| Research: Not Just for Debaters Anymore | | Print | |
Research: Not Just for Debaters AnymoreBradley Meurrens Project Performance Corporation Analyst – Nuclear Proliferation Impact Studies Research is one of the defining characteristics of the debate activity. One only has to look at the prolific numbers of summer debate institutes, the amount of time students spend in the library or cutting cards during these “camps,” the increasing quantity of boxes of evidence that accompany debaters to their rounds, and the many evidence handbooks these institutes crank out each year to understand the importance of research to debate. As my college debate coach correctly pointed out, “Debate has transformed from a persuasion activity to an information-processing game”; hence the reason why debaters speak at such rapid rates and haul hundreds of pounds of paper around the country. Critics argue that the emphasis on research creates disparity between large, well-funded teams and smaller squads with more limited sources of funding. Having debated and coached in Nebraska, I have witnessed this first-hand. However, with the increased access to electronic research tools such as the Internet and underutilized services such as interlibrary book loans, this research gap is not permanent. As a college debater on a very small squad with little aggregate debate experience, I was responsible for the lion’s share of the research and argument-creation functions, spending many hours in the library and online. While a daunting task indeed, in hindsight this burden was beneficial. Not only was I forced to sharpen my research and argumentative skills, but also I came to fully understand the direct positive relationship between research and debate success. For example, at the University of Kansas “Kidney” Tournament, it was leaked that Baylor University was running a case to give shipments of Vitamin A to Nepal. I thought, “What are we going to argue against this? Who’s going to argue that the U.S. shouldn’t try to solve blindness and the death of poor Nepalese due to lack of Vitamin A?” I asked my friends if they had a successful strategy against this case, to no avail. However, a friend’s university had a Lexis-Nexis account, so I quickly jumped on Nexis to see what research was out there. To my surprise, I found evidence that the United States had promised large shipments of Vitamin A to Nepal two days prior to the tournament. As fate would have it, my partner and I debated Baylor first round on the second day. Baylor was stunned to know these cards existed, so they had no answer to our inherency take-outs, and we won the round on a one-card, ten-second negative strategy. During my two years as a high school debate coach, I incessantly worked to instill in my debaters the importance of a strong research ethic. A strong research ethic was instrumental in qualifying four teams of mine for the High School National Forensic League Debate Tournament and one for the High School Tournament of Champions. The purpose of this essay is not to prove how important research is to winning debate rounds, but to demonstrate that the research skills developed through debate are also important outside of the debate context. Removed from the activity for a year now, I am constantly called to utilize the research skills I learned through my eleven-year involvement in debate as a debater, judge, and coach. The countless hours doing research for debate (and the hundreds of dollars spent in overdue fines) provided me with skills that have opened many opportunities outside of debate. Much of my academic success is owed to my research skills. My academic career has involved writing countless numbers of research papers, many of which were about previous debate topics and old Affirmative cases. A sharp research skill drastically improves paper-writing performance, and often distinguishes superior from average papers. Effective and efficient research skills significantly decrease the amount of time and energy spent preparing to write a paper. Obviously, good researchers spend less time collecting background information and data. Additionally, I have created my own “mini-library” from the articles I have collected over the years, which I draw upon to provide a rough introduction or resource base for a paper topic. Often my personal files are sufficient for small papers, allowing me to begin writing well before my peers. Indirectly, those who know how to work the library and other electronic media usually write the most interesting paper topics and perspectives. Rarely have I had a paper duplicated by a classmate. Moreover, my ability to efficiently conduct research and consume large quantities of information eases the work of setting up the paper. Since the arguments and facts that I wish to include in the paper are contained within the literature, I can quickly construct a mental image of what my paper is going to argue or the position I want to take. Coupled with the organizational skills that debate teaches, it is relatively easy to structure arguments and supporting data. In the same vein, good research skills can improve writing ability. As a student I had no formal, academic training in writing. Rather, I used my research as a model for my papers. Law reviews are an especially great tool to learn good writing skills, as they are very structured and incorporate a format similar to how superior academic papers are written. As I read law review articles, I noted how they were structured, how the law professors or law students constructed their sentences and syntax, and the vocabulary they used to phrase their arguments. Consequently I consistently received high marks on my academic writing. Given the emphasis placed on paper writing in graduate and law school, the ability to do quality research efficiently and effectively is a huge advantage. The ability to gather and digest a large amount of research effectively earned me a special reputation and status among my peers, as I would be frequently called up to assist individuals in compiling information and data for papers and projects. A friend recently noted after inspecting the research I helped her collect, “These articles are perfect. You should get paid big money for this.” So what? What real-world or business applications do research skills have? As a student, I was always under the impression that my research abilities would not be directly profitable. “Who is going to pay me because I can find information?” This is an incorrect assumption. Currently I am a paid research associate with the Environmental Finance Center in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University where I am a Masters candidate in Public Administration. My responsibilities include researching current and future projects, and writing proposals. For example, I am currently collecting information on the environmental, financial, and political conditions in the Newly Independent States for a project in Russia; urban development and the economic/political implications of urban sprawl; and various federal, state, and local drinking water regulations. I use the Internet and other electronic resources daily, and my ability to gather, synthesize and convey information succinctly were critical factors in the employment decision. I have accepted an analyst position with a Washington, D.C. consulting firm in the summer of 1999. While this firm specializes in environmental and technology issues, I will be researching and writing for a project with a federal agency on nuclear non-proliferation. My debate experience, knowledge of proliferation issues, writing and research skills (especially regarding the Internet and Lexis-Nexis) gave me a distinct advantage when it came time to interview for positions. In fact, I was asked at the site interview to talk about a time when I debated proliferation in a debate round. Research skills are also in high demand on Capitol Hill. The Congressional Research Service is the official research arm of Congress. When legislators want information on a whole host of issues, from economic to scientific to foreign affairs, they call on the Congressional Research Service to provide non-partisan information in a timely manner. (The Congressional Research Service naturally produces some stellar debate articles.) While this office prefers people with advanced degrees and positions are extremely competitive, the demand for pure research skills is high. Also, the offices of political leaders and players require people with strong research skills and background. In order to fashion political positions and/or maintain accountability to constituents, these offices need people who can efficiently and effectively get information, analyze, and relay it. Debate and debate research develop knowledge of a broad range of issues, and the understanding that policy issues do not function in a vacuum, which are to a debater’s advantage. Additionally, when interviewing, employers are impressed if the candidate has a deep knowledge of the company: the mission, goals, accomplishments, and current projects. Thus research plays an important role in the preparation for job interviews; to this end, the Internet is an invaluable resource. Lastly, many employers will require candidates to submit a short (usually no more than five written pages) writing sample. Class papers are usually sufficient, highlighting the importance of developing good writing skills and the ability to present arguments in a clear, concise fashion. Research skills are an important facet of not only academic life, but also the “real world.” The research skills I developed through participating in debate have allowed me to realize opportunities that would be closed without my research skills. The ability to do research has enabled me to excel academically and obtain gainful employment in my areas of expertise and interest. Thus, the importance of fully developing and honing research skills (especially in electronic media) cannot be dismissed. |
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