Macroscope Lab
Our values
Lab Philosophy
This document aims to remind us of how we aim to engage with each other, and the type of scientist we aim to be. It is an attempt to capture the cultural norms within our lab, and was drafted as a collective effort by members of the lab in 2021, through a series of reflective meetings. We will aim to revisit this on a regular basis.
The “lab” is currently led by Maria Dornelas, and the term “we” includes everyone who feels part of the lab (click here to learn more about our lab members).
We aim to ask good questions. Our goal is to produce rigorous, curiosity driven science. We place research integrity at the core of what we do and seek to promote a transparent and fair approach to science. We aim to keep informed about best practice in research, consistently engaging with accessibility, clear communication and reproducibility. We respect and promote diverse approaches to science, and welcome creativity in ideas and approaches.
Good scholarship recognises history, cultural background and biases, learning from those that came before us. We recognise inspiration from the past, but assess it critically and use it to boost creativity. We seek to excel, and to make science accessible. We strive to do our best but recognise science is constantly evolving and mistakes are part of progress both professional and personal.
Science is done by people, and keeping each other safe, happy, and supported is the top priority. At work, we value space for inspiration and a strong work ethic. We value dedication and passion for science in any shape or form. We also promote a fair work life balance, flexible working hours to suit each person’s needs and wants. We support people developing their careers wherever they may take them, and like to stay in touch with past members and support them after they have left.
We aim to be an inclusive non-hierarchical space, which welcomes all voices and respects differences. There is space in the lab for disagreement, and we agree to debate and respect different points of view. We condemn discrimination of all kinds and celebrate difference. We aim to keep an open mind. We aim to engage in ethical science, respect people and wildlife, and seek sustainability.
We aim to be nice to each other. We build and maintain a supportive environment, where we celebrate each other’s achievements and offer support in defeats, whatever they may be. We strive to be the best scientist we can and we are inspired and learn from each other’s experiences. We provide honest, constructive feedback to each other, and provide encouragement and ideas to improve each other’s work. We aim to listen to each other and take feedback onboard from all lab members. We recognise our team members’ time is precious, and treat it with respect and gratitude.
We are open to collaborations within and outside the lab, with researchers from all fields as well as artists. We make sure collaborations are fair and transparent, for example through written co-authorship policies, preregistration of studies or discussions of fair credit to contributors.
We aim to be fun. We like cakes and other good things.
