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The User Guide is currently undergoing major re-construction, which we are aiming to complete by the end of April 2026. In the meantime please email support@debate.report

Frequently Asked Questions about the Debating Process

How to Use the Debate List

All the arguments for and against the resolution are listed on the left-hand-side of the Debate Forum page. The same arguments are shown in relation to each other, as a hierarchy, on the left-hand side as a graph. The columns on the List side (on the left) include:

Argument List - here you can see all the component parts of the arguments, i.e. the different types of statements For and Against the resolution.
Analysis - if a scientific analysis report has been created for the statement (see below) there will be a tick against it in this column
Vote - if you have voted for the statement your vote is indicated as a tick (agree) or cross (disagree). You can change your vote at any time. See below for more details
Support For / Against - this is calculated by the debating system as the total number of votes in the For direction of the resolution looking at all connected statements. e.g. a vote Agree against a statement that is For the resolution will be aggregated on the Total For for all connected statements, all the way up to the resolution iteself. Similarly a vote Agree a statement that is Against the resolution will add 1 to the Total Against on all connected statements up to the resolution.

If you click the Full/Part Dashboard button you will toggle between the half-page and full-page mode. On full-page there are some extra metrics columns displayed. These metrics will help to decide the overall outcome of the debate, along with the votes. Additional metrics will be added but for now there are:

Impact = average impact score provided by voters when voting on the statement
Weight = number of statements connected underneath the statement-in-question
Interest = percentage of total votes cast in the debate allocated to the statement-in-question (not yet implemented)

List sorting - click on a header to sort the list by that column.

How to use the Debate Graph

The same arguments are shown in relation to each other, as a hierarchy, on the right-hand side as a graph. This helps to see the debate at a glance, and to see where the support and attacks are coming from. You can click on statements ('nodes') to view details and actions, in the same way as on the list. The following graph controls are available:

    <p><ul>
        <li><b>Full/Part Graph Button</b>- The button toggles the graph between half and full page view. Full page is useful to view a large graph</li>
        <li><b>Reset Layout</b> - The nodes (statements) can be manually dragged to change the layout. To reset back to the automated layout click Reset button.</li>
        <li><b>Reload Graph</b> - If you create or delete a statement the graph will usually automatically re-load to show the change. If it doesn't you can manually re-load it with this button</li>
        <li><b>Zoom In/Out +/-</b> - Make the graph bigger or smaller to view details</li>
        <li><b>Fit to View</b> - Automatically fit the whole graph into the available space</li>
        <li><b>Lock View</b> - Lock the graph so that the user cannot make changes to the layout</li>
    </ul></p>

How does debating proceed?

The debate has a formal structure, with the Resolution at the top, and underneath it will be the main claims supported by warrants (reasoning that connects to evidence) and the evidence (or data) itself. There may also be a framework statement and an impact statement. For more information about the types of statement that can be created please see the guide, and see below for a summary on how to get started.

</p>
<p>Debaters can post a rebuttal or a turn against a claim or warrant, and can also post discussion points to help add clarity to the debate, or to ask questions.
</p>
<p>The debate continues until the Moderator ends it, at which point the arguments and conclusions will be summarised, metrics analysed, and hopefully a winner decided.</p>

Create Main Arguments For the Resolution

First, look at the arguments on the table and decide what you want to do. You may add new arguments directly against the resolution, or you can support or attack claims or other statements lower down the hierarchy. You can also ask questions or add comments to the debate by using the discussion statement.

<p>
<ul>
<li>Add a <strong>claim</strong> directly under the resolution if you have an important argument to make that you think is not already represented. To do that, click on the <strong>resolution</strong> in the list or in the graph, then on the next page (Statement Summary and Actions) click "<b>Debate - link a new statement</b>" (in the "action menu"), then click on the <strong>Claim</strong> button on the next action popup. See below for how to complete the form (statement attributes)</li>
<li>Once a new claim is created, usually the same debater will add a <strong>warrant</strong> statement to describe the reasons why the available <strong>evidence</strong>  (or data) supports their claim</li>
<li>If available, add a statement for the <strong>evidence</strong> itself, to describe the data, examples, observations, etc. Link to any external evidence.</li>
<li>The same debater may also add an <strong>impact</strong> statement, so that other debaters and voters can understand and compare the relative importance of different claims. i.e. claims with a larger impact may be given more weight in the final assessment of who 'wins' the debate.</li>
</ul>
</p>

Opposing the main arguments - Against the Resolution

Looking at the arguments already made, you can decide which ones you agree with and which you disagree with. You can express disagreement simply by voting 'disagree', see below. But if you have information that should be debated alongside the claims For, then you should create a counter-claim. Only do this if you believe the counter-argument has not already been made. To proceed:

