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PHIL247: Contemporary Moral Problems: How to have a debate

Books on debating

Pro Con Resources

Citing Sources in a Debate

While you'll need to cite your sources when you submit the written transcript of your debate and when you create any sort of slides, you also need to cite sources when you're debating. 

During your debate, for all sources, provide the source information BEFORE you use the information (unlike when writing an in-text citation or a footnote). The below methods can be used for any citation style. When quoting someone or something, do not say Quote Unquote, but pause briefly before the quote and briefly after the quote.

There are a few ways to cite sources (these are for more traditional sources you might use):

  1. Book- include the author and the title. Example: In the book “Fair Play: How Sports Shape the Gender Debates” author Katie Barnes states….
  2. Magazine/newspaper- include title and date: The New York Times, March 31, 2025, explained….
  3. Journal article- include the journal title, date, & author. Example: In the Oct. 2023 issue of Communication and Sport, Shannon Scove & their colleagues write….
  4. Website- include site name or organization and date (if known). Example: The Marist University website notes…

Adapted from a Worcester Polytechnic Institute guide

A few notes:

- if citing something with 2 authors, you can list both authors (example: Jimmy the Fox and Franky the Fox write...). If there are three or more authors, list the first author and then something to indicate there are more authors (examples: Jimmy the Fox and colleagues; Jimmy the Fox and fellow researchers)

- the general rule of thumb is to include enough information so the listener can locate that source. For example, if citing a video you'd want to include at least the creator, title, & date. 

- if you're ever unsure, come ask!

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