Workshop+Guidelines

The rationale behind our use of the Workshop format is two-fold:


 * 1) to provide opportunities for special-interest groups to assemble, in order to exchange and update information, ideas and projects relating to whichever manifestation of Variability is germane, and
 * 2) to consider how progress in that particular field, study or discipline could be enhanced, with particular reference to new collaborations, tools, data, software or approaches in communication.

The ideal of such a Workshop is full involvement by all present (except perhaps for those who are attending purely to learn).

The model Workshop utilizes a 'round table' format to the extent permitted by the physical layout of the room and furnishings. We encouage circular or U-shaped seating configurations rather than the traditional classroom arrangement, in order to foster discussion.

Given the ideal of full involvement and discussion mode within limited time, we encourage leaders to avoid organizing a 'mini-conference' in which formal presentations by only a few dominate the time available. A brief introductory overview may nevertheless be appropriate, with perhaps some short expositions on key topics or challenge areas.

It is therefore a good plan for the leader(s) to prepare in advance, and quite possibly after consulting the likely attendees, a list of subtopics for discussion, maybe appointing some (different) person to kick off each subtopic with discussion headers. [The more controversial your statements the easier it is to get people to chime in, but that is not necessarily the recommended way to proceed!]

Each Workshop is being asked for 3 actions:


 * 1) to write up the Workshop deliberations, in either 1st or 3rd person (we may make a decision on that later) in a form suitable for publishing in the conference Proceedings. Each Workshop report can be several pages long, since the total will replace the usual afternoon plenary papers. (The actual length is TBD),
 * 2) prepare a brief summary of what could realistically be done to enhance progress in that field, and possibly in Variability studies more generally (goal [b] above); the Summaries will be aired orally during Friday's plenary session, so you will need to
 * 3) appoint a spokesperson for the Friday; it is not necessarily a workshop leader.

NB. A few workshops are providing demonstrations and instruction rather than enabling discussion and input. Obviously not all of the above applies, but variants can be discussed with us separately.