Tuesday Tip: Essay Organization

Thoughtfully and carefully considered essay organization is crucial in both the qualifying round and the written debates. Successful teams utilize bold section titles, subheadings, and other visual cues. Place yourself in the shoes of an IPPF judge who may be reading dozens of submissions. Receiving a paper that is 2,800 words straight, with no clear breaks or delineation of arguments, will be difficult to follow — especially for a judge who is reading through hundreds of pages.

The contest rules also allow for teams to include graphs, charts, or other visual representations. Avoid the temptation to go over-board with these charts. Only include them if the same data could not be similarly communicated through words. Judges are more interested in reading your arguments than interpreting charts they could have found on their own.