Why Filing Matters
Your filing system is your most important tool as an Extemp speaker. With only 30 minutes to prepare a speech, you can't start research from scratch—you need a well-organized collection of articles that you can access instantly.
A strong filing system allows you to find relevant sources in seconds, giving you more time to craft analysis and practice delivery.
The Extemp Filing Triangle
Good Extemp filing requires three elements:
- Consistent Research: Regularly adding new articles
- Logical Organization: Files organized by topic and subtopic
- Easy Retrieval: Quickly finding relevant information
Building Your Filing System
1. Choose Your Format
Extempers typically use one of two systems:
Physical Filing (Traditional)
- Print articles and organize in folders or a filing box
- Divided by topic with labeled dividers
- Easy to flip through during prep
- Requires printing and physical storage
Digital Filing (Modern)
- Save articles as PDFs organized in folders on a tablet or laptop
- Searchable and easy to update
- Portable and environmentally friendly
- Requires device and careful organization
Many competitive extempers use digital filing for convenience, but choose the system that works best for you. The key is consistency—stick with one system and maintain it religiously.
2. Organize by Topic
Your files should be divided into major topic areas. For a basic system, consider these categories:
US Extemp Topics
- Executive Branch & Presidency
- Congress & Legislation
- Supreme Court & Judiciary
- Elections & Campaigns
- Economy & Business
- Social Issues & Civil Rights
- Healthcare
- Education
- Technology & Innovation
- Environment & Energy
International Extemp Topics
- Americas (subdivided by country/region)
- Europe (subdivided by country/region)
- Asia (subdivided by country/region)
- Middle East & North Africa
- Africa (subdivided by region)
- International Organizations (UN, NATO, EU, etc.)
- Global Economy & Trade
- Climate & Environment
- Conflict & Security
- Migration & Refugees
As you develop your system, you'll add subtopics. For example, "China" might have subtopics for economy, domestic politics, foreign policy, and tech sector.
Research Routine
Daily Research Habit
Successful extempers read and file articles daily. Aim for 30-45 minutes of research per day:
- Read broadly (20-30 min): Scan headlines from multiple sources to stay current
- File strategically (10-15 min): Save the most useful articles to your files
Quality Sources
Use credible, well-respected news sources. Some recommendations:
General News
- The New York Times
- The Washington Post
- The Wall Street Journal
- BBC News
- Associated Press (AP)
- Reuters
Analysis & Commentary
- The Economist
- Foreign Affairs
- Foreign Policy
- Politico
- The Atlantic
Specialized Sources
- Congressional Quarterly (CQ) for legislation
- SCOTUSblog for Supreme Court
- Council on Foreign Relations for international affairs
- Brookings Institution for policy analysis
Diversify your sources to get multiple perspectives, but prioritize mainstream, factual reporting over opinion pieces.
What to File
Not every article deserves space in your files. File articles that:
- Provide comprehensive background on important topics
- Include specific data, statistics, or expert quotes
- Explain causes and implications of events
- Offer analysis beyond basic reporting
- Cover topics likely to appear in questions
Skip articles that are purely opinion, overly brief, or too narrow.
Using Your Files in Prep
During your 30-minute prep, your filing system should help you:
- Find background quickly: Locate your file on the relevant topic
- Gather diverse sources: Pull articles from multiple dates and perspectives
- Identify key data: Find statistics, quotes, and examples to support your points
- Check currency: Make sure you're using recent information
Pro tip: As you file articles, highlight key statistics or quotes. This makes them easier to find during prep.
Practice Exercise: Start Your Filing System
Task: Create the basic structure of your filing system (physical or digital) with at least 10 major topic categories. Then:
- Spend 30 minutes reading current news
- Save 5 articles to appropriate folders/files
- For each article, write one sentence explaining why you filed it
Repeat this exercise daily for one week to build the habit of consistent research and filing.
Maintaining Your Files
Your filing system requires ongoing maintenance:
- Regular updates: File new articles at least 5 days per week
- Purge old content: Remove articles over 6-12 months old (events move fast!)
- Reorganize as needed: Create new categories for emerging issues
- Pre-tournament filing: Do intensive research on likely topics before competitions
Moving Forward
Now that you understand filing systems, the next lesson will teach you how to structure an Extemp speech. You'll learn the classic format, how to develop strong arguments, and how to organize your points for maximum impact.
Remember: your filing system is only valuable if you use it consistently. Start your daily research habit today!