Usually the material will be from journals that are also available in the library. The articles or chapters will often provide opposing opinions or evidence on the subject and should therefore be read critically. The topics we will be addressing should lend themselves to lively discussion. The use of molecular markers for studies of plant evolution is a very active area of research with many diverse voices. Researchers can be found with strongly contrasting views for almost any of the evolutionary questions we will discuss.
Empirical methods used to collect data usually involve unavoidable compromises.
It will be important for our discussions to have all participants contributing their views on the reading. I would also like our discussion to cover both positive and negative aspects of the papers. I expect everyone in this class to participate in all discussions . Your primary responsibilities in this role will be to choose a topic for discussion, identify papers for the class to read, and facilitate discussion during the seminar meeting. This will require a thorough understanding of the reading you assign.