Maydianne Andrade
University Professor and Canadian Research Chair
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough
Disciplinary Area: STEMConsiderations for Undegraduate Research: Training
After a discussion at a gathering of BIPOC Women in Ecology and Evolution and with her students, Professor Maydianne Andrade decided to develop a series of resources that would document the previously unwritten practices within her lab (e.g., attendance and punctuality, communication, standards of civility and collegiality). In one example, Professor Andrade details the values and commitments (PDF) upheld by the lab and asked of all of their researchers; it shares how these values and commitments are realized in processes and actions as well as ways to respond when there are violations.
Sharing these practices in writing helps create an equitable environment for students who might be new to research, and who might not yet have the academic capital or knowledge of standard practices. It also helps to shape a research environment based on professionalism, inclusivity and mutual respect that holds all researchers, including students and faculty members, to the same standards.