Our lab maintains this document as a reflection of our values and standing operating procedures. Below you may find specific guidelines regarding engaging with one another, expectations, and authorship guidelines. This is a living compact and may be updated per group consensus.

Expectations

Expectations of the PI

My primary responsibility is to support you in achieving your desired professional goals. I will do so by meeting with you regularly (typically bi-weekly for postdocs and graduate students), by introducing you to potential collaborators, and by helping you troubleshoot technical or other issues that might arise during your research.

My job requires me to issue constructive criticism of your work. While direct at times, my interest in ensuring that you are producing the best quality work during your time in the lab.

Expectations of Postdoctoral Researchers

Postdoctoral researchers occupy the unique role of being both mentors and mentees in the lab. My expectation of postdoctoral researchers is that you are producing high-quality and impactful research outputs that set you up to land a permanent position in the career of your choosing. At this career stage, you should feel comfortable leading independent work and coordinating research objectives in a timely manner.

Expectations of Graduate Students

Graduate students are the lifeblood of the research enterprise. I expect graduate students in my lab to come prepared to meetings, to demonstrate independence, and to ask for help when needed. My job is the guide you through the research process from start to finish and to provide a safety net for when things don’t go as planned. In general, I expect you to work towards making the collection and our lab a welcoming and collaborative environment as well as completing the academic and research requirements set forth by your particular program.

Expectations of Undergraduate Students and Volunteers

Undergraduate students and volunteers are crucial in filling key roles in the research and museum curation process. Given the variety of different schedules and backgrounds for students and volunteers, expectations are tailored to individual interests and abilities.

Authorship Guidelines

We recognize that lab members make unique and valuable contributions to the scientific research enterprise based on both skill and capacity. Our Lab’s authorship policy is opt-out, meaning that individuals who have made significant contributions to the work have the option to remove themselves from authorship at any point in time. Those who have made significant contributions to the work are automatically included in the co-authorship line.

Significant contributions can include any of the following:

• Significant curatorial or digitization work directly supporting the project.
• Wet lab or field work directly supporting the project.
• Development of analytical or data processing pipelines and workflows.
• Drafting, writing, and providing constructive feedback on manuscripts or other end products.

Author order is typically decided by having an open conversation about effort spent on individual projects. Typically, the first author is the person who took the initiative to write the majority of the manuscript. The senior (last) author is typically the PI, although this need not always be the case. For example, postdocs or senior graduate students who spend time mentoring may be elevated to the senior authorship role. The PI maintains the authority to adjust author order as needed.

Side Projects and Other Research

While I expect you to dedicate the majority of your time on lab-focused research projects, I do not impose any limitations on outside collaborations or work so long as they do not impact your primary research objectives.

I appreciate advance notice of side projects; however, I do not anticipate being an author on all work that you produce. My decision to ask for authorship will solely be based on my own contribution to the project and is not a reflection of the quality of your outside work.