Offboarding Guide

Data Diversity Laboratory Offboarding

Thank you for contributing to our research group! Depending on whether you are staying or leaving after completing your current project, please follow the instructions indicated in Part A or Part B of this document:

Part A: You have completed a project AND are staying in the group.

Part B: You have completed a project AND are leaving the group.

If you need help with any of the below steps make sure you get in contact with either Cristian or Kennedy through mattermost (@kennedygezella or @cromanpa).

Part A

Before you wrap up this project, please make sure to follow the following steps:

1. Review your project documentation

Make sure all project components are all hosted in the lab’s dedicated repository GitHub with a thorough README file
You can learn more about README files here: About README
You can learn about how to write a better README file here: README Tips

2. Review your data quality and availability.

Data used in support of the project must be:

Saved in an appropriate, non-proprietary format with accompanying metadata.
In a public archive (e.g., the GitHub repo or another public archive), or, if data is proprietary, a 'snapshot' version of the data used in the project must be saved in a private repository accessible to lab members.
Linked and briefly described in the project README.

3. Review your code.

Uses relative paths instead of absolute ones.
Well commented and complete
Make sure your project is on our organization’s GitHub repository. If you need access to the organization in order to fork or copy your code into our repository, make sure you get in contact with the lab manager.
Described in the README- what each file does, what language was used, etc.
If you have subfolders in your repository, please include README files in each explaining the relevant files.

4. Make sure all the appropriate project-related documents are in your respective Nextcloud folder.

6. Ready to work on a new project?

Please review the on-boarding documentation again by requesting access to it from Kennedy or by finding a direct link to it in the “Welcome to the Data Diversity Lab” playbook documentation in Mattermost.

Part B

Best wishes for your next steps and please stay in touch! Before you leave, please make sure to follow the following steps:

1. Review your project documentation.

Make sure all project components are all hosted in the lab’s dedicated repository on GitHub with a thorough README file.
You can learn more about README files here: About README
You can learn about how to write a better README file here: README Tips

2. Review your data quality and availability.

Data used in support of the project must be:

Saved in an appropriate, non-proprietary format with accompanying metadata
In a public archive (e.g., the GitHub repo or another public archive), or, if data is proprietary, a 'snapshot' version of the data used in the project must be saved in a private repository accessible to lab members.
Linked and briefly described in the project README.

3. Review your code.

Well commented and complete.
On GitHub, in the public project repository.
Described in the README- what each file does, what language was used, etc.

4. Make sure all the appropriate project-related documents are in your respective Nextcloud folder.

5. Make sure you have created at least 1 backup using our Synology NAS or another physical drive alternative (review onboarding documentation).

6. Conduct an exit interview with the PI

What was the best part of your experience?
What did you learn while you were here?
Did you get the support you needed, or could we have been better at it?
What can we improve for mentoring someone in your position in the future?

7. Ask the PI to adjust your status in Mattermost and Nextcloud

You will still have access to multiple channels of our server, but not to the General Discussion channel, Lab Meetings Discussion Channel
You will still be able to receive updates from within the lab after you leave.

8. If you have access to the lab with your own assigned keys, make sure you schedule a time to leave them with the lab manager before you go! The lab manager will be in charge of returning them to the administrative office.

9. Please reach out to the lab manager and PI so we can hold a brief farewell event for you :) We will also ensure that you get a little gift from the lab.

This document was adapted from openscapes (https://www.openscapes.org/) the Pinsky lab (https://github.com/pinskylab/howwework/blob/master/offboarding.md), and the huckley lab (https://huckleylab.github.io/)