Evidence Rules

1. Clarity About What Is Read Aloud
   
   Always make it clear to judges and opponents what was read aloud. Never take credit for lines in a card that were not read. If you read less than what is underlined or highlighted, mark the card accordingly and share a corrected speech document with all opponents and judges.
   
   

2. Format – All of our evidence should follow the format of the piece of evidence below. Note:
   
   a. order: tag (debater summary of argument), citation (who wrote the quotation), quote/card (the source material),
   
   b. underlined first, highlighted if we wish to read less than the underlining,
   
   c. citation starts with last name, year—then the rest of the information is after

Misinformation erodes information systems necessary for democratic deliberation and organization.

Lynn, 21 (Barry C., Columbia University, Executive Director, Open Markets Institute, Executive Editor of Global Business Magazine and a correspondent for the Associated Press "Competition Policy for the Twenty-First Century: The Case for Antitrust Reform", accessed 9-1-2021, https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Lynn%20-%20Antitrust%2021st%20C%20-%20%203-__11-21%20.pdf) AX

The breakdown of information systems. Democracy also depends on the ability of citizens to communicate freely with one another, and to deliberate with one another based on a roughly similar understanding of facts. But the combination of monopolization and discrimination is swiftly breaking down the systems Americans have long used to gather, process, share, and debate news and information with one another. Two threats especially stand out. The first is the way in which dominant intermediaries – Google and Facebook foremost – are exploiting their chokeholds to divert advertising into their own vaults, away from independent publishers. This diversion of tens of billions of dollars has resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of journalism positions across the nation. And it has resulted in the bankrupting of thousands of important publications, and the financial degradation of thousands more. The overall result is that less and less well-reported, well-edited, trustworthy information is generated in the United States as a whole, and within each individual region of the United States specifically. Open Markets was among the very first organizations to warn of this threat, in public events in the summer of 20162 and 2018.3 Since then, this threat has received a lot of attention, from policymakers and law enforcers around the world, including recent public and private antitrust lawsuits in the United States. There is some good news here. Senator Klobuchar just yesterday introduced important legislation that would provide news publishers with breathing room, while Americans work out a permanent fix to the problem. But thus far, however, no legislature has developed a mature plan to rebuild a truly open and competitive market for news and information that is not – to at some degree – ultimately regulated, manipulated, and taxed by Google and Facebook. The second threat derives from that combination of monopolization and discrimination. Here the basic problem is that Google and Facebook increasingly deliver different news, information, and advertising – including highly targeted propaganda and misinformation – to each individual citizen. Google and Facebook say that such targeted information serves the interests of each individual citizen. Whether that is true or not, the ultimate political result is an atomization of the public, to a degree that makes it ever more difficult for citizens to engage with one another through constructive political interaction, and to identify and master the great problems of our time. 

3. Full Citations
   
   If multiple cards are used from the same author, include the full citation each time. Include as much citation detail as possible—such as access date, article title, URL, full author name and credentials, publication info, database, and initials of the debater who cut the card.
   
   

4. Include Full Paragraphs
   
   Evidence must include the full paragraph, even if only part will be read. Underline or highlight the portion to be read aloud, but do not omit any text from the full paragraph in the file.
   
   

5. Minimum Font Size
   
   No text in evidence files should be smaller than 8-point font. Even if content is not read aloud, it must be legible to all.
   
   

6. No Ellipses
   
   Do not use ellipses (”…”) to skip content in a quotation. If using two parts of a source, either:
   
   

• a) present them as one complete card with nothing omitted between the quoted portions, or
  
  

• b) create two separate cards with unique tags, citations, and full quotations. 

(Highlighting/underlining non-contiguous sections is fine if the full text remains present.)

7. No Alterations to Quoted Content
   
   Never insert, delete, or alter words or punctuation in a quotation—even if you note the changes. All evidence must reflect the source verbatim.
   
   

8. Respect Author Intent
   
   Underlining and highlighting must reflect what the author actually argues. Tags and summaries must accurately reflect the author’s intent—not just what supports your argument.
   
   

9. No Footnotes
   
   Citations should appear above the quotation, directly after the tag—not in footnotes.
   
   

10. No Paraphrasing When First Presenting Evidence
    
    Cards must be quoted directly the first time they’re introduced in a round. Paraphrasing is acceptable only when referencing evidence that has already been quoted.
    
    

11. Separate Analysis From Quotation
    
    If you want to explain or extend evidence with your own logic, that’s great—just don’t present it as part of the quote. Use clear transitions (e.g., “This means…” or pause) and format your speech documents so it’s obvious where the quotation ends and your commentary begins.
    
    

12. Use Only Public Sources
    
    All evidence must come from publicly available materials. Do not quote private or restricted communications.
    
    

13. No AI-Generated Content
    
    AI-generated evidence is not permitted under NSDA rules and is not considered reliable. Do not use AI tools to create cards.
    
    

14. Verify Sources Before Reading
    
    Never read evidence from another team without checking the original source. It’s academically unsound to “borrow” cards without verification, and ethical violations by others have cost us rounds in the past. You are responsible for ensuring all cards you read follow these team rules.
    
    

15. No “Insertions”
    
    You must read cards out loud for them to count as evidence. We do not “insert” unread evidence into speech documents.