The seminar series was designed to introduce research in a 'just in time' fashion. We also stressed the importance of integrating writing into the research, as opposed to postponing writing until after experiments and analysis. For example, the students spent the first week learning about their projects - the goals, the context - and an early seminar concerned the 'introduction' portion of a technical publication. The students wrote the introductions to their papers the first week, which we then critiqued as a group. This exercise had the ancillary benefit of exposing every seminar participant to the range of research topics.

The students next began learning the experimental procedures of their project, so in the second week we presented a seminar on the 'Experimental Procedures' portions of a technical publication. In the third week the students submitted the 'Experimental Procedures' portions of their papers, which we again critiqued as a group. This continued through the summer with experimental results and discussion of results. We feel this improved their writing, alleviated the last-minute rush to write at the end of the program, and instilled the habit of documenting as you go.

In additional to formal presentations at the end of the program, the students presented in the eighth week short talks on one specific aspect of their project. These preliminary talks were critiqued by the other students. Consequently, the style and content of the final presentations was improved. The students also felt more at ease at the final presentations which in 1995 were attended by about two-dozen students and a half-dozen faculty.