[labnetwork] how-to retain knowledge

[Vijay]

Matthieu,
         I can share my experience of getting process recipes documented
from students who use our laboratory for their research work (Centre of
excellence in Nanoelectronics, IISc, Bangalore) in following manner--

1. A brief format of the reports that each researchers needs to submit
after completion of research work (or part of it) is given to them at
the time of their initiating the work. 

2. Report is colleted from them after research is completed and their
next usage of lab may not be approved if they have not submitted the
report in appropriate format. 

3. New processes or recipes shared by the user student is documented as
an internal report authored by the researcher and co-authored by the lab
staff if essential role played by them. This gives the researchers sense
of ownership of the work and also co-author gets his due credit. This
document is not shared publicly until the researcher so desires.
However, it is available for sharing amongst the Lab members on request
basis. 

(This process is followed with researchers approaching our lab under
Indian Nanoelectronics Users Program--INUP)

Regards,

VIjay

-----Original Message-----
From: labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu
[mailto:labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu] On Behalf Of Schroeder, Jeremy L
Sent: Monday, August 23, 2010 9:37 PM
To: 'Matthieu Nannini, Dr.'; labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu
Subject: Re: [labnetwork] how-to retain knowledge

Matthieu,

I don't have the answer, but I can briefly comment on the first question
(i.e. retaining knowledge from fab members).

We have discussed this issue at Purdue's Birck Nanotechnology Center and
we thought about developing an online knowledge database. However, the
key is getting members to actually write down their know-how since
people are often not interested in doing additional work that does not
clearly benefit them. Not only that, even if members write down their
information, it has to be written in a clearly understood format and
someone else should check the information to ensure that it is accurate.

In order to get this to work, I think you need a staff member partly
devoted to the project. The staff member can ask students for specific
information and then create standard-format documents from this
information.

Jeremy

-----Original Message-----
From: labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu
[mailto:labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu] On Behalf Of Matthieu Nannini,
Dr.
Sent: Monday, August 23, 2010 10:08 AM
To: labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu
Subject: [labnetwork] how-to retain knowledge

Dear lab network members,

i'm the manager of the McGill Microfab in Montréal QC and I have a few
questions to al of you:

I've been asking myself this question for a long time and wondering how
do others do.
- how do you retain knowledge from fab members ? process, know-how etc,
so members don't have to reinvent the wheel every time.
- where do you draw the line between a researcher doing research and a
researcher doing r&d for his/her newly spun off company using students
- how do you deal with patented processes owned by PIs ?

Thanks a lot

Matthieu

-----------------------------------
Matthieu Nannini
McGill Nanotools Microfab
Manager
t: 514 398 3310
c: 514 758 3311
f: 514 398 8434
http://miam.physics.mcgill.ca/microfab
------------------------------------


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