Lab Manual

Section 1: Callaghan Brain and Body Lab Manual

1.1 Welcome

Welcome to the Brain and Body Lab at UCLA!

We are so glad that you are joining us, in whatever capacity it is (undergraduate, research assistant, graduate student, postdoc, visiting scholar, or collaborator). Academia can be a confusing place, and no two labs are the same. We have written this manual to make your transition into the BABLab as smooth as possible, to share the goals of the lab, its inner workings, as well as its unique culture, to which you will contribute. We hope that during your time here, you will learn a lot about the brain and its interactions with the rest of the body, about developmental psychology, and about science in general. It is our collective goal to have everyone leave the lab with more than they started with, should that be new skills, a fresh perspective or understanding on a given topic, and a network of colleagues and friends. We hope that you make it your goal to place your own positive stamp on the lab, and to contribute to it in a meaningful way. Just like us, a lab grows and develops over time, and each individual shapes its path. We look forward to seeing what your time in the lab will bring.

This lab manual was inspired by several others, and borrows heavily from them (e.g., this one by the Aly Lab and this one from the Ritchey Lab were the primary sources and the main template I used. A little of this one too).

A lot of time was put into the creation of this document. Thinking about what we want our lab to be, what are we going to be known for, and how can we make this lab work for everyone. We really respect the principles and ideas we are aspiring to here, and for that reason, we ask that all new lab members read the manual in full.

This lab manual is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial 4.0 International License. If you want to make your own manual for a lab, or any other purpose, please feel free to take any ideas and inspiration for this one (and cite us), as well as from the others we have used when making this (and cite them).

1.2 Mission Statement

In the BABLab we aim to do good science that makes a difference. That is our mission. To do it, we need people to be passionate about what we are doing and come to work in a good frame of mind to get it done. We aim to be nurturing, challenging, and stimulating to students. We aim to be respectful, engaging, and meaningful for families and participants.

1.3 Diversity Commitment

We in the BABLab value the diversity of our lab members and research participants. We take seriously our role as allies for Indigenous, Black, and Communities of Color, and are committed to learn, understand, and dismantle systems of oppression, particularly in academia. You are welcome in this lab whatever the color of your skin, your sexual orientation, your gender identity, your nationality, your ability, and your culture. Read on for some of the concrete steps we are taking in the lab to address racism and encourage diversity in the 2020-2021 academic year.

We will continue to support historically underrepresented students through the PROPS program at UCLA. If you are a junior or senior in Psychology at UCLA, consider applying to the PROPS program for a research intensive experience. https://www.psych.ucla.edu/undergraduate/special-programs-and-events/psychology-research-opportunities-programs/props-application
Diversity focused lab meetings. Across the Summer of 2020 we trialed a new format of lab meeting focused on diversity in academia. These are be meetings where we amplify black and brown voices and discuss issues of race and racism in science and academia. Going forward in 2020 and into 2021, we are making a commitment to be mindful of the diversity of samples in papers that we review and to think about how sample diversity and the questions that were asked influence findings.
Engaging in more Community Based Participatory Research. It is our mission in the BABLab to make a difference in people’s lives through the work we do. It is hard for our work to make a difference when the community is not actively involved in the research process from start through finish, not as ‘subjects’ or ‘participants’, but as partners. We have been working on creating lasting and meaningful community partnerships since our inception in 2019. As a concrete step forward in this same direction, we commit to including a timeline and dedicated funds to establish a Community Advisory Board for all future community facing grants.
Reviving and refreshing each new academic year. The world we live in changes rapidly, and practices become quickly outdated and superseded. We in the BABLab are making a commitment to review our diversity statement and practices at the beginning of every academic year, checking in with the students and staff to see what is working and not working for them, and making adjustments where necessary.

Section 2: Expectations and Responsibilities

2.1 Everyone

Big Picture

Sometimes science can be hard, and the rewards (amazing research findings, papers, etc.) can be few and far between. However, science is always fun when we make the lab a great place to me. In the BABLab, we want everyone to have a positive experience that is free from hostility, so that people can do their best, most productive science. Great labs don’t just happen, they are built. Here is what we can all do to help:

