Responsibilities & Responsibilities & Research Record-Keeping Research Record-Keeping

MethodsMethods

Doug WelchDoug Welch

Sep 23, 2008Sep 23, 2008

SGS101 – Part 3SGS101 – Part 3

PrinciplesPrinciples

OwnershipOwnership

ResponsibilityResponsibility

OrganizationOrganization

Standard of recordingStandard of recording

Preservation of intermediate resultsPreservation of intermediate results

Routine backup of research informationRoutine backup of research information

Communication with supervisorCommunication with supervisor

OwnershipOwnership

Intellectual property (IP) issues aren’t as Intellectual property (IP) issues aren’t as straightforward as you might think!straightforward as you might think!

McMaster has a policy document entitled McMaster has a policy document entitled “Ownership of Student Work”“Ownership of Student Work”

http://www.mcmaster.ca/senate/academic/ownstwrk.htmhttp://www.mcmaster.ca/senate/academic/ownstwrk.htm

Bottom line: only your Bottom line: only your completed completed thesis is thesis is clearly owned by you!clearly owned by you!

Student ResponsibilitiesStudent Responsibilities““Students (Undergraduate and Graduate)Students (Undergraduate and Graduate) 11. Students are responsible for being aware of and 11. Students are responsible for being aware of and

demonstrating behaviour that is honest and ethical in demonstrating behaviour that is honest and ethical in their academic work. Such behaviour includes: their academic work. Such behaviour includes:

a)a) following the expectations articulated by instructors for following the expectations articulated by instructors for referencing sources of information and for group work, referencing sources of information and for group work,

b)b) asking for clarification of expectations as necessary, asking for clarification of expectations as necessary, c)c) identifying testing situations that may allow copying, identifying testing situations that may allow copying, d)d) preventing their work from being used by others, e.g., preventing their work from being used by others, e.g.,

protecting access to computer files, and protecting access to computer files, and e)e) adhering to the principles of academic integrity when adhering to the principles of academic integrity when

conducting and reporting research.”conducting and reporting research.”

Academic Integrity Policy, McMaster University, approved Mar 13, 2002

Student ResponsibilitiesStudent Responsibilities““Students (Undergraduate and Graduate)Students (Undergraduate and Graduate) 11. Students are responsible for being aware of and 11. Students are responsible for being aware of and

demonstrating behaviour that is honest and ethical in demonstrating behaviour that is honest and ethical in their academic work. Such behaviour includes:their academic work. Such behaviour includes:

a)a) following the expectations articulated by instructors for following the expectations articulated by instructors for referencing sources of information and for group work, referencing sources of information and for group work,

b)b) asking for clarification of expectations as necessary, asking for clarification of expectations as necessary, c)c) identifying testing situations that may allow copying, identifying testing situations that may allow copying, d)d) preventing their work from being used by others, e.g., preventing their work from being used by others, e.g.,

protecting access to computer files, and protecting access to computer files, and e)e) adhering to the principles of academic integrity when adhering to the principles of academic integrity when

conducting and reporting research.”conducting and reporting research.”

Academic Integrity Policy, McMaster University, approved Mar 13, 2002

Student ResponsibilitiesStudent Responsibilities““Students (Undergraduate and Graduate)Students (Undergraduate and Graduate) 11. Students are responsible for being aware of and 11. Students are responsible for being aware of and

demonstrating behaviour that is honest and ethical in demonstrating behaviour that is honest and ethical in their academic work. Such behaviour includes: their academic work. Such behaviour includes:

a)a) following the expectations articulated by instructors for following the expectations articulated by instructors for referencing sources of information and for group work, referencing sources of information and for group work,

b)b) asking for clarification of expectations as necessary,asking for clarification of expectations as necessary, c)c) identifying testing situations that may allow copying, identifying testing situations that may allow copying, d)d) preventing their work from being used by others, e.g., preventing their work from being used by others, e.g.,

protecting access to computer files, and protecting access to computer files, and e)e) adhering to the principles of academic integrity when adhering to the principles of academic integrity when

conducting and reporting research.”conducting and reporting research.”

Academic Integrity Policy, McMaster University, approved Mar 13, 2002

Student ResponsibilitiesStudent Responsibilities““Students (Undergraduate and Graduate)Students (Undergraduate and Graduate) 11. Students are responsible for being aware of and 11. Students are responsible for being aware of and

demonstrating behaviour that is honest and ethical in demonstrating behaviour that is honest and ethical in their academic work. Such behaviour includes: their academic work. Such behaviour includes:

a)a) following the expectations articulated by instructors for following the expectations articulated by instructors for referencing sources of information and for group work, referencing sources of information and for group work,

b)b) asking for clarification of expectations as necessary, asking for clarification of expectations as necessary, c)c) identifying testing situations that may allow copying,identifying testing situations that may allow copying, d)d) preventing their work from being used by others, e.g., preventing their work from being used by others, e.g.,

protecting access to computer files, and protecting access to computer files, and e)e) adhering to the principles of academic integrity when adhering to the principles of academic integrity when

conducting and reporting research.”conducting and reporting research.”

