👌Lab Etiquette
Dress Code
There is no official dress code for the lab. You do not have to wear formal attire or lab coats. However, keep it classy, and, as Randy says, “dress like you is going to your significant other’s house and meeting his/her parents for the first time.” Studies have shown that the better dressed the experimenter is, the better the participant’s data. Participants respect well-dressed and professional experimenters. It denotes authority, leading to more motivated participants and better data overall. That said, we do ask that lab employees exercise discretion, and dress professionally and modestly, keeping in mind that you will encounter all sorts of people in this role.
Food in the Lab
You can bring food into the lab and eat while working. Feel free to use the coffee machine, microwave, fridge, etc. However, clean up after yourself and do not eat in front of participants or in the running room. Keep the food in the control room and please be considerate regarding pungent, strong-smelling foods. Do not leave dirty dishes or utensils in the sink. Wash them immediately and remove them! Dishes left unattended in the sink will be thrown away. If the control room sink, or any other place in the lab, starts to get messy or other issues arise, we will not hesitate to revoke the privilege to eat during work hours.
Trash & Recycling
Georgia Tech has begun a new solid waste and recycling program, called the AWARE program. According to this policy, each lab/office is now responsible for disposing of its own waste products; custodial services will no longer handle waste disposal. This means that lab trash must be collected and disposed of by lab personnel in communal receptacles located on campus.
The AWARE program differentiates between four different kinds of waste product, as defined below. It is our responsibility to sort and dispose of our waste appropriately. There are bins located on the lab floor for this purpose. The final shift of each day is responsible for sorting the day’s waste into the appropriate bin. Individual offices (e.g., graduate students) are responsible for sorting and disposing of their own trash. For more information on the AWARE program, see recyle.gatech.edu/aware
Control Room Etiquette
The control room (Room 356) contains our participant database, schedule, safe, consent forms, and participant folders. Both the control and running room (Room 354) are your workstations. They are not to be used for social media, homework, chatting on the phone, etc. If you need to do any of this, use the undergrad office or the chairs and table across from the elevator on your own time and make sure not to be disruptive.
The following are examples of what you SHOULD NOT do in the control room:
Leave used dishes or containers in the sink (or anywhere else)
Talk loudly or be otherwise disruptive
Carry on personal phone conversations
Do coursework of any kind (unless there you have completely exhausted the list of When There is Nothing to Do)
Move or share the participant database
Remove participant folders except with permission or when a participant is going to one of the testing rooms
Plug any device into the computer that is not specifically designated for this purpose or has not been cleared with a graduate student
Allow participants to enter the room except when absolutely necessary
Running Room Etiquette
Most of the data collection occurs in the running room (Room 347). This room is currently set up with four computers for collecting behavioral data (reaction time and accuracy) and eye tracking data (gaze and pupil size).
While in the running room, RAs SHOULD NOT do any of the following:
Eat, even snacks (particularly anything that is loud or produces an odor)
Talk loudly (Talking should be done quietly to participants for the purposes of explanation or instructions. Important conversations with other researchers should be taken outside and done quietly)
Carry on personal conversations
Act in any way that is disruptive or disrespectful to the participant.
Remember that collecting reliable and valid data is the most important part of any research lab. Since the participants are primarily interacting with RAs, the onus is on the RA to do everything in their power to ensure that we are collecting good data. This means being attentive, ensuring participants understand and are performing the tasks properly, not being disruptive or otherwise distracting, and trying to motivate participants. Sometimes you need to be the bad guy (or gal) and tell participants to turn their phones off, pay attention, or stop doing something. If a participant becomes particularly unruly or aggressive, notify your supervising graduate student immediately.
Although we prefer RAs to fully attend to participants in the running room, once a researcher has experience running and if there are only one or two participants in the room, it is permissible for the RA to read articles or other assigned readings while running if they can ensure that the data are not compromised. This privilege will be revoked if it becomes a problem.
Coursework
Georgia Tech is a demanding university. The course load is heavy, and classes are difficult. While maintaining good grades and performing well overall should be a priority for undergraduate students, you should not do course-related work (e.g., homework, working on a paper or project, or studying for a test) while on the clock unless you have completely exhausted the list of When There is Nothing to Do
Much of college is about time management and realizing your limitations. Thus, each RA must decide how many hours they can work without your lab duties and classes coming into conflict. If you find yourself overwhelmed and unable to balance course and lab work, talk to one of the graduate students about it and we will work with you to find a resolution to your problems (e.g., reducing hours or changing the schedule).
Problems with Another RA
If an issue arises with another RA, the parties involved should seek to resolve the problems amongst themselves. If this is not possible and/or the problem persists, report the issue to the lab manager or a graduate student.
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