Research Strategies （辩论赛前准备的）研究策略

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原著：CDEN美方专家 Kathleen Spring  翻译：曾庆熹

In order to argue effectively, debaters must make use of evidence to support their case and to refute their opponents’ cases. Being adequately prepared for a debate means that debaters will need to conduct research in advance. Since debaters will not always know the topic they will be arguing prior to a debate round, it is important to be prepared to speak on a number of different subjects. The following basic guidelines should provide a good starting point for most debaters:

为了能有效地展开辩论，辩手必须充分运用证据去支撑他们的立论，以及反驳对方的立论。要为一场辩论做好充分准备，意味着辩手们必须首先做好资料挖掘工作。鉴于辩手们不总是能在每一轮比赛中都遇到自己很熟悉的话题领域，事先准备好很多不同的领域的发言内容就显得尤其重要。就此，以下这些基本纲要将为大多数辩手提供一个良好的开端。

• Read widely, and not just in your area of study. While it is useful to have an area of expertise upon which you can draw in debate rounds, it is more useful to have at least passing familiarity with a significant number of current issues.
  

       广泛阅读，且不局限于你的专业领域。当然，能把你的专业知识领域巧妙地运用（甚至是生拉硬拽）到某些场次的辩论中，不失为一种有效的办法。但同时，能对相当数量的当下时事话题拥有最起码的认知是更有用的。

• Read and become familiar with a variety of information sources. Newspapers, magazines, academic journals, blogs, websites and encyclopedias – all these (and other) information sources have their own strengths and weaknesses. Some information sources will be better for supporting particular arguments than other information sources; it all depends on the point you are trying to make. Knowing the types of information you are likely to find in various information sources will make it easier for you to research effectively.
  

       阅读并熟悉广泛的信息来源。报纸、杂志、学术期刊、博客、网站和百科全书——这些（以及其他）信息来源都有他们各自的长处和缺点。在支持某些特定的论点上，一些信息源比其他的好。这取决于你想要支撑的论点是什么。搞清楚不同信息源所提供的信息的类型特点，将有助于提高你获取信息的效率。

• Read information sources that discuss the same topic from contrasting viewpoints. Knowing both sides of an issue means that you will be better prepared to argue either side.
  

       阅读那些就同一问题提供多角度观点对比的信息来源。掌握一个问题的正反两面，意味着你能更好地从正反双方立场展开辩论。

• Do some background research on important governmental and financial organizations that regularly come up during debate rounds (e.g., the United Nations, the European Union, the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the International Criminal Court, NATO, OPEC, the Arab League). Because these entities are frequently part of debate resolutions or are mentioned by other debate teams during their cases, debaters with a good working knowledge of the history, goals, and scope of these entities stand to benefit. Similarly, consider reading up on international treaties and agreements such as NAFTA, the Kyoto Protocol, SORT, the WIPO Copyright Treaty, or the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. The United Nations Treaty Collection (http://treaties.un.org/) is one good source for this kind of background information.
  

       对辩论中常见的重要的政治和财经组织进行背景知识学习。例如联合国、欧盟、世界贸易组织、世界银行、国际货币基金组织、国际刑事法庭、北约、石油输出国组织（欧佩克）、阿拉伯联盟等。这些组织经常会出现在辩题里，或者被其他辩论队提及。所以，辩手们必须对这些组织的历史、目标、影响作用的领域等有所了解。同样地，一些重要的国际条约也必须有所了解，例如北美自由贸易协定、京都议定书、世界知识产权组织版权协定、关于战俘待遇的日内瓦公约等。要了解这方面的背景知识，可以参考联合国协议汇编网站(http://treaties.un.org/)。

• Recognize that bias exists in virtually all information sources, so get into the habit of questioning the validity of what you read. Is the source of the information readily apparent? Are you able to verify the information through an independent source?
  

