TITLE: Lab Handbook Template
AUTHORS: Samuel Mehr

[DESCRIPTION]
<div class = "text-blocks"><div class = "text-block"><span>[Imported from </span><a href="https://twitter.com/samuelmehr/status/1139733291899080705" style = "text-decoration:underline;color:blue;cursor:pointer;"><span style = ":;">this</span></a><span> thread.]</span></div><div class = "text-block">We are writing a lab handbook, so I spent my afternoon reading 25 lab handbooks to figure out all the things that people put in lab handbooks. Here they are so that you don't have to read 25 lab handbooks. (This is not exhaustive and many of the topics overlap, obviously.)</div><div class = "text-block">----------------------------------------</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">MISSION STATEMENT. </span></div><div class = "text-block">research goals; philosophy of how the lab works; chronological and academic history of the lab; ideas about future projects; why we do what we do</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">ROLES & EXPECTATIONS</span><span style = "font-weight:bold;">.</span></div><div class = "text-block">who's who and what they do all day, including the PI; expectations of everybody from everyone else's perspective</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">OPEN SCIENCE.</span></div><div class = "text-block">why and how the lab deals with sharing data, code, materials; how the lab does version control; how to do this stuff with lab collaborators</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">COMMUNICATION</span><span>. </span></div><div class = "text-block">how people in the lab talk to each other; things like "always use Slack", "phone calls are only for emergencies"; how long to wait before nudging the PI on something you need; how meetings with PI work and what to prepare for them; check-ins/stand-ups/huddles</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">LOGISTICS</span><span style = "font-weight:bold;">.</span></div><div class = "text-block">when and for how long people work; policy on remote work; vacation; where the lab is located and how to get there (especially how to tell *others* how to get there); how to book a conference room; what to do if you get locked out</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">INTERNAL RESOURCES. </span></div><div class = "text-block">these are usually a long list of things people in the lab need access to: servers, software packages, commonly used web tools, shared credentials, room keys and other physical resources, etc</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">EXTERNAL RESOURCES.</span></div><div class = "text-block">how to get a library card; which building has the best photocopier; useful websites and tutorials, etc</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">ONBOARDING</span><span>. </span></div><div class = "text-block">master list of everything that new lab members need to deal with when starting out, including credentials, software, hardware, keys, university ID, etc</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">RECURRING EVENTS.</span></div><div class = "text-block">logistics and structure of lab meetings, departmental seminars, etc; daily and weekly task lists (differing by lab roles)</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">DAY-TO-DAY.</span></div><div class = "text-block">dress code & hygiene; can you bring your dog to the lab; person X has a peanut allergy so please pack your lunch carefully; health stuff; work-life balance</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">BEHAVIOR</span><span style = "font-weight:bold;">.</span></div><div class = "text-block">official code of conduct; policies on scientific integrity, sexual harassment, discrimination; lab culture stuff "the kind of lab we are trying to be" and "things about our lab students like/dislike"; what to do if you have a problem; university-level information</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">ETHICS AND SAFETY.</span></div><div class = "text-block">irb procedures; safety procedures; what to do when something goes wrong; what to do/who to call in an emergency</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">ENGAGEMENT.</span></div><div class = "text-block">how lab website and social media work; expectations surrounding public outreach, including from official lab accounts; social media policy for personal accounts; protocol for recruiting participants in the community; being a good departmental citizen</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">HOW TO RUN EXPERIMENTS. </span></div><div class = "text-block">detailed instructions for doing research; some labs do this for all experiments separately while others have a general set of instructions like "how you should interact with participants"; how to compensate participants</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">DATA ANALYSIS.</span></div><div class = "text-block">how the lab does analyses; expectations concerning how code is written, version controlled, and archived; how to handle data protection and security. this one overlaps with OPEN SCIENCE quite a bit</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">PUBLICATIONS.</span></div><div class = "text-block">how the lab deals with authorship, including the differences between listing in acknowledgments & co-authors; checklist of everything to do before a paper is published; policies on preprints, postprints, and open access; preferences about journals</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">CONFERENCES. </span></div><div class = "text-block">how to give a talk; which conferences do lab members usually attend and why; technology considerations surrounding visualizations; data considerations for work-in-progress; discussion of #betterposter or #worseposter, etc</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">MONEY.</span></div><div class = "text-block">what grants pay for the lab and why; what the lab will and won't pay for, usually (differs by roles); what grants people could/should apply for; what to expect for conference expenses, computers, etc</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">OFFBOARDING.</span></div><div class = "text-block">what to do when you leave the lab; making sure all data & materials are archived properly; transferring credentials; how to stay in touch (what happens to your Slack account)</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">MENTORSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT. </span></div><div class = "text-block">how to choose a project; how to get feedback from others on new ideas; how to initiate collaborations inside/outside the lab; doing a thesis/dissertation; professional development at university level; rec letters</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">WHAT TO DO IF YOU NEED HELP.</span></div><div class = "text-block">how to get support from inside or outside the lab; schedule of routine training for new members; things that bear repeating like "always ask questions!"; how to make mistakes productively</div><div class = "text-block"><span style = "font-weight:bold;">READING LIST. </span></div><div class = "text-block">a list of papers, blog posts, and news articles that all students and lab members should read</div><div class = "text-block">------------------</div><div class = "text-block">OK that should about cover it but if I missed stuff please post below.  In terms of platforms, I saw handbooks hosted in standalone files (word, pdf, rmd), gdocs, text on github, OSF wikis, gitbooks, and more. (we're using gitbook for now!)  time for a cup of tea, bye</div></div>

[STEPS]