Guidelines for Research Students

Overarching Comments

• Explicit guidelines are helpful, whether written or verbal
  • Especially for undergraduate students: guidelines help them learn how science is done
• Concern that a document like this may put off prospective students
• Such a document should reflect the advisor's personality; make it your own

Particular Topics to Include in Guidelines

• Time expectations
  • Especially time on task
  • Expectations may differ for different students (depending on fellowship, assistantship, others)
  • Particularly important for undergraduates
  • Deadlines and planners may be helpful
• Authorship and intellectual property
  • There's no single way to do this, but it's important to clarify for your students what your expectations for authorship and intellectual property are
  • Richelle: the National Academy of Engineering has an Online Ethics Center , which includes a page of case studies on publication and credit
• Field, lab and equipment guidelines
  • Website on Safety in the Field
• Safety guidelines & policies: we can't assume that students know these things
• Ethics: what is ethical scientific behavior? We think it's obvious, but it may not be.