Lincoln-Douglas debate involves one-on-one debates on value resolutions about what ought to be rather than specific policies. Debaters argue both sides of the resolution over multiple rounds of a debate tournament. Each round follows a structured format with set time limits for speeches. Debaters must prepare cases for both the affirmative and negative sides of the resolution based on selecting a value, defining criteria to achieve that value, and making contentions to support their argument. Proper use of values and criteria is an area of ongoing discussion to determine the best approach in Lincoln-Douglas debates.