THE OPERATING MANUAL Vision Laboratory Volen Center for Complex Systems Brandeis University, Waltham MA Robert Sekuler, Laboratory Director mailto:
[email protected] September 2, 2018 1 Contents 1 Purpose of this document.3 2 Research projects.4 3 Research collaborators4 4 Current/recent publications4 5 Communication4 6 Transparency and Reproducibility5 7 Experimental subjects.6 8 Equipment.8 9 Coding/programming. 12 10 Experimental design. 24 11 Literature sources. 24 12 Document preparation. 25 13 Scientific meetings 32 14 Essential background info 33 15 Labspeak1. 38 1This coinage, labspeak, was suggested by Orwell’s coinage “newspeak” in his novel 1984. Unlike “newspeak”, though, labspeak is mean to facilitate and sharpen thought and communication, not subvert them. 2 1 Purpose of this document. This document is meant to ease newcomers’ integration into the operation of the Vision Laboratory located in Brandeis University’s Volen Center. The document presents a lot of information, but there may be only one truly essential thing for new lab members to know: ”If you are uncertain, ask.” To repeat: ”If you are uncertain, ask.” Corollaries to this advice? “If you’re working on a document and are unsure about how it’s progressing, ask someone else to read it.” “ If you’re working on a project and realize that you can use some advice, ask for it.” It’s simple: never hesitate to take advantage of fellow lab members’ knowledge, fresh eyes and advice. When you encounter something that you don’t know, or are not sure about, and have made a good faith effort to work out on your own, it only makes good sense to ask.