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Definition: Debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. D is a broader form of argument than deductive reasoning, which only examines whether a conclusion is a consequence of premisses, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case, or rhetoric, which is a technique of persuasion.
Logical consistency, factual accuracy and some degree of emotional appeal to the audience are important elements of persuasion. But in debating usually one side prevails over the other by presenting a superior "context" and/or framework of the issue. The outcome of a debate depends upon consensus or some formal way of reaching a resolution, rather than the objective facts as such.