A major part of doing research in any field is reading the peer-reviewed literature, both previous and current. This is really the only way to understand what work has been done, what work is being done now, and what questions the community as a whole finds interesting, important, and difficult. It is vital both in order to move forward in a field and to avoid reinventing the wheel. As it turns out, learning to read research literature is itself a skill (and even a slightly different one for each discipline!). While a substantial part of this class will be based on the text, there will be a number of readings from previous and current literature.
The readings will be announced in class and on the web at least a week in advance. Near the start of the term, the class will be divided into reading groups, each of which will be responsible for reading and discussing the designated papers in advance and producing a short (roughly one page) written critique of the readings (due at the beginning of the corresponding class). In addition, each group should produce a list of questions and/or observations on the readings that will serve as a basis for class discussion. The written critiques and questions will contribute to the participation part of your grade.
Note that the readings may or may not be synchronized with class topics and you may or may not have the full background to read the papers. In part, your group members will have different skill sets, so you may be able to help each other through the paper. But you will often find that none of you know enough to fully comprehend a paper. I do expect you to take some initiative and do some of your own background reading to fill out your knowledge. You can ask me questions, of course, but you'll also find some great background material in the course text and in the alternate references I list above.
Last note on readings: I have a number of target topics and papers in mind, but I'll welcome suggestions. If there's a topic that you're curious about (and especially if you have a suggested paper or two), I'll be happy to consider it.