How Many Sources Is Enough?
There is no official minimum source count in Extemp, but competitive norms have settled around a range that balances credibility with a tightly paced seven-minute speech. You will be able to plan a realistic source count across an introduction, three points, and a conclusion.
The Competitive Norm
Most competitive speeches cite somewhere between six and nine distinct sources: often one or two in the introduction to support the AGD or set context, two to three per point, and occasionally one more in the conclusion. Fewer than five sources across a whole speech often reads as under-researched, while stuffing in fifteen sources can crowd out the analysis time each source needs to be meaningful.
Quality Over Raw Count
A judge is far more impressed by three sources used with deep, well-explained analysis than by nine sources rattled off with no real explanation of what they mean. If forced to choose between adding a fourth source to a point or spending that time deepening the analysis of the three sources already there, deepening the analysis is almost always the better use of time.
Front-Loading Credibility in the Introduction
Citing one authoritative, well-known source within the AGD or link — even briefly — can establish credibility early, signaling to the judge from the very first minute that the speech will be well-sourced throughout, which sets a positive expectation carried into the rest of the speech.
A competitor is deciding how to fill her final two minutes of prep with either one more source or more analysis.
She already has two strong, well-explained sources in her second point. Rather than scrambling to add a third source she has not fully processed, she uses the remaining time to write one more sentence connecting her existing evidence to a counterargument, judging that deeper analysis will serve the point better than a rushed, under-explained third citation.
1. What is the competitive norm for total sources across a seven-minute Extemp speech?
2. True or False?
"A judge is generally more impressed by nine sources rattled off with no explanation than by three sources with deep analysis."
3. What is the benefit of citing a credible source early, within the introduction?
Answer all 3 to check.
Aim for roughly six to nine well-integrated sources across a speech, prioritizing depth of analysis over raw source count.