Asserts that impromptu speaking should be viewed as an event which develops students' organizational ability, creative thinking, audience analysis, and delivery skills. Presents various techniques to aid students and coaches in pre-tournament preparation for impromptu speaking. (MM)

Argues that presumption represents a multidimensional concept, not a monolithic one. Claims that in reaching a decision on a nonpolicy debate, the decision rule "one who asserts must prove" ought to be given primacy over the predispositions of a given audience or of society at large. (JD)

Offers arguments in favor of condoning theoretical arguments and answers objections raised by critics of theoretical arguments. Recommends standards for improving the quality of theoretical arguments. (MM)

A proposed reconceptualization of inherency as practiced in debate and argumentation theory. (CH)

An approach to organizing extemporaneous speeches based on questions inherent in the nature of explanation and speculation is described and recommended as an alternative to the superimposition on a topic of prescribed organizational patterns. (JF)

Describes the Boston College public debate program, the changes Daniel Rohrer instituted, and the benefits of a public debate program to the college and to the debate community in general. (PD)

Analyzes the interaction between nuclear freeze activists and proponents of a Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). Argues that SDI strengthens Reagan's rhetorical position concerning nuclear weapons policy because it reduces the argumentative ground of the freeze movement by envisioning a defensive weapons system that would nullify nuclear weapons.…

Focuses on the relationship between debate training and critical thinking ability, and examines whether Cross-Examination Debate Association (CEDA) debaters, National Debate Tournament (NDT) debaters, and nondebaters differ significantly on the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal. Indicates no significant difference between NDT debaters and…

Explores the procedure of dropping the low rank/low rating that is used at some national forensic tournaments and finds that a significantly altered pool of contestants for elimination rounds is not produced. (MM)

Assesses whether a contestant's seed in an elimination round is a good indicator of the contestant's finish in that particular round, and finds limited support for concluding that seeding is a good indicator of final placement. (MM)

Urges the inclusion of the speech to stimulate--"epideictic oratory"--as a standard contest category in tournaments. (PD)

Transcript, editorial analysis, and critiques of the National Debate Tournament final debate between teams from Harvard University and Northwestern University are presented. (JMF)

Argues that in order to counter the current elitism of academic debate, exemplars must be developed which emphasize teaching students the skills required to communicate arguments to inspire citizen activism. Proposes a narrative perspective of debate and offers suggestions regarding how this perspective might be applied and practiced. (MM)

Describes current judging philosophies in academic debate and attempts to define policymaking, hypothesis testing, stock issues, and "tabula rasa" judging philosophies by examining the responses of judges so labeled to specific judging situations. (JMF)

Discusses six conditions as prerequisites to political debates: likelihood of a close election, advantages will accrue to candidate, candidate is a good debater, only two major candidates, candidate can control all variables, and no incumbents involved. Demonstrates the application of these conditions to eight political campaigns. (JMF)