What is the true goal of debate?
A real debate is about showing a respect for the other participants and a respect for the evidence more than about being right. People who debate trying to be right do not get the ultimate reward which is knowledge gained. If we believe in science and in knowledge then we understand most of the time we won't be right. It might be the case that we have to be wrong many many times in order to learn what is right.
Michael Jordan said it best, in order to win you have to fail. Michael Jordan missed over 9000 shots in his career and lost over 300 games. It's part of the process of discovering what is and what isn't, what works and what doesn't.
All too often people debate not with the intent to learn or to explore the evidence but merely to prove their opinion right. This kind of "debate" is toxic and gets no where. Ego comes into it and each side simply wants to one up the other and then what happens to knowledge?
If it is a scientific debate then each side should be supported by scientific literature. Exploring the scientific literature is a means of exploring the evidence. Results from experiments for instance can tell a lot and we can debate these results. But if it's not a scientific debate? If it's religious? If it's political? Then in my opinion most of the time it gets us no where.