Lab Code of Conduct

Lab code of conduct

Professionalism (in lab, field, in general)

Team members should:

Respect everybody’s time. Be punctual and show up prepared for lab work/office work/meetings
Ensure you keep both your workspace and communal spaces (lab, offices) clean and organized
Keep the environment positive as much as possible
Accept responsibility for mistakes that arise and take action to correct them
Ask for permission before sharing any words, thoughts, or resources that other lab members have shared or provided through email, slack, conferences, etc.
Be mindful of personal boundaries of others
Make sure to coordinate schedules and shared bench space with other lab members before starting work in the lab
As email or text-based communication can be misinterpreted (due to the lack of facial expression, or voice intonation), please ensure that communications are clearly kind and respectful.
Respond to professional emails within a reasonable time frame (usually <24 hours) and copy Melissa on all project-related emails
Have reasonable expectations regarding the completion of a task (lab, data analysis or written work) and establish realistic deadlines together
Keep the group updated on your progress and the projects that you’re working on
Ensure all data generated (lab notebooks, data files, r-code, manuscripts) are neat (legible for lab notebooks), organized, and properly backed up

Learning is a Priority

Be kind and respectful of one-another. For instance, we give and receive a lot of feedback as a group, so ensure first that feedback given is constructive and project-focused, and ensure second that feedback received is valued (e.g., say thank you!), not taken personally, and incorporated towards improving the talk, paper, etc.
Respect everyone’s time - give people enough time in advance when asking for feedback or help on something
All research is equally valuable and important
Take initiative on your project and as a member of the team, e.g., fix problems that you see in the lab, stay on top of your project and the literature, apply for scholarships and other opportunities, sign up and participate in group meetings
Be generous; science is collaborative, that means helping others and receiving help. Senior lab members should assist junior members, and eventually junior members will become the senior members and pass on their knowledge and experience

Inclusivity

Lab members should:

Actively include and engage all lab members in discussion (lab meetings, social events, etc)
Be mindful of how much each person is participating and being heard - “take space, make space”

Community Support

Remember that all team members are people before we’re researchers. Always strive to be empathetic and supportive, and be respectful of:

Privacy if someone chooses not to disclose things about their personal life
Confidentiality if someone shares something personal
Boundaries with respect to physical + mental health, family obligations, religious practice, etc.
The ways that people may be personally affected by global events and politics

Welcoming and Inclusive Language

In our lab, we work hard to treat everyone with equal respect regardless of their gender, age, race, sexual orientation, religion, culture, (dis)ability, academic record, or personal background.
Lab members should:

Welcome and support people of all backgrounds and identities into our group

Refer to each other with the individual’s correct pronouns
Treat each other professionally
Foster a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment
Not engage in homophobic, racist, transphobic, ageist, sexist or otherwise exclusionary language or behaviour

Show kindness, patience, and treat everyone in a dignified manner

Discrimination and Harassment

In our group, any discrimination or harassment will not be tolerated.
McGill’s definitions:
Harassment: “any vexatious behaviour by one Member of the University Community towards another Member of the University Community, in the form of repeated hostile or unwanted conduct, verbal comments, actions or gestures, that affect the dignity or psychological or physical integrity of a Member of the University Community and that result in a harmful environment for such an individual. Within the employment relationship, a single serious incidence of such behaviour that has a lasting harmful effect on such an individual may also constitute Harassment.”
Discrimination: “discrimination prohibited by law and includes any action, behaviour, or decision based on race, colour, sex, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, family status, sexual orientation, civil status, age (except as provided by law), religion, political conviction, language, ethnic or national origin, social condition, a disability or the use of any means to palliate a disability, which results in the exclusion or preference of an individual or group within the University community. This includes both the actions of individual members of the University and systemic institutional practices and policies of the University"

Promoting Justice

Lab members should:

Actively engage in anti-racist practices and support diversity
Promote social awareness and recognize the existence of unconscious bias towards underrepresented groups

As individuals and as a group, the lab will:

Commit to continually educating ourselves on issues of systemic oppression
Regularly (at least once a semester) discuss issues of justice (particularly as they relate to science) as a group
Engage actively in movements for justice and inclusivity in science (on the scale of the lab/department/campus to global efforts)
Commit to being allies by working towards addressing behaviors or comments that may be harmful to others
Assume good intentions unless proven otherwise
Not leave the responsibility of addressing issues to those who might be targeted
Listen to each other and learn from the experiences of others

What to do if you see or hear something inappropriate?

A productive response is to gently remind the lab member of the code of conduct and the related educational resources available.

Related Educational Resources

McGill University Student Resources:
Student Wellness Hub
https://www.mcgill.ca/wellness-hub/access-care
The Student Wellness Hub offers physical and mental health assistance to McGill students by telephone, online, or in person appointments.
Office of Religious and Spiritual Life
https://www.mcgill.ca/morsl/
The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life is a team of multi-faith volunteers that provide free access to online and in person resources to promote student wellbeing and spiritual well being.
Office for Students with Disabilities
https://www.mcgill.ca/osd/
https://www.mcgill.ca/osd/student-resources/learningresources
The Office for Students with Disabilities supports students with learning supports, accomodations, tutoring, and more. Services are available online and with appointments.
First People’s House
https://www.mcgill.ca/fph/
McGill’s First People’s House provides a voice to Indigenous students. Programs and support are available online.
McGill Student Rights and Responsibilities
https://www.mcgill.ca/students/srr/
https://www.mcgill.ca/students/srr/disputes
Macdonald Campus Graduate Student Society
http://mcgss.weebly.com/
Macdonald Campus Student’s Society
https://www.mcssmcgill.ca/
Acknowledgment:
We were inspired to write this code of conduct by Willis et al. 2020, Twelve Principles Trainees, PIs, Departments, and Faculties Can Use to Reduce Bias and Discrimination in STEM. Through the writing process, we took inspiration from the Willis lab’s C.o.C and the Everdeen lab C.o.C. For specific examples of behaviors that could hinder justice and equity within a lab group setting, see Willis et al. (2020).