General Expectations and Guidelines for Current & Prospective Students
Expectations
One of the best things about my job is getting to work with students on research projects and introducing them to field ecology and ornithology. But it takes a lot of work to train and supervise students, therefore students are expected to commit to a minimum of 5 hours per week, with the understanding that when conducting independent research, you will usually exceed this minimum. Students in the lab generally fall into two categories: 1) those working on their own independent research project, and 2) those working on existing or ongoing projects. Many students start out in the lab as a student worker to become familiar with the current projects before developing their own independent project. Students may complete their scholarship renewal hours by working in the lab. Expectations of students will vary with their role and their specific project/task. Below, I outline some general expectations:
My responsibilities to students:
Expectations of research students:
Expectations of student workers:
Field Research
Much of the research in the lab involves field work. Such work may require regular visits to local barns where swallows are breeding, monitoring nests boxes around town and on nearby conservation areas, or observing birds on campus. Field work presents a unique set of challenges; for example, we will encounter ticks, mosquitoes, and other stinging insects, many of the sites are home to large farm animals that produce prolific amounts of poop, some sites require climbing tall ladders and other require walking long distances while carrying large, awkward gear. Weather can be unpredictable, and the birds can be uncooperative. As a result, proper planning and safety are extremely important when doing field work. As much as possible, you should go out with a buddy, and if you are going alone, you should let someone know when and where you are going. In addition to the expectations for students laid out above, students doing field work are expected to:
Lab Citizenship
The lab is a shared space…with limited space. Consequently, it is a group effort to keep the lab clean, organized, and stocked. You should treat every piece of equipment with respect, leave the space and equipment in the same (if not better) shape than when you started, and never leave a mess for anyone else to clean up.
Safety
Your health and safety should always take priority over research activities. This includes following all lab and field safety documents and university safety protocols. Additionally, you need to maintain your physical and mental health.
Funding
As you progress through your academic career, particularly if you pursue graduate or professional research, you will learn that funding is always a limiting factor. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to apply for funding that will support you financially as well as provide funds for purchasing research supplies. As a graduate student (and for the rest of your career as a researcher) you will be applying for grants and fellowships, so the more you practice now, the more you improve your odds of preparing successful proposals in the future. Below are some funding opportunities available for undergraduate research.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) offers a highly competitive graduate fellowship that provides 3 years of funding that includes a stipend, research funds, and some travel funds. Graduating seniors with plans to attend graduate school are eligible for this award and you can apply before you are officially accepted by a graduate program. To apply for this fellowship, you need to prepare a short, but thorough, research proposal and a personal statement. Everyone should apply for this award the year before they intend on starting graduate school (and again as a first-year graduate student).
Communication
The primary mode of communication for lab and research related conversations is email. Therefore, I expect everyone to check their Truman email regularly during the week. I will do my best to respond to emails within ~24 hours and ask that you do the same when a response is needed – sometimes this response may simply be an acknowledgment that you received the email and will respond in the future. My cell phone number is on the white board in the lab for emergencies or urgent issues…waiting until the last minute to ask a lab/research related question is not an urgent issue, it is a failure to plan ahead.
Email is preferred for research related conversations so that we have an easily searchable record of our discussion in the event that we need to refer back to something. Another good practice is to create a folder in your email client in which you save email correspondence related to your project or work in the lab. You should have plenty of storage space with your Truman email account.
Some basic email etiquette
Be concise: this includes taking a beat to think about whether an email is actually necessary. Does it make more sense to stop by the lab/my office to get the answer…or can you find the answer yourself by consulting your notes, a website, or reference guide. If you do need to send an email, keep it short and to the point.
Be clear: make it clear what you’re asking for – this may require listing the action you are asking of your recipient or listing your questions in a numbered list. You should always re-read an email before sending to ensure that everything is clear.
Include time constraints: indicate when you need a response or when the action should be completed. If you receive an email with a time constraint, make sure you adhere to it or indicate that you need more time.
Use informative subject lines: if you are trying to schedule a meeting, or need my signature on a form, or are simply providing some information, use the subject line to express that. This will help your recipient prioritize accordingly.
Avoid ‘reply all’: typically, the sender of an email can curate the individual responses and disseminate the information appropriately.
Always be polite: start with an opening salutation and end with closing salutation and the default tone should always be professional – avoid slang, sarcasm, ALL CAPS, or other informalities. When you ask a question or for a favor, avoid sounding demanding. Of course, your relationship with the recipient will dictate the formality you should use, but erring on the side of formal is good practice. I am happy to read drafts of emails you are sending to potential graduate advisors, employers, etc.
