(S8E5) Promoting Positive Research Culture: Why Every Lab Needs a Handbook

Research Culture Uncovered

In our Research Culture Uncovered conversations we are asking what is Research Culture and why does it matter? In this episode, our host Nick Sheppard talks to Benjamin Tendler, Maddie Welland and Karla Miller about their Lab Handbook initiative at the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging in Oxford.

We discuss how they have pioneered the implementation of a lab handbook within the WIN physics group to promote a positive research culture, interdisciplinary communication and inclusion.

The main points include:

• Purpose and concept of the lab handbook to outline the ethos and culture of a lab or research group.
• Benefits of the initiative such as promoting positive research culture and inclusion, clarifying expectations and preventing misunderstandings, and supporting mental health and wellbeing.
• The value of collaboration in all areas of research culture from the development of a handbook, to the practice of science itself and the dissemination of research results and data.

In this episode we mention several links including:

• The Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging
• Benjamin C Tendler, Maddie Welland, Karla L Miller, The WIN Handbook Team (2023) Research Culture: Why every lab needs a handbook eLife 12:e88853. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.88853
• Lab Handbook Resources

This episode of Research Culture Uncovered © 2024 by Research Culturosity is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0

All of our episodes can be accessed via the following playlists:

• Research Impact with Ged Hall (follow Ged on Twitter and LinkedIn)
• Open Research with Nick Sheppard (follow Nick on Twitter and LinkedIn)
• Research Careers with Ruth Winden (follow Ruth on Twitter and LinkedIn)
• Research talent management with Tony Bromley (follow Tony on Twitter and LinkedIn)
• Meet the Research Culturositists with Emma Spary (follow Emma on Twitter and LinkedIn)
• Research co-production
• Research Leadership
• Research Evaluation

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Leeds Research Culture links:

• Researcher Development and Culture Website
• Our Concordat Implementation plans and progress
• University of Leeds Research Culture Statement
• University of Leeds Responsible Metrics Statement
• University of Leeds Open Research Statement
• University of Leeds Research Culture Strategy - launched September 2023