    </p>
    <p>
        <ul>
<li>Click on the <strong>resolution</strong>, then on "Debate - link a new statement", then select <strong>Claim</strong> and proceed according to Statement Attributes below. You will mark For/Against as <strong>Against</strong>, to show this is a counter-claim that is against the resolution.</li>
<li>Add a <strong>warrant</strong> and <strong>evidence</strong>, and possibly an <strong>impact</strong> statement, as above for the For claim(s). It is important to build out a complete argument otherwise the opposition will be able to easily attack your counter-claim.</li>
</ul>
</p>

Rebutting or Turning Arguments

Rebutting an argument - rebutting an argument means you attack the claim, warrant (reasoning) or evidence and explain why you think the arguments are false or invalid. Rebuttals can be applied on either the For or Against side, and rebuttals can themselves be rebutted. Rebuttals are crucial to weaken or perhaps completely torpedo opposing arguments. Please be polite and do not use insulting language.
Turning an argument - Different to rebutting, here you accept a statement is true but you argue it actually supports the opposing side. You will need to provide well-worked out argument to demonstrate your reasons. Turns can, of course, be rebutted where applicable.

Statement Attributes

Whichever statement you create you will provide similar details on the Create popup, namely:

    <p>
        <ul>
<li><strong>Title</strong> (mandatory) - a single sentence that provides a meaningful description, sufficient to understand the main thrust of the claim</li>
<li><strong>For/Against</strong> the resolution (mandatory), i.e. is your claim supporting or attacking the resolution?</li>
<li><strong>External Link</strong> - (optional) if you wish to link to a document, image, or web page, currently debate.report does not allow uploaded documents, but you can upload them to a cloud drive and link to there by copying the link/URL into 'external link'.</li>
<li><strong>Description</strong> (optional) - usually necessary to fully describe the argument you want to make. You can leave it blank to start with, or write a skeleton description, and then come back to it later to flesh it out (see delete/update statement below'. Try to make your statement clear, precise, and persuasive, using all your debating skills! You will usually separate the claim, reasoning and evidence into separate statements for clarity, so construct the descriptions according.</li>
<li><strong>Refute?</strong> (optional) - this option only appears if you are creating a rebuttal, and indicates that you believe the rebuttal actually refutes (i.e. disproves) the opposing argument it is attacking.</li>
</ul>
    </p>

Voting on the Veracity of the Arguments

Voting is important to decide the overall support for the resolution, and you can vote on any statement except discussion points. Voting encourages you to understand all the arguments For and Against so you can come to an informed position on the resolution.

<p></li>
<li>To vote, click on the statement you want to vote on an click <strong>Vote</strong> on the statement summary popup. On the next vote popup, select <strong>Agree</strong> or <strong>Disagree</strong> from the first dropdown, then select from <strong>0 to 10</strong> from the <strong>impact dropdown</strong> - to tell people what you believe the impact of the statement is on the overall debate (this is used to rank statements in final scoring). You can also provide a one-liner to tell people why you are voting as you are. Then click <strong>Vote Now</strong>, and that's it!</li>
<li>All votes are anonymous and no-one will know who voted for what.</li>
<li>All votes are aggregated higher up the argument hierarchy, and ultimately the <strong>Total For</strong> and <strong>Against</strong> metrics represent all voting in the statement hierarchy.</li>
</ul></p>

Creating Scientific Analysis Reports

debate.report has partnered with HaAI Labs to provide AI-driven analysis of claims against peer-reviewed scientific papers. If you click on "New Scientific Analysis", the claim Title will be used to search the complete database for relevant papers, and an AI analysis of pros and cons automatically generated. The AI also provides a synthesis statement and a list of links to the actual papers referenced in pro/con/synthesis. Since the analysis is AI, you should treat it with care since AI sometimes gets things wrong. But it should be a help in most cases.

Updating and Deleting Statements

Updating - you can make changes to any attributes, title, description, etc, simply by clicking on a statement in the list or in the graph. Only the creator of a statement can make changes to it. In a future release (October), if you have voted or otherwise engaged in a particular statement, e.g. by creating a turn or rebuttal against it, then you will be able to opt-in to receive automated notification of any change that the owner makes to a statement so you can re-consider your position and respond accordingly. You will be able to also opt-in to be notified of the activity of other debaters in the debate.

<p><b>Delete</d> - you can only delete a statement if you decide you don't want it, or you want to just start again. However you will not be able to delete a statement if there are connecting statements underneath it, since these connected statements may have been added by other debaters. In this case you can either change your statement, or you might ask other debaters to remove their statements so you can delete yours. Deleting a statement will remove the votes from all levels of the debate (Total For/Against). Note that there is a safe guard in place to prevent unintended delete, i.e. warning message - DO YOU REALLY WANT TO DELETE? If  you do delete something by mistake and you want it reinstated you can contact the System Admin via contact form for help.</p>

Title Technical Notes

Thank you for your patience, and your ongoing interest in debate.report. We are aiming to build a world-class debate platform, and to encourage many more people to engage in meaningful debate. The platform essentially turns debating into a fun and enjoyable game for the participants, and which helps participants and the audience alike to develop and sharpen their critical-thinking skills and to come to an informed position on the important issues of the day.

the Debate Report Team, March 2026