Never send an angry email: email is forever and you do not want to damage your professional relationship when emotions are running high. Sometimes writing the email is cathartic – but do not put the recipients email on the draft to avoid accidentally sending it. Ultimately, such conversations are better done in person as emails leave too much room for misunderstanding.
When doing field work, logistical questions tend to pop up unexpectedly or you might encounter some unforeseen circumstances. In such situations, a text is often more efficient than an email, particularly when a quick response is needed. However, do your best to anticipate challenges in the field and ask questions or prepare contingencies before going out in the field.
One of the best things about my job is getting to work with students on research projects and introducing them to field ecology and ornithology. But it takes a lot of work to train and supervise students, therefore students are expected to commit to a minimum of 5 hours per week, with the understanding that when conducting independent research, you will usually exceed this minimum. Students in the lab generally fall into two categories: 1) those working on their own independent research project, and 2) those working on existing or ongoing projects. Many students start out in the lab as a student worker to become familiar with the current projects before developing their own independent project. Students may complete their scholarship renewal hours by working in the lab. Expectations of students will vary with their role and their specific project/task. Below, I outline some general expectations:
My responsibilities to students:
- Provide project ideas and guidance while developing project
- Assist with data organization, analyses, and interpretation of results
- Proof-read and contribute to writing results
- Discuss future career goals (e.g., do you want to teach, go into academia, pursue a health-related career, continue in research), and plan ways to facilitate these goals
- Meet weekly to discuss progress and challenges
- Provide necessary training for various lab protocols
Expectations of research students:
- Participate in and be prepared for weekly lab meetings
- Set realistic goals for each term to ensure you are making progress toward completing your project
- Prepare for our regular meetings to discuss progress and challenges
- Find and read journal articles related to project topic
- Maintain a lab notebook that includes detailed observations, methods, and directories of annotated code and data; such directories should clearly indicate where data and script files are stored and what files are named. These need to be sufficient to reproduce results without additional instructions
- Present a short talk of research background and/or results to the lab once a semester
- Be available in the lab/office for a minimum pre-arranged set of hours to facilitate interactions and complete necessary lab work
- Ask questions and for help – if you are uncertain or confused about a protocol or not sure what to do next, it is better to ask than to potentially do something incorrectly
Expectations of student workers:
- Participate in and be prepared for weekly lab meetings if available for meeting time
- Maintain a lab notebook that includes detailed observations, methods, and directories of annotated code and data; such directories should clearly indicate where data and script files are stored and what files are named. These need to be sufficient to reproduce results without additional instructions.
- Be available in the lab/office for a minimum pre-arranged set of hours to facilitate interactions and complete necessary lab work
- Ask questions and for help – if you are uncertain or confused about a protocol or not sure what to do next, it is better to ask than to potentially do something incorrectly
Field Research
Much of the research in the lab involves field work. Such work may require regular visits to local barns where swallows are breeding, monitoring nests boxes around town and on nearby conservation areas, or observing birds on campus. Field work presents a unique set of challenges; for example, we will encounter ticks, mosquitoes, and other stinging insects, many of the sites are home to large farm animals that produce prolific amounts of poop, some sites require climbing tall ladders and other require walking long distances while carrying large, awkward gear. Weather can be unpredictable, and the birds can be uncooperative. As a result, proper planning and safety are extremely important when doing field work. As much as possible, you should go out with a buddy, and if you are going alone, you should let someone know when and where you are going. In addition to the expectations for students laid out above, students doing field work are expected to:
- Be respectful of the animals – don’t forget that these are living, wild animals and you should always look for signs of stress and take steps to mitigate and minimize it; this requires being observant, organized, and well trained
- Be well-rested – some work takes place at dawn and you are expected to be as well rested and alert as you would be if we were starting at 10 am; and when we go out before dawn, you must be on time and ready to work
- Be organized – you may not have cell service at some sites, so you need to have all the necessary information available in your field journal before you depart for the field. You need to create a clear plan for the day and/or week ahead of time. Make sure you are keeping careful notes in your journal and completely filling out data sheets and entering data in the proper place when you return from the field
- Bring water and food – it can get hot and if the birds are uncooperative, you may be out for longer than you anticipate; always plan for the worst
- Be ready for the elements – you should wear and bring sunscreen, a hat, and any other sun protection you like; you should wear proper attire and footwear for the task at hand
- Be enthusiastic – a bad attitude will lead to inaccurate data collection and a poor experience for you and everyone else. Field work is hard work, but it should also be fun; if you don’t enjoy being in the field, this probably isn’t the lab for you
- Be available and flexible – there are certain times during the field season that you must be available; if you miss a few days during the training period, it is really hard to catch up. You must also have a schedule that is flexible in a way that allows you to be in the field when necessary; we are on the birds’ schedule and this doesn’t always align with weekend plans
Lab Citizenship
The lab is a shared space…with limited space. Consequently, it is a group effort to keep the lab clean, organized, and stocked. You should treat every piece of equipment with respect, leave the space and equipment in the same (if not better) shape than when you started, and never leave a mess for anyone else to clean up.
