Research is the foundation for debate in committee. When students are well-informed about the issues to be debated and the corresponding positions of their countries, they will not only do better in committee, but the quality of the overall debate will likewise improve. Delegates who have carefully researched their topic will be able to form convincing arguments, recognize good ideas, and reject peripheral resolutions.
There are two main components to your research:
1) An understanding of the topic under discussion
2) An understanding of the student’s role or position
There are various ways to gather research, and the “best” sources to rely on will depend on your topic. When conducting research you must first read the bulletin. Then you must understand the bulletin.
- Were there any recurring words, perhaps specialized jargon, which the student did not understand?
- Did the student understand the issues at stake in the bulletin, rather than just understanding small sections and subdivisions?
- What is the issue the committee wants resolved?
- (this must be very clear so that the debate stays focused instead of wandering off irrelevant sub-topics)
Once you comprehend every aspect of the bulletin, you must begin your research. You can follow the Suggestions for Further Research in your committee’s bulletins, but should also rely on most of the following types of sources:
a) Books
b) Newspapers/magazines/journals
c) The Internet
d) Teachers
e) Other professionals
Completing your research is necessary to guarantee that the rest of the preparation proceeds smoothly. Once you understand the issues that you will be debating, your interest in the conference increases.
How do I start?
- start by highlighting your bulletin looking for any person, place, event, idea, etc. you are not familiar with – research every one of them!
- Research general information about your country: population, economy, government, society, history, etc.
- Research your topic in depth; try to find any other information about your specific topic, not necessarily related to your country, so that you understand it perfectly.
- Try to find other solutions proposed by other countries or other international organizations (UN) for your topic. Make sure that you adapt those solutions to the reality of your country’s needs and policies and the reality of the topic.
- If relevant, find any laws or regulations that apply to your topic and to any possible solution so that you know what type of solutions are realistic and feasible.
- Try to find your country’s history in terms of your topic, what decisions have been made before that are relevant?
- If you have time, do some related research on other countries that are important or have special participations in your topic. You want to be prepared to know who to join forces with or who to stay away from.