Academic Integrity Policy, McMaster University, approved Mar 13, 2002

Student ResponsibilitiesStudent Responsibilities““Students (Undergraduate and Graduate)Students (Undergraduate and Graduate) 11. Students are responsible for being aware of and 11. Students are responsible for being aware of and

demonstrating behaviour that is honest and ethical in demonstrating behaviour that is honest and ethical in their academic work. Such behaviour includes: their academic work. Such behaviour includes:

a)a) following the expectations articulated by instructors for following the expectations articulated by instructors for referencing sources of information and for group work, referencing sources of information and for group work,

b)b) asking for clarification of expectations as necessary, asking for clarification of expectations as necessary, c)c) identifying testing situations that may allow copying, identifying testing situations that may allow copying, d)d) preventing their work from being used by others, e.g., preventing their work from being used by others, e.g.,

protecting access to computer files, and protecting access to computer files, and e)e) adhering to the principles of academic integrity when adhering to the principles of academic integrity when

conducting and reporting research.”conducting and reporting research.”

Academic Integrity Policy, McMaster University, approved Mar 13, 2002

Student ResponsibilitiesStudent Responsibilities““Students (Undergraduate and Graduate)Students (Undergraduate and Graduate) 11. Students are responsible for being aware of and 11. Students are responsible for being aware of and

demonstrating behaviour that is honest and ethical in demonstrating behaviour that is honest and ethical in their academic work. Such behaviour includes: their academic work. Such behaviour includes:

a)a) following the expectations articulated by instructors for following the expectations articulated by instructors for referencing sources of information and for group work, referencing sources of information and for group work,

b)b) asking for clarification of expectations as necessary, asking for clarification of expectations as necessary, c)c) identifying testing situations that may allow copying, identifying testing situations that may allow copying, d)d) preventing their work from being used by others, e.g., preventing their work from being used by others, e.g.,

protecting access to computer files, andprotecting access to computer files, and e)e) adhering to the principles of academic integrity when adhering to the principles of academic integrity when

conducting and reporting research.”conducting and reporting research.”

Academic Integrity Policy, McMaster University, approved Mar 13, 2002

Bottom LineBottom Line

YouYou are responsible for are responsible for youryour actionsactions

Research integrity is Research integrity is notnot an option an option

Your research affects not only you but also Your research affects not only you but also members of your research group, your members of your research group, your supervisor, collaborators, and potentially a supervisor, collaborators, and potentially a much wider publicmuch wider public

You have an You have an obligationobligation to ask for to ask for clarifications when you are unsure.clarifications when you are unsure.

OrganizationOrganization

Evaluate the ensemble of information Evaluate the ensemble of information which you must track and recordwhich you must track and record

Determine a location (written/electronic) Determine a location (written/electronic) where this organizational info will be where this organizational info will be recordedrecorded

Adopt a consistent pattern of recording Adopt a consistent pattern of recording intermediate results and archiving intermediate results and archiving important data … and stick to it!important data … and stick to it!

Standard of RecordingStandard of Recording

Date and location of each entry in a Date and location of each entry in a numbered-page logbooknumbered-page logbook

Paste printouts/plots into logbookPaste printouts/plots into logbook

Record key information regarding Record key information regarding electronic transactions in logbookelectronic transactions in logbook

Similar advice applies to any sort of Similar advice applies to any sort of research record.research record.

Example for Lab Science Work

Intermediate ResultsIntermediate Results

The greatest danger posed by the use of The greatest danger posed by the use of computers is the loss of intermediate computers is the loss of intermediate resultsresults

CD-RW/DVD for binary recordsCD-RW/DVD for binary records

Extracts/headers to logbook for large filesExtracts/headers to logbook for large files

““What information would I need to repeat What information would I need to repeat this or show that I did this?”this or show that I did this?”

Routine BackupsRoutine BackupsDisk-to-disk (same machine)Disk-to-disk (same machine)

Disk-to-disk (different room/building)Disk-to-disk (different room/building)

Work-to-homeWork-to-home

Write to offline mediaWrite to offline media

Be very, very paranoid!Be very, very paranoid!

Setup automatic jobSetup automatic job

Test routinely (first thing Monday)Test routinely (first thing Monday)

Label!Label!

Communication with SupervisorCommunication with Supervisor

You have an You have an obligationobligation to communicate to communicate details of your research records to your details of your research records to your supervisorsupervisor

Your supervisor has an Your supervisor has an obligationobligation to to examine and test your research recordsexamine and test your research records

If this isn’t currently happening, make sure If this isn’t currently happening, make sure that it starts to happen!that it starts to happen!

Do “line-by-line traceback” of manuscriptsDo “line-by-line traceback” of manuscripts

““Subversion”Subversion”

Available for many operating systemsAvailable for many operating systems

““Repository” – never go there!Repository” – never go there!

Encourages/requires recording of Encourages/requires recording of intermediate versions of workintermediate versions of work

Allows you to “back out” to previous stateAllows you to “back out” to previous state

Allows documentation of each changeAllows documentation of each change

Manuscripts/program code/anything textManuscripts/program code/anything text

BenefitsBenefits

You can “check out” all of the required files You can “check out” all of the required files into a new directory and work on them into a new directory and work on them without endangering the “originals”without endangering the “originals”

Prevents collaborator “bottlenecks”Prevents collaborator “bottlenecks”

Allows multiple workers to interact with the Allows multiple workers to interact with the same project asynchronouslysame project asynchronously

Removal of e-mail or website as an Removal of e-mail or website as an intermediaryintermediary

Where to find SubversionWhere to find Subversion

http://subversion.tigris.orghttp://subversion.tigris.org

Ask your supervisor/colleagues what Ask your supervisor/colleagues what record-keeping software or standards are record-keeping software or standards are appropriate for your field.appropriate for your field.

Be a leader, not a follower! You will likely Be a leader, not a follower! You will likely be a supervisor yourself in the not too be a supervisor yourself in the not too distant future!distant future!