- Report safety concerns to me ASAP so that they can be addressed immediately
- Do not leave dirty dishes in the sink à clean them and leave them to dry and/or put clean dishes away
- If you don’t know where something goes, ask
- If you use up (or nearly use up) a stock solution, make a new batch or aliquot before leaving for the day
- If we are running low on any materials, let me know what item we are low on, what is being used for, and approximately how much is left
Safety
Your health and safety should always take priority over research activities. This includes following all lab and field safety documents and university safety protocols. Additionally, you need to maintain your physical and mental health.
- Truman Laboratory Hazardous Waste Procedures (link to pdf)
- Truman Health Center
- Truman Counseling Services
Funding
As you progress through your academic career, particularly if you pursue graduate or professional research, you will learn that funding is always a limiting factor. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to apply for funding that will support you financially as well as provide funds for purchasing research supplies. As a graduate student (and for the rest of your career as a researcher) you will be applying for grants and fellowships, so the more you practice now, the more you improve your odds of preparing successful proposals in the future. Below are some funding opportunities available for undergraduate research.
- TruScholars
- GIASR
- Wilson Ornithological Society
- Webster Groves Nature Studies
- Student Travel Awards:
- Truman Office of Student Research
- Most scientific societies offer student travel awards to offset costs of attending their annual conference
The National Science Foundation (NSF) offers a highly competitive graduate fellowship that provides 3 years of funding that includes a stipend, research funds, and some travel funds. Graduating seniors with plans to attend graduate school are eligible for this award and you can apply before you are officially accepted by a graduate program. To apply for this fellowship, you need to prepare a short, but thorough, research proposal and a personal statement. Everyone should apply for this award the year before they intend on starting graduate school (and again as a first-year graduate student).
Communication
The primary mode of communication for lab and research related conversations is email. Therefore, I expect everyone to check their Truman email regularly during the week. I will do my best to respond to emails within ~24 hours and ask that you do the same when a response is needed – sometimes this response may simply be an acknowledgment that you received the email and will respond in the future. My cell phone number is on the white board in the lab for emergencies or urgent issues…waiting until the last minute to ask a lab/research related question is not an urgent issue, it is a failure to plan ahead.
Email is preferred for research related conversations so that we have an easily searchable record of our discussion in the event that we need to refer back to something. Another good practice is to create a folder in your email client in which you save email correspondence related to your project or work in the lab. You should have plenty of storage space with your Truman email account.
Some basic email etiquette
Be concise: this includes taking a beat to think about whether an email is actually necessary. Does it make more sense to stop by the lab/my office to get the answer…or can you find the answer yourself by consulting your notes, a website, or reference guide. If you do need to send an email, keep it short and to the point.
Be clear: make it clear what you’re asking for – this may require listing the action you are asking of your recipient or listing your questions in a numbered list. You should always re-read an email before sending to ensure that everything is clear.
Include time constraints: indicate when you need a response or when the action should be completed. If you receive an email with a time constraint, make sure you adhere to it or indicate that you need more time.
Use informative subject lines: if you are trying to schedule a meeting, or need my signature on a form, or are simply providing some information, use the subject line to express that. This will help your recipient prioritize accordingly.
Avoid ‘reply all’: typically, the sender of an email can curate the individual responses and disseminate the information appropriately.
Always be polite: start with an opening salutation and end with closing salutation and the default tone should always be professional – avoid slang, sarcasm, ALL CAPS, or other informalities. When you ask a question or for a favor, avoid sounding demanding. Of course, your relationship with the recipient will dictate the formality you should use, but erring on the side of formal is good practice. I am happy to read drafts of emails you are sending to potential graduate advisors, employers, etc.
Never send an angry email: email is forever and you do not want to damage your professional relationship when emotions are running high. Sometimes writing the email is cathartic – but do not put the recipients email on the draft to avoid accidentally sending it. Ultimately, such conversations are better done in person as emails leave too much room for misunderstanding.
When doing field work, logistical questions tend to pop up unexpectedly or you might encounter some unforeseen circumstances. In such situations, a text is often more efficient than an email, particularly when a quick response is needed. However, do your best to anticipate challenges in the field and ask questions or prepare contingencies before going out in the field.
