formatted pieces of evidence

·       --contention/kritik titles should be very concise complete sentences, not just a word “Economy” NO “Carbon taxes hurt the Economy” YES

·       Affirmative Specifics:

·       Aff Responses to the Kritik (perms, no link, turns, alt bad): 28 tagged and formatted pieces of evidence.

 

IMPACT ASSIGNMENTS (typically 1 to 3 impact assignments are assigned) (e.g. warming bad/good; warming happening/not happening)

TYPICALLY 22 affirmative and 18 negative tagged and formatted cards, $160

You are not paid for material in excess of these requirements; the pay is always $160.

·       Frontlines and backup—22 aff tagged and formatted evidence

·       Frontline responses and backup—18 neg tagged and formatted evidence

 

SHORT AFF-NEGs (almost always only for July-August research)

(e.g. solvency and answers to solvency for a specific plan)

TYPICALLY 15 affirmative and 25 negative tagged and formatted cards, $160

You are not paid for material in excess of these requirements; the pay is always $160.

·       15 aff tagged and formatted pieces of evidence on a topic aff with an emphasis on solvency cards

·       --contention/advantage titles should be very concise complete sentences, not just a word “Economy” NO “Carbon taxes hurt the Economy” YES

·       25 neg tagged and formatted pieces of evidence against a topic aff including:

·       --frontlines against the 2 to 3 likely advantages and extensions with harm/solvency take outs/turns

·       --specific links to generic disadvantages

·       --specific disadvantages, specific counterplans and extensions

·       --up to 1 plan specific topicality shell (counts as 2 pieces of evidence)

 

JULY-AUGUST RESEARCH

 

Assignments typically due in mid June, mid July, mid-August. See emails from Jim for deadlines.

 

Contact Jim for assignments—typically ones similar to the above.

 

OCT-MAY UPDATES ARE DUE BY THE FIRST OF EACH MONTH.

 

October-May Updates (but no April update). Each update is 100 pieces of tagged and formatted evidence—choose assignments especially ones that answer new affirmatives and that provide evidence on new positions on the circuit/from the debate camps.

 

 

QUALITY STANDARDS FOR EVIDENCE

 

Use the Verbatim Paperless Template

 

EXAMPLE OF WHAT YOUR FILE SHOULD LOOK LIKE . . .

 

 

1) USE QUALITY, RELEVANT EVIDENCE.

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

--The evidence should give warrants for the argument in the tag

--Evidence should not be longer than half a page except in rare cases—you may not decrease any font size below 8 pt

--Evidence should not be shorter than 1/3 a page except in rare cases—you may not increase the font size for the text of evidence beyond 11pt

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

 

2) USE DIVERSITY OF QUALITY SOURCES.

--You may not use more than 10% of an article for quotations (try to keep it to 5%; if the article is less than 3000 words, you may use one 300 word quotation)

--Do not use the same source more than twice in a row in your file

--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 the purpose of non-profit educational evidence materials outside of your company/school.

 

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

 

For citations of printed material:

George Gales Morak, Ph.D. in Engineering at Berkeley, 2013

Breaking Entry: The Test for the Future, p.129

The evidence quotation starts right after the citation . . .

 

For citations of web/electronic material:

Ethan Baron, Staff Writer, April 9, 2018

“H-1B visa applications reach cap, show ongoing demand for foreign workers,” The Mercury News, https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/04/09/h-1b-visa-applications-reach-cap-show-ongoing-demand-for-foreign-workers/ (accessed 4-15-2018)

The evidence quotation starts right after the citation . . .

 

 

FOUR NOTES:

 

1. YOU DO NOT NEED A PAGE NUMBER FOR WEB PAGE CITATIONS.

 

2. YOU DO NEED TO INCLUDE TITLES OF JOURNAL/NEWSPAPER ARTICLES.

 

3. YOU DO NEED DATE ACCESSED.

 

4. AFTER THE CITATION, THE NEXT LINE SHOULD BE THE QUOTATION—DO NOT ADD IN AN ADDITIONAL ENTER/RETURN/BLANK LINE.

 

 

4) UNDERLINE THE EVIDENCE.

--Be generous in your underlining—AT LEAST 50% of the text that shows should be underlined—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.

--Do NOT reduce font size for unused text below 8 point font.

 

5) USE CONCISE TAGS THAT ARE VERY ACCURATE

--Tags should use words in the evidence

--Avoid tags over 1 sentence/10 words in length except in unusual situations/kritik philosophical arguments where it is needed.

 

6) FORMAT THE EVIDENCE.

 

–Use 1 inch margins ALL THE WAY AROUND.

–Use Calibri 11 point Font as your basic font (Verbatim default)

–Non-underlined text cannot be reduced below 8 point font

–Section Titles (Hats) F5

–Block Titles F6

–Tags F7

–Citation (author, quals, date) F8

–Underline F9

 

7) MAKE SURE EVIDENCE DOES NOT SPAN OVER 2 PAGES

Add in page breaks—remember that some people still print these files and don’t want evidence printed on two sheets of paper.

 

8) EMAIL YOUR POLICY EVIDENCE .DOCX FILE TO JIM HANSON AT jim@wcdebate.com

Use the Verbatim Paperless Template