Do work that you are proud of.
Work carefully, and strategically. Do not rush.
Respect our participants. Whether they are families, undergrads, our adults from the community, they are giving up their time to be involved in research. Always act professionally with participants over the phone and in person, do not leave them waiting. Keep in mind that participants may have different political and religious beliefs, sexual orientations, family compositions, and have had very different life experiences, to you and/or your friends. Please do conduct yourself in a way that respects their unique situation and personhood.
Respect our child participants. In addition to the above point, remember that children are to be respected as much as adults. Please be aware that even well-meaning adults can sound patronizing sometimes when speaking with children. At the risk of sounding patronizing myself, comments like “cool dress” or “neat sneakers” are fine, but comments like “you are so cute” could come off as patronizing.
Respect the data and the people who collected it. Data collection, especially in developmental populations, is hard. People put their blood, sweat, and tears into it. They came in on weekends, after hours, on holidays, in rain, hail, and shine (mostly shine – because, Cali) to get it. You might be analyzing data that you did not have to collect. That is a pretty great situation, so make sure you treat that data in the same way you would your own.
Respect your lab mates: their culture, religion, beliefs, sexual orientation, and personality quirks. Science is for everyone.
Respect yourself: your need for time off, your happiness, your other commitments. You are responsible for constructing your boundaries.
Be supportive of your lab mates: We are a team. Science is about collaboration, not competition.
Be forgiving of yourself and one another. Being in an academic environment can be challenging. We all make mistakes, and not everyone is on their A-game every day. Whatever happens, try to be understanding, forgive, and move on.
Tension or hostility in the lab affects everyone and behaving in a bullying, intimidating, rude or disrespectful way will not be tolerated. I expect everyone to be mature and professional while in the lab, this is a workplace and should be treated in that way. If there are any problems which cannot be dealt with in the lab, please tell Bridget.
Be honest with yourself and others. This means that if you notice a mistake, however embarrassing, admit it, correct it, and move on.
Check everything several times. Then get someone else to check it. Then check it again. It’s ok to makes mistakes, but mistakes shouldn’t be because of carelessness or rushed work.
Under no circumstances is it ok to plagiarize, tamper with data, make up data, or omit data. If you are feeling pressured to succeed and think that is interfering with your judgement, you should reach out to Bridget and we can talk about it. However, pressure is something we all face and is not an excuse to engage in academic misconduct.
If you are struggling with health and/or unhappiness, or if you see someone else that is struggling, please come and see me (Bridget). Everyone goes through rough patches, and we want to help each other out.
Have a life outside of the lab, take care of your mental and physical health, and don’t ever feel bad for taking time off work, and don’t make others feel bad for doing that either.

Small Picture

There are a few day-to-day things to keep in mind to keep the lab running smoothly.

Special considerations for virtual format during the covid-19 pandemic

The lab is now collecting data online. Please be aware of what you are wearing in the online environment and make sure that it is respectable and that your surroundings are respectable.For instance, if you are with participants, you should be in a non distracting background. We understand that you can’t choose where you’re working from at this time, so please do this within the constraints of your individual situation.
When we don’t have a common lab space in which we meet, it is even more important to check slack and email on a regular basis and be available to respond to messages, set up virtual meetings, etc.

General:

If you’re sick, please take time off, stay home (if we are in person), and take care of yourself. Just slack the lab manager or me (Bridget) to tell us. Because you need it, and also because others don’t need to get sick.
If you know you might be sick, e.g., you have a minor surgery and don’t know how well you will recover, play it safe and reschedule your appointments ahead of time.
Working in developmental populations means that work times need to be flexible. If you are collecting data or recruiting participants, you may be expected to work on weekends and holidays. We will make a schedule to share that burden as evenly as possible. When you collect data or recruit participants outside of work hours, I expect that you will take some time off during work hours to compensate.
Outside of data collection and recruitment, you are not expected to work or come into the lab (if we are in person) on weekends or holidays, and you are not expected to stay late at night.
You are expected to get your work done to a high standard and you can do that in whatever time of day best suits you and your work style. That being said, being in lab some of the time is important for the lab, and for morale, so you shouldn’t work remotely all of the time (unless we are in a pandemic). (Note: the lab manager is expected to keep more regular hours than other lab members: 8am-5pm, 9am-6pm, 10am-7pm are all reasonable work hours for a lab manager).
All grad students, post-docs, and paid employees (e.g., lab managers, research associates, and technicians) are expected to attend lab meetings when their schedules allow. We will set a time for the lab meeting each term that best fits everyone’s schedule.
Volunteers in the lab and other students are expected to attend lab meeting when it suits their schedule and when it is of interest to them.
Make sure the door to the lab is locked if no one is inside. Turn off the lights if you’re the last one leaving for the day. And water the plants if they are looking sad.
Keep the lab tidy. Eating in lab is fine, but clean up food waste, crumbs, spills. Put lab equipment back where you found it. Keep common areas uncluttered.
Lab is a shared space. Unless you have been assigned a permanent desk, do not permanently claim a space. Use space when it is available and remove your belongings when you leave so that others can use the space.
Dress code is casual, neat, and approachable. When interacting with participants or presenting your work, don’t wear pajamas, dirty clothes, clothes with holes in them, or clothes that are see-through. Jeans are totally fine and even sweatpants/active wear is fine when you are in the lab and collecting data. Remember that when you are collecting data, it will mostly be with kids, so we want to be approachable and comfortable (you might end up on the floor), keep that in mind when considering what to wear. If you want to dress up, that is fine too - as long as you are comfortable and approachable.
When you are running participants show up 15-20 minutes early to set everything up.
Be on time for your meetings: respect that others have busy schedules and everyone’s time is valuable.
Last of all, we all have unique ways of working. I (Bridget) have written a ‘user manual’ so that you can be familiar with mine. Please read it, so that you get to know me a little better from the outset and we can avoid misunderstandings.