Good on you if you are either considering joining or have already joined our social behavior lab at the Colorado State University. I want you to be a productive member of our group and develop skills that will further your career while enjoying the process itself. I have tried to keep this short and sweet so that the length of the document itself does not become a deterrent, but I would be happy to expand upon or clarify anything missing here. It is intended to provide you with a basic roadmap for what you are getting into. While I am not a fan of bringing in such a contractual kind of feel to research, which I believe is something you do because you love it, the need for such a document has become increasingly apparent. It expands upon my ancient “What to expect … in our group” webpage and borrows from other such documents available for other labs.
First of all, doing science is hard (what ain’t?) and takes a lot of work but it is also a lot of fun if you are genuinely motivated by the question you are trying to answer. Spending some quality time thinking about your work is often the most understated but the most important aspect. You must also be receptive about engaging in whatever it takes, and this would include handling and taking care of bees, designing and building equipment for experiments, learning how to program, etc. At times, you may get results that cannot be easily explained or make mistakes – that is fine. If you find a mistake in your work, own up, correct course and get back on the horse. What you must not do is make up or tamper with data or fudge results in any way because no success, however big, is worth the price of doing bad science, not to mention the hell that will break loose if you are found out.
Work with everyone in the group in a collegial fashion – collaborate and learn from each other – everyone has something to offer and it can be a lot of fun brainstorming and working together on ideas. Staying up to date on the latest research is absolutely crucial for doing good work and signing up for journal alerts is a great way to do this. We also have a great bibliography database in the lab – peruse it and contribute to it like a good citizen.
You can set your own work schedule as long as you get stuff done on time but recognize that certain things can be done only at certain times of the day and the year, e.g., you cannot expect to do a honeybee foraging experiment if you claim to be a night person or want to take it easy in the summer. Understand that doing science is more than a 9 to 5 job and you need to put in a good amount of time into your work. Summers are a short and precious time when you don’t have to teach and can dedicate all your time to research. Use it to the fullest and get stuff moving and get ahead so that things don’t pile up for the academic semesters. You will need more time than you think to complete a project.
Take good care of common resources in the lab, be tidy and clean up after yourself, it is both respectful to others and helps you being more productive.
Recognize that all of us go through tough times, both personal and professional, so chin up, and feel free to talk to someone (and that includes me) you feel comfortable with. The most important thing about a good working relationship is communication so that all of us are on the same page – if you are unhappy about something, you need to tell me about it and if I am going to do the same.
Some specifics:
Your role is to:
a) develop and fine tune your thesis or dissertation project and work on it independently. Of course, you will have assistance in your work when you need it but there is a clear line between getting assistance and relegating the “tedious” work to others. Our lab is not hierarchical and most undergraduates pursue their own independent projects. The general rule is that a project wlll involve only as many people as it is absolutely required.
b) complete at least 2 projects if you are an M.S. student and at least 4 projects if you are a Ph.D. student for your degree – this is non-negotiable. Given that you have 4 semesters of guaranteed support as a M.S. student and 8 semesters of support as a Ph.D. student from the department, this means you roughly need to finish a project every year and by finishing I mean doing the experiment, analyzing the data and writing it up with a quality that is potentially publishable. Recognize that you and your projects require funding support and we owe it to the funding agencies and taxpayers to show that we are making good use of their generosity.
c) prioritize time for research. Coursework and TAing are important but ultimately your research is what leads you to your degree.
d) help train and mentor new students joining the lab.
e) present your work at conferences and meetings.
f) apply for suitable grants – it is in your best interest.
My role is to:
a) help you develop a project based on the broad interests and funding support in the lab.
b) provide you with the infrastructure that you need to complete your research.
c) give you timely feedback on your ideas, writings and your overall progress.
d) give you guidance in terms of career possibilities you are interested in.
e) support you if you are struggling with anything that is affecting the quality of your work.
f) provide you with a collegial atmosphere in the lab such that everyone feels welcome and enjoys their time.
Authorship
APA guidelines state that “Authorship credit should reflect the individual’s contribution to the study. An author is considered anyone involved with initial research design, data collection and analysis, manuscript drafting, and final approval. However, the following do not necessarily qualify for authorship: providing funding or resources, mentorship, or contributing research but not helping with the publication itself. The primary author assumes responsibility for the publication, making sure that the data are accurate, that all deserving authors have been credited, that all authors have given their approval to the final draft; and handles responses to inquiries after the manuscript is published.”
We will follow these general guidelines. At the start of a project, the individual taking on the lead role can expect to be the first author and I will typically be the last author. Individuals who help over the course of the project may be added to the author list depending on their contributions. If someone starts a project but subsequently hands it off to another who does the majority of the work, the second person is likely to get first-authorship. All of these are open to discussion.
This is a living document and is subject to changes based on discussion and feedback from current group members.