       牢记所有的信息来源都事实上地带有主观成见，养成始终质疑任何信息的可靠性的习惯。这个信息来源是不是太浅薄？能找到与之相独立的其他信息源去印证吗？

• In addition to these general guidelines, debaters will need to know how to locate and evaluate information. Access to information may vary based on the resources available through your institution’s library or via the open Web. It is important to recognize that libraries may drop some subscription resources or add new ones based on curricular needs and budgetary constraints. Because the specific tools can change, this guide focuses on more general strategies that can be used for research queries rather than strategies for specific tools.
  

       在掌握了上述基本纲要之后，辩手们需要明白如何搜寻和权衡信息。获取信息的手段是多样的，这取决于你学校的图书馆或者公共网络。需要注意的是，图书馆可能会因为课程需要或者预算限制等原因，放弃或者购进某些书目文献。正由于这些信息手段的具体情况会发生变化，本文将更集中于讨论广泛意义上的信息挖掘和研究策略，而不是具体的某些工具的使用方法。

Selecting Appropriate Resources & Formulating Searches

选择适当的信息来源和检索方法

There are many different kinds of information resources debaters might use when conducting research. No matter the type of resource, it is important to keep a few principles in mind.

在开展研究时，辩手们可能会使用到各种不同的信息来源。不论使用何种信源，一些原则需要始终牢记。

• What information are you trying to find, and where will you be likely to find it? Although many valuable resources are available electronically, some information is still easier to locate in print, and some materials are still only available in print.
  

       你想找什么样的信息，并且，这些信息最有可能在什么地方被找到？虽然现在大多数有价值的信息都已经电子化了，但有些信息还是更容易找到印刷版，甚至有些材料只有印刷版。

• Do you know how to use the resources in which you’ll be looking? Some databases can be complicated to use, so take advantage of user tutorials that your institution’s library may offer. Likewise, you may be able to schedule an appointment with a librarian who will be able to teach you specific strategies for searching. Don’t overlook the help menus that are built into the various electronic resources – this is where you will find tips about doing advanced searching, subject headings used within the resource, information about narrowing to peer-reviewed sources, whether searches are case-sensitive, how to save search queries and create alerts, and myriad other features.
  

       你知道怎么使用你所面对的信源吗？有些数据库使用起来相当复杂，所以要好好利用你们学校图书馆提供的使用指南。有可能的话，与你们学校的图书馆员联系预约一下，请他教授一些具体的信息挖掘手段。（译者注：国内很多高校都开设相关公选课）。不要小看那些内嵌在各种电子数据库里的帮助手册——这些说明将为你提供一些检索信息的小妙招，常用的文献信息题目，如何查找经过同行评议的文献，检索关键字是不是区分大小写，如何保存检索需求以及设置检索提醒等各种功能。

• Taking time to create a search strategy up front often saves time in the end.
  

       磨刀不误砍柴工，花时间事先设计好检索策略常常会在最后节约时间。

Whether you are searching in a subscription database from your institution’s library, browsing in a subject directory, or using a search engine on the open Web, you will need to pay careful attention to formulating your searches so they are successful. Each tool will have its own features, as well as a unique algorithm for displaying results. Once you have identified what information you are trying to find and what type of resource is likely to have that information, consider the following guidelines:

不论你是使用学校图书馆里的文献数据库，或者是浏览查阅工具书，亦或是在公共网络上使用搜索引擎，你都要注意你的检索方法。每一种工具都有其特性，同样的，独特的检索算法也会呈现不同的结果。一旦确定了你想检索的目标信息，以及这些目标可能存在的信息源类型，就需要考虑下列问题了：

• Identify the primary keywords from your query. Then think of common synonyms for these terms, as well as related terms that might produce results for your search. Select the terms that are most important to your query and begin your search there. Keep track of which terms produce successful searches so that you can avoid wasting time during future searches. Limit vague or generic terms as much as possible; these often add “noise” to your results list. Meta-search tools (such as Dogpile), which search multiple tools simultaneously, can sometimes be a useful way to begin a search.
  

