Evidence, AI & Procedures

Topics and Procedures, Evidence Policies, and AI Use

*****All events will follow the NSDA Unified Manual****

All rounds are open to the public; observers may be removed if they interrupt, violate rules, or engage in harassment.

Students who create disruptions may be disqualified from the tournament.

Evidence Policies and AI Use:

Except for evidence exchanges, Charger Challenge will follow all NSDA Unified Manual procedures.

• Teams must have all read materials available for exchange at the judge’s or opponent’s request.
• “Any team may request production of the original source for any evidence read; please be prepared.”

Evidence Sharing Procedures:

• Debaters may request evidence from their opponents at any point.
• Debaters reading evidence must immediately provide full cards with complete citations to the requesting team.
• Evidence may be exchanged electronically (email, Tabroom system, or another mutually agreed method).
• Email chains are encouraged but not required—teams may share individual cards directly when faster or more efficient.
• Prep time does not pause or stop for evidence requests. Teams waiting for evidence may not prep during that time. This rule discourages unnecessary or strategic evidence requests.
• Reading or displaying evidence is considered off-time and does not count against a team’s prep clock.
• To avoid delays, teams are encouraged to organize and pre-highlight evidence before the round and share materials proactively when possible.

Citation and Formatting Standards:

Citations should follow a recognized style—MLA, APA, Chicago, or Policy format.

Though not required, consistent citation is considered best academic and ethical practice.

Paraphrasing and Marking Rules (NSDA §7.2 B):

All quoted or paraphrased material must be clearly marked.

Acceptable methods include underlining, highlighting, or minimizing unread text.

Judges may determine adequacy of marking.

Failure to delineate paraphrased text may incur penalties under NSDA 7.2 B.3.

Generative AI Restrictions (NSDA §7.3 F):

• No quotations or paraphrases may come from generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini).
• AI may assist in locating sources but cannot be cited as one.
• The original human-authored source must be available upon request.
• In Interpretation events, AI-generated material may not be performed.
• Exception: quoting AI is allowed only when the topic itself is AI, within NSDA quoted-word limits.

Evidence Protests and Adjudication:

• The tabroom will not hear evidence protests.
• Students may end a round and stake it on a protest, to be decided by the judge using NSDA evidence ethics.
• Judges’ rulings are final for that round.

Tournament Reminder-

To ensure fairness and efficiency:

• Prepare materials and evidence in advance.
• Clearly mark text read in every card.
• Use clear and consistent citation practices.
• Do not cite generative AI.