held in conjunction with

March 27- April 4, 2004
Barcelona, Spain

at Universitat Polytechnica de Catalunya

[Full CfP in PDF format]

last updated on 10/06/03

Workshop Format

In keeping with the spirit and format of a workshop, FUSE will have a highly discursive nature, with different theme-based discussion tracks. All invited participants will be able to present their work. There will be plenty of time for discussion of presentations and subsequent discussions in small focus groups.

For the exact distribution of presentations and working groups please see the workshop programme.

Topics for Working Groups

Participants are encouraged to make in advance suggestions for working groups. Please send email to all participants, so everyone can comment if (s)he wants.

Structured Presentation and Discussion

In order to enable maximum interaction and constructive feedback the presentation and discussion of papers will be structured as follows:

Presentation (10 minues)

The author gives a short presentation, focusing on the "best" part of the paper, or the most challenging one. We limit the presentation to a strictly timed 10 minutes, so please don't give lengthy introductions or summaries. If you concentrate on the essential messages, you will be amazed how much information you can fit into 10 minutes.

In the presentation, the author should name the issues he/she wants to be discussed in the following. They can range from the paper's organization and presentational qualities to the actual ideas behind the paper, depending on the maturity of the paper or how the authors intend to proceed with it after the workshop.

Discussion while author is "fly on the wall" (15 minutes)

After the presentation, the author becomes a "fly on the wall". This means that he/she steps outside of the group, listens to the ongoing conversations and takes notes. The author is not being talked to by the rest of the group (they say "the author states...", not "you state..."), nor does he/she respond to questions or explain unclear issues.

The discussion between the rest of the group is structured as follows.

1. Summary. One or two participants summarize the paper and point out the main messages from their perspective.
2. Positive feedback. All participants exchange their views on the positive aspects of the paper and/or its ideas, with respect to topic, presentation, practical relevance, impact on research, etc.
3. Questions and suggestions for improvement. The participants ask questions about the paper (to the other participants!) and make suggestions on how to improve the paper or how to proceed with the work in general. It is possible to make critical statements, but always with the goal of improvement in mind. Again, all aspects can be taken into account.
4. "Sandwich". The last round of discussion consists again of positive remarks. It should encourage the author to build further on the good parts of his/her work.
   

Discussion with author (5 minutes)

The author(s) returns to the group. Now, he/she has the opportunity to ask himself questions for clarification, answer previous questions, and initiate further discussions that he/she wants to participate in..

Even though some of this steps may seem strange at first, experience shows that in concert, all these steps contribute to a very constructive atmosphere. The authors gain valuable feedback for their work and are encouraged to further elaborate on its positive side.

Read papers in advance!

In order to give yourself and your fellow participants a chance to make the most of these two days, it is extremely important to read most papers in advance carefully. Do this at least for the papers scheduled in the same session as yours - you might be asked to summarize one(!). Please make notes about what things you like about each paper, and what can be improved in your opinion. The discussions will heavily benefit from doing so.