       明确你想检索的信息的主要关键字。此后，考虑这些关键字的同义词，以及与关键词相关联或许也能检索出你所需要的结果的词语。选择你的检索需求中最重要的关键词，从它开始。做好检索记录，把那些能成功检索出所需信息的关键字记下来。这样以来，以后再遇到相同的检索时就不会浪费时间重复劳动了。尽量避免使用模糊的或者过于宽泛的词语做关键词，它们常常会为你的检索结果掺入“噪音”。元搜索引擎，也就是那种能自动同步检索多个搜索引擎的工具，有些时候会非常适合用于初始检索。

• Use Boolean search terms (AND; OR; NOT) and quotation marks around phrases to help refine your searches. Look at the help pages for a given search engine to determine what search refinements or command searches are supported. Truncation (using a wildcard character, such as an asterisk, at the end of a root word) enables searching multiple variations of a term; however, truncation is not supported by all search engines, nor is the wildcard symbol standard across search engines.
  

       使用联合检索关键词（且、或、非）以及引号来优化你的检索。阅读搜索引擎的帮助页面，查明它所支持的检索优化手段或者检索命令等。省略检索（使用通配符，比如星号等）使得搜索引擎可以检索有很多变化形式的信息。但是，并不是所有搜索引擎都支持省略检索和通配符。

• Take advantage of both the standard “simple” search as well as the advanced search that is offered for many search engines. Features often found in advanced search include searching by specific languages, domains, date ranges, location, and more.
  

       利用好标准检索的“简单易用”的同时，利用好搜索引擎的各种高级检索功能。这些高级功能包括以特定语言、行业、时序、地点等展开检索。

• Subject directories use standardized subject headings to organize information into categories. Take advantage of this alternate method of searching for information, particularly if you are having difficulty focusing your search to retrieve relevant results.
  

       分类工具书使用标准化的编目方法将各种信息分门别类地整理好。利用好这些可选的信息检索方法，特别是当你面对各种看似相近又模棱两可的检索结果陷入不知如何取舍时。

• Different search engines will produce different results. Try the same search on more than one tool to see the differences.
  

       不同的搜索引擎会产生不同的结果。在不同的引擎上进行同一个检索，以发现不同引擎之间的差异。

Evaluating Websites 权衡网站

Websites can be a handy source of information for debaters, but it is important to evaluate a website before using that information to build an argument. When evaluating websites, consider the following:

各种网站，堪称辩手们触手可及的信息来源。但是，当你要用网站上的信息建构论点时，很有必要先权衡这个网站。权衡网站应考虑如下问题：

• Authority refers to the author’s or publisher’s credentials. Who is responsible for the website’s content? Consider whether an individual has authority in the topic area – where does the person work? What credentials does this person hold? Has this person published other material on this topic? What do other people have to say about this person’s work? (Are there external reviews discussing what this person has written?) Sometimes websites are maintained by organizations rather than by individuals. In that case, consider the type of organization – is it a professional or trade association? A lobbying organization? A governmental or educational institution? A commercial business? Is there an About page that describes the purpose of the website? Domain name extensions (.com, .cn, .edu, .gov, .org, and so on) can often provide clues to the type of organization, which can lead to clues about potential bias.
  

       权威性，是指作者或信息发布者的资质。是谁在对这个网站的内容负责？考虑某个体是否在该课题领域具有权威性——这个人在哪里就职？这个人持有什么资质？这个人是否就这个课题发表过其他材料？其他人怎么看到这个人的作品？（关于这个人的作品是否有外部的评议？）有些时候，网站是由组织而不是个人运营的。这种情况下，要考虑这个组织的类型——它到底是一个专业性组织还是行业性组织？是不是游说团体？政府性还是教育性机构？商业机构？有没有介绍性页面，介绍了这个网站的主旨？网址后缀(.com, .cn, .edu, .gov, .org···)常常能提供这个组织类型的一些线索，进而能窥见这个网站可能的一些主观成见。

• Bias refers to the point of view and degree of objectivity expressed by the author. Is the website sponsored by a corporation or other entity? Is the website promoting or selling a product? Does the website advocate a particular political viewpoint? If advertising is included on the website, does the information appear to be influenced in any way by the advertisers? Is there any inherent bias from the author (for example, a conflict of interest)? Are biases clearly stated? What kinds of websites are linking to this website? (Use the link: feature in many search engines to find this information.)
  

