Today we discussed codes of conduct in general and aimed to write one for this group. We did not write one but we had very interesting discussions and thoughts about codes of conducts in general. The main discussion lines where: who is the code of conduct for? And how is it applied?

Who is it for?

We discussed two lines of arguments of which people these codes of conducts can be useful for.

First it can be useful for newcomers to a group in two ways, either by providing them clear expectations about the actual work (e.g. “do not expect emails out of working hours”, “send drafts at least one week in advance”, “make the code and data available and reusable”, etc.) but it can also provide information about the working environment (e.g. “we do not tolerate harassment”, “we provide a safe work environment”, etc.). However we also discussed that this second point is nuanced: information about the working environment can be either not actually applied to more senior people or can be used as an excuse for bad behaviour from them by enshrining their right to, for example, offer feedback in a harsh manner.

Second, it can be useful for more senior people to provide a clear list of expectations to newcomers by clearly stating what is expected from them. It can also be used as a clear set of rules or guidelines to resolve potential conflicts between members of the group. Group members can remind others (or themselves) of what is acceptable or not by simply pointing at specific sections of the code of conduct.

What do we need a code of conduct for?

This led to discussing actually what these codes of conduct are trying to achieve. Our general idea was that it should provide a nicer environment to work in by providing clear guidelines. This can reduce stress by knowing the expectations in advance and reduce toxic behaviours by knowing what is acceptable in advance and providing a protocol to tackle these shitty behaviours. It is especially beneficial in academia where rules can be sometimes blurry, such as working hours, hierarchy, expectations etc.

However, we also highlighted strongly that this only applies if everyone involved in the group can be held accountable. For example, if the toxic behaviour comes from the PI or the people that wrote the code of conduct, there is unfortunately little room for applying the code of conduct to them and makes that code an actual “friendliness-washing” tool for the group leaders (“do as I say, not as I do”).

One way to counter this accountability problem would be to implement systems at higher levels (e.g. for the whole department, school, faculty, etc…) where several people can be contacted anonymously to complain to senior people in a group not respecting their code of conduct. It was also suggested that HR departments may be able to mediate disputes, although scope for this may be limited if the code of conduct has not been previously agreed with HR.

How to write one?

We found this great workshop from Mozilla that proposes a step by step guidance. But mainly we felt there are three main steps to write codes of conducts in a group:

1. Think about and discuss the core values shared among the group. These values can be generalisable about the individuals (e.g. “we value equality”, “we value well being”) but also what the group is aiming to achieve. For example, a lab group could be about providing a safe space for ideas to flourish and develop. A discussion group (like this one) could be about providing an environment where everyone should feel welcome to participate, etc.
2. Write down the code of conduct that would be needed to apply these values. These can be a short list of specific guidelines providing the general framework of conduct (e.g. from the BES) or a longer list of specific points covering most part of the group’s work (e.g. From the Optical Cell Biology Laboratory). The code can be divided into different sections reflecting the values of the group or the types of interaction that need to be governed (e.g. internal vs external).
3. Regularly review the code of conduct. This can be especially useful for newcomers to make them feel more welcome and maybe cater for their specific needs. But this is also useful for updating/correcting/removing guidelines that become obsolete or didn’t work as intended. Again the objective of these codes of conducts is not to have a set of rules set in stone but to provide an environment where the common values in step 1 above are respected and fostered. Finally, regularly reviewing the code of conduct also has the benefit to remind everyone that they exist and are not just some administrative mumbo jumbo!

Resources:

-Long example for a lab: an advantage is that it’s very clear which is maybe good for beginners in academia. BUT does it make it look scary by having too many rules? https://github.com/HenriquesLab/Code-of-Conduct -Short example: advantage is that it’s less formal and nobody has the excuse of not having read it. https://nhcooper123.github.io/group.html -Medium example: it’s in between http://www.tobiaslab.net/values/ -Here is a workshop from the Mozilla on how to write a code of conduct with a group of people (it even has the timings of the activities!) https://mozillascience.github.io/working-open-workshop/code_of_conduct/ -Here is the code of conduct from the BES https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/events/n4fg/code-of-conduct/