Research Assistant Expectations & Resources
Working in the BLAB
RAs are expected to:
Scheduling and Time Allocation:
Schedule 10 hours of work per week, with each shift generally being 2 - 4 hours long
RAs are expected to come to the lab during their regular shift times every week, unless a specific conflict comes up
If you have a known conflict, please let the Lab Manager(s) know at least two days in advance
Once approved, change your shift time on the "RA shifts" google calendar
Shifts should be rescheduled via email or slack with the Lab Manager, not in person-- they are managing many people's schedules and it's impossible to remember them only via word of mouth
Spend no more than ~5 in lab hours per week on tasks related to your mentor's project or thesis project; at least 5 of your in lab hours are dedicated to lab-general tasks (recruiting, hopping in on visits, transcriptions)
On one recurring day per week, you will be assigned a dedicated recruitment shift. During this shift, you are expected to spend at least 1 hour searching the database, sending/responding to emails, updating scheduled appointment information, and confirming appointments for the next day.
Each semester, we hold a RA stamp race! This is a friendly, semester long competition in which RAs complete lab tasks for 'stamps' or points. The RA at the end of the semester with the most points wins a prize! And if RAs collectively earn 500 stamps, they get to pick a treat for the final lab meeting of the semester! See the rules, standings, and ways to earn stamps here!
Communicate effectively
It is your responsibility to regularly check your email inbox and slack messages. Please make every effort to respond to emails or Slack messages within two business days. If you'll be away from messages for longer than usual, please let us know to expect your absence.
Make sure we know if you won't be attending a scheduled lab meeting.
Use Slack to troubleshoot anything that isn't working & don't wait until the end of your shift to do so! If you struggle for more than 10 minutes with something, let a lab staff member know! If you haven't gotten a response in one business day, tag a lab staff member in a thread to remind them!
Please be vigilant with ClickUp--check off anything that you've finished. In the case that you cannot/did not meet the deadlines, it is your responsibility to communicate to the lab managers.
Attend weekly lab meetings
Contribute positively to our discussions (this means we expect you to talk :))!
A reminder that no questions are bad questions!
Generally, RAs are asked to present a 10-minute synopsis of a relevant research paper from a scientific journal once per semester, we call this LDLR^2.
Complete assigned tasks in an efficient and careful manner
RAs are expected to use three sites to manage their work:
ClickUp: this is where you will find out what tasks you’re expected to complete. Some have a due date (like recruitment shifts) and some are expected to take longer (coding). RAs should check in on ClickUp at the beginning of every shift and make sure to mark completed tasks as finished. If needed, ClickUp tasks have a “Notes” field, where it is possible to tag lab staff in comments for any questions that arise.
Gitbook: this is where you will find instructions for everything BLAB related. If you have a question, first search the Gitbook to see if you can find an answer there. If you snoop the gitbook and still cannot find the answer you are looking for, please feel free to ask lab staff/graduate students questions!
Slack: this is one of our primary communication platform. Staff and grad students might send you a quick message of something to check on during your next shift, ask a question about an appointment you scheduled, etc. RAs should explicitly check Slack at the beginning and end of every shift + pop-on from time to time during your shift for any notifications.
Lab visits are assigned through the Google Calendar. Check the lab calendar on a daily basis to see if you are assigned to lab visits during your shifts. Additionally, if you see an appointment with no secondary researcher that is scheduled during your shift, or during a weekend when you have time, you are welcome to add yourself. Please check with the researcher running the study via slack, then add your initials to the appointment on the Blab Visits calendar!
Track your progress by writing a little blurb of what you are planning to work on (at the beginning of shift) as well as what you accomplished (at the end of shift) in the appropriate slack channel. Please make your blurbs specific rather than broad (e.g. I'll clear out the berg lab inbox, send 20 recruitment emails, and get 2 random clips annotated for overheard speech" rather than "do recruitment and annotate for overheard speech")
When an RA is assigned to a lab visit, responsibilities include:
Set up paperwork + check in with experimenter 30 minutes before the scheduled appointment
If family is DRIVING: meet parents in the parking lot with the pass 10 minutes before the scheduled appointment as well as walk them out after their appointment
Act as eye tracking secondary experimenter:
Take notes during eyetracking sessions (e.g. parent repeats sentence, baby distracted at the door, or other notable interruptions)
Handing out child prizes
Providing childcare (if family brings sibling)
Answer the lab phone if it rings while you're working at a computer.
Schedule, reschedule, or redirect their call as appropriate
Be responsible about the use of data.
Personal information should always be protected; do not say names of people in the database to anyone outside of the lab. Do not write them on slack/email/calendar-- we use the database ID number to anonymize their identity
DO NOT share lab-related information with anyone outside of the lab
DO NOT put names and subject numbers together outside of password-protected spreadsheets
If you must write down a name or phone number, be sure to shred the paper after you finish using it (there is a shredding box one floor up if you take the stairs directly across from the lab)
DO NOT download any data to your computer locally (e.g. on your desktop or in your documents) without explicit permission from the lab manager to do so.
Work on the secure server!
DO NOT upload data to any cloud storage ever (Google drive/Box/etc)
Be a good lab citizen, which means:
Showing up to work on time; if you are running late, communicate!
Getting a flu shot (required by Oct. 31) and COVID boosters (not required, but highly recommended) as they become available. There are flu clinics that the university offers for week as well as pharmacies near Harvard that can help with this process!
Dressing appropriately for lab visits (i.e. don't wear pajamas on a day you're meeting a family)
Being friendly and helpful with coworkers
Letting lab staff or Dr. Bergelson know if you are having trouble or need support -- we are here for you!
Keep distractions to a minimum while working
Please do not use your phone while working on a lab task
This is not a demand to never check your text messages or other social media. We just ask you to take a few minutes once or twice during your shift to do so, so that you are not on your phone at the same time while doing a lab task
Please do not do outside/class work during your shift time. If you are stressed or slammed with things on your plate, please communicate with lab staff! Or, if you don't have enough to do to fill your shift, let a LM know!
Fill out timecards by the deadline
Typically, timecards are due every Thursday by 5pm (exceptions: week before a national holiday, the timecards are due Wednesday by 5pm). Emails from PeopleSoft & Joan Smeltzer will specifically remind you to when to submit the timecards in a timely reminder.
If you don't fill out a timecard by the deadline, Harvard can't guarantee payment, and your timecard will have to go through a much lengthier approval process. Furthermore, it is not the lab manager's responsibility to send reminder emails for your time cards. If the PeopleSoft reminders do not work for you, you are responsible for having an own system (e.g. scheduled reminders on your personal phone, add as a task before the start of your shift, schedule emails).
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