       主观成见，是指作者表达出的认识角度和主观色彩。这个网站是不是由一家公司或实体赞助？网站是不是有意推销产品？这个网站是不是为某种特定的政治立场辩护？如果这个网站上有广告，那么网站上的信息是不是看起来受到了广告商的影响？这个作者是不是有其天然立场（比如，存在利益冲突）？这些主观性是不是已经被清楚地做了说明？这个网站有哪些相关链接？（很多搜索引擎能查询出网站的相关链接）

• Currency refers to the date of publication and/or the time period covered by the information on the website. Is the information up to date? Do links work? When was the website created, and when was it last updated? Does the page update automatically on a daily basis, or is it manually updated when information is added or revised? Does currency matter for the information you are trying to find?
  

       时效性，是指网站上信息的发布时间和/或它所能代表的的时间段。这些信息是不是及时更新的？链接还有效吗？这个网站是何时建立，最后一次更新是什么时候？有关网页是定期自动更新的，还是人工更新修改的？时效性问题是否影响到你要查的信息？

• Accuracy refers to the reliability and correctness of the information. Is the information on the website correct? Consider whether the website lists the sources of its information (perhaps in a bibliography), whether the information is fact or opinion, and whether the information can be verified from an independent source.
  

       精确性，是指信息的可靠性和正确性。网站上的信息正确吗？考虑这个网站是不是列出了信息来源（可能是以参考书目的形式列出）。这些信息到底是客观事实还是只是一种观点。这些信息能被其他独立信源所证实吗？

• Scope refers to the coverage area of the website. (It can relate to currency, which can be thought of as chronological scope.) Consider whether the website is directed at a particular audience (for example, a website intended for pregnant mothers, or a website aimed at Chinese lawyers). If there is a print equivalent to the information, does the website offer the same information? Is the website a primary, secondary, or tertiary resource? (Primary resources contain firsthand accounts of information or original data. Secondary resources are derived from primary resources and describe or analyze that information. Tertiary resources are based entirely on secondary resources rather than on original research.)
  

       范围，是指这个网站覆盖的知识领域（这可能与时效性相关联，比如年代覆盖范围）。要考虑这个网站是不是针对特定受众，比如专门针对孕妇的网站，或者专门针对中国律师的。如果某个信息有相应的印刷文献，那么这个网站是否也提供了同样的信息？这个网站的信息是一手、二手还是三手资料？（一手资料是指有关该信息的第一手统计或原始数据。二手资料是由一手资料推导出来的，是对一手资料的描述或者分析。三手资料则是完全基于二手资料而不是原始研究的信息。）

• Relevance/Usability refers to the value of the information for your research needs. Consider whether the information is appropriate——Can you understand the information easily, or is the website intended for use by experts in the field? Is the website well organized so that you can locate information quickly? Does the website cover the topic adequately, or are there obvious omissions in content?
  

       关联性/可用性，是指某信息相对你研究所须而言的价值高低。要考虑这个信息是否适当——你能较为容易地理解这个信息吗，或者这个网站本就是针对该领域的专业人士的？这个网站是不是很好地组织整理了这些信息以方便你查找？这个网站是不是恰当地覆盖了这个课题领域，还是说在内容上有明显的遗漏？

Sometimes the information you need for evaluating a website is not as easy to find as it would be

for a print resource. However, as a rule you should apply the same level of evaluation to websites

as you would to print resources.

有些时候，找寻那些用以衡量网站的信息，不如在面对印刷文献时那样容易。然而，不论是衡量印刷文献还是网站资源，你都应遵循同样的评价标准。

康康勿鸣

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