Useful links

Debating encourages research and enquiry skills in children because to excel in debating it is crucial to understand and know about the issues involved in the debate. In long-preparation debates, especially, debaters need to have researched an issue thoroughly.

There are a number of sources that are useful for debaters. The school library is a good starting point and the internet, encyclopaedias, newspapers and magazines are all invaluable research tools.

Experienced competition debaters often buy or borrow an almanac. Almanacs such as the Financial Times World Desk Reference are good investments for serious debaters or can usually be borrowed from the school library.

A good piece of advice for keen debaters is to try to read a newspaper every day. If possible, reading a different newspaper every day is especially useful. Many school libraries stock a good selection of national newspapers.

News and general research

Other useful sites

CIA Factbook - https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
List of Think Tanks - http://www.state.gov/s/p/tt/

Debating websites

British Debate - the home of British debating online - http://www.britishdebate.com
Debatabase - a useful list of motions and arguments - http://www.idebate.org/debatabase
English-Speaking Union Scotland - http://www.esuscotland.org.uk
International Debate Education Association - http:///www.idebate.org
World Schools Debating Championships - http://www.schoolsdebate.org
Fallacy Files - http://www.fallacyfiles.org

Politics and political institutions

The Conservative Party - http://www.conservatives.com
The EU Online - http://www.europa.eu
The Hansard Society - http://www.hansard-society.org.uk
The Labour Party - http://www.labour.org.uk
The Liberal Democrat Party - http://www.libdems.org.uk
Political Links - http://www.politicalresources.net
Scottish Parliament - http://www.scottish.parliament.uk
Scottish National Party - http://www.snp.org
UK Parliament - http://www.parliament.uk
Record of MP Performance - http://www.theyworkforyou.com

International organisations

The Commonwealth - http://www.commonwealth.org
NATO - http://www.nato.int
Royal Institute For International Affairs (Chatham House) - http://www.riia.org
United Nations - http://www.un.org
United Nations Association UK - http://www.una-uk.org

Human rights

Amnesty International - http://www.amnesty.org.uk
Equal Opportunities Commission - http://www.eoc.org.uk
Human Rights Watch - http://www.hrw.org
Liberty - http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk

Sustainable development

Friends of the Earth - http://www.foe.co.uk
Greenpeace - http://www.greenpeace.org.uk
United Nations Environment Programme - http://www.unep.org
Worldwide Fund For Nature - http://www.wwf.org

Poverty and global economics

Christian Aid - http://www.christian-aid.org.uk
Fairtrade Foundation - http://www.fairtrade.org.uk
International Monetary Fund - http://www.imf.org
Oxfam - http://www.oxfam.org.uk
World Bank - http://www.worldbank.org
World Trade Organisation - http://www.wto.org

Miscellaneous

The Lancet Medical Journal - http://www.thelancet.com
Confederation of British Industry - http://www.cbi.org.uk
Trade Union Congress - http://www.tuc.org.uk
World Health Organisation - http://www.who.int/en/