Lab Manual Resources

Consider both explicit information (how do lab members learn about use of shared equipment and expectations for maintenance; safety, compliance protocols, etc.) as well as more informal expectations (greetings, sharing food, communication, time in the lab, etc.).
Also, make a list of things to share—basic information, lab/department/campus resources, etc.—the next time a new member joins your lab, making notes for your own aspirational “lab group orientation” document, whether for now, or for a lab of your own in the future.

Look through the sample lab manuals, and see if any have sections addressing lab culture that you think are useful and well done. Make some notes for yourself on the elements you particularly like for building your own inclusion section later; note elements you would improve in your own manual.

Review the data management sections in the sample lab manuals, and what domains they focus on. Make notes about elements and sections you would include in your lab manual of the future.

Review the notes you made on section(s) of the lab manuals you reviewed addressing personal wellness and inclusion.

• Draft sections addressing what you would like to see in your lab of the future, or a lab you would be happy to join.

• How do sections in a lab manual “live” so that they are used and reflect daily interactions? A well-written paragraph on asking for help or mental health support is only useful if it actually matches lab practice. What can be done by leaders in the lab (whether that is the PI or members of the lab) to make these sections accurately reflect lab interactions?

One of the ways TRAGEDIES arise in lab environments is when we as researchers attempt to minimize or cover up our mistakes, hoping that they will go unnoticed or that we can fix them before anyone realizes we aren’t perfect.

• Review the section (s) of your lab manual where you explain how you want mistakes handled in your lab to determine if it is as clear and strong as you want it to be. Note any needed changes here. If this section does not yet exist, sketch it out.

In this program, we have discussed the art and science of listening and communication.

• Review the section(s) of your lab manual where you explain how you want listening and communications handled in your lab to determine if the manual clearly conveys what you want it to. Note any needed changes here. If this section does not yet exist, sketch it out.

As you become responsible for establishing collaborations, what factors will you consider both in initiating a collaboration and with keeping it on track throughout its lifespan?

Now that you’ve considered how you will approach your own mentor and mentoring relationships, draft a lab manual section for your lab of the future that describes how the professional development of lab members will be addressed.

Part of being a good lab leader is assuring that the members of your lab have constructive information about the overall structure and expectations of the lab. This happens in multiple ways: 1:1 meetings, lab meetings, and through a lab manual that lays out the philosophy and mission of the lab. Review the Sorenson and Heideberg lab manuals. Do you get a sense of the culture of the lab in reading through these two lab manuals? Compare and contrast them with others in the resources section, attending to elements included and omitted.

Also, make notes for a section in a lab manual you would find useful in setting the tone and providing helpful information for lab members.

Review the Sorenson and Heideberg lab manuals again: is there anything in either document that would guide lab members to know about expectations for civility, respect, or interactions in the lab environment? Do you think these topics can effectively be explicitly addressed in writing, or is that something that is only demonstrated implicitly in daily interactions?

Make a list of specific provisions or wording you would use to address these topics in a lab manual for your own lab in the future, or for a lab you would like to join.

Look through the relevant sections in the Sorenson, Heideberg, and sample lab manuals in the resource section and make notes on the passages addressing bias and inclusion that you think are particularly strong. What specific provisions would you want in your lab manual of the future?
Compare your notes to what the lab you are now in says (or doesn’t) in its lab manual.