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Designing Productive

Lab Meetings

Beth Burnside
University of California
Berkeley

S

cience is not only about discovery; it is about

communicating discovery. Lab meetings are

training grounds for both. It is here that young

scientists learn about the level of rigor necessary to

convince colleagues of their results, and about how to

behave and communicate effectively. This is accom-

plished by instructing students how to evaluate and

present results, receive and deliver feedback, think on

their feet, and respect the procedural boundaries and

ethics of the profession. Ideally they will emerge from

this process confident of their skills, but respectful of

science and other scientists.

The benefits of lab meetings are myriad.

Presentations at lab meetings demand that each lab

member step back to review accumulating data and

justify their experimental plan. This process alone can

produce important shifts in perspective and prioritiza-

tion. The actual presentation can be even more useful

depending on how skillful the lab group is at providing

constructive feedback.

Effective criticism is a fine and delicate art; achieving

it in lab meetings is challenging. It is crucial that every

member of the lab group give honest feedback about

the science and share any reservation about the validi-

ty or interpretation of data. The lab group is the “home

team” who knows most about the subject. It is their job

to ensure that the speaker gets a harder time at home

than anywhere else. This function is critical to building

confidence in a young scientist’s presentation skills.

Everyone in the group should give and expect to

receive this kind of feedback from all other lab mem-

CHAPTER 4 • MANAGEMENT 43

Science is not only about discovery; it

is about communicating discovery.