A Special-Interest Study Group (SISG) brings together serious students for close, scheduled study of a particular text -- whether it be a book, a paper, or other writing worthy of careful examination. The topic moderator specifies the text several months ahead, distributes a schedule, and selects members. He opens each scheduled week with his own contribution (e.g., a summary of the assigned reading). Members then post their contributions and discuss them. When the scheduled SISG ends, the moderator opens the topic to everyone.