10.04 Standard operating principles

To make high-quality contributions to research, teaching, and practice, we rely on standard operating principles. These principles summarize effective methods for staying focused on priorities, organizing projects efficiently, and coordinating efforts with ease. While none of these principles are strictly mandatory, we encourage team members to try them out, adapt them to their specific needs, and actively contribute to refining this overview. This collaborative approach ensures continuous improvement and alignment with our goals.

Table of contents

Work individually

Focus

Our most important resource is focused work. Everyone may have a slightly different recipe on how to “get into the zone”. The following may be helpful to experiment:

  • Blocking time slots for focused work (e.g., in the morning), and switching off e-mail and phones.
  • Using distraction blockers like Freedom or Forest
  • Working with techniques like Getting-Things-Done (GTD), bullet-journaling, daily priority lists, or Pomodoro
  • Taking time to recharge every day, work out, take vacations

Getting-Things-Done (GTD)

Work-in-progress

Tools and processes

Work-in-progress

  • Using the keyboard instead of the mouse
  • Consistent file naming, optimized for keyboard access (e.g., Future_of_Work.md instead of IDW_SoSe2024_Future_of_Work.md)

Work with others

A deep link is a URL that points directly to specific content within a page, rather than to the general page or document itself. This allows users to access the exact information or context they need without having to navigate or search within the broader resource.

Examples of deep links:

  • Specific element in our handbook:
    https://digital-work-lab.github.io/handbook/docs/20-research/20_processes/20.32.revision.html#expected-outcome
  • Selected slide in our project:
    https://digital-work-lab.github.io/open-source-project/output/05-best_practice.html#technical-setup
  • A comment in an issue discussion:
    https://github.com/digital-work-lab/digital-work-lecture/issues/8#issuecomment-2199793685
  • TODO: Calendar, People, Agenda

How to create a deep link:

  • Click on the anchor and copy the url:

deep-link example

  • In slides, add the title after the #:

deep-link example

Why Use Deep Links
  1. Precision and Clarity: Deep links provide targeted access to relevant content, which reduces ambiguity and ensures recipients understand the exact context being referenced.
  2. Improved Collaboration: Sharing specific parts of documents or discussions encourages grounded and focused discussions, avoiding the inefficiency of reading or interpreting an entire document.
  3. Asynchronous Workflows: Deep links support modern collaborative practices by making resources easy to share, revisit, and update over time without additional explanation or redundant actions.
  4. Enhanced Discoverability: They create a networked "knowledge graph," allowing users to explore related information seamlessly through interconnected resources.
  5. Time and Effort Savings: By bypassing the need to search within a page, deep links save time for all collaborators.

See Ben Balter's post.

Sharing contents and research results

  • Agree on short names for research projects (e.g., BibDedupe, GitIntro). Short names should be related to the topic, not the target journal (avoid referring to “the MISQ paper”)
  • State dates using the YYYY-MM-DD format to avoid ambiguity (use standard terminology and formats)
  • To facilitate sharing, ensure that projects, contents, and processes are linkable and editable (e.g., in a thesis repository on GitHub, a link to the meeting notes can be shared, and thesis advisors can directly suggest modifications)
  • Questions related to our processes etc. should be answered by sharing a link instead of answering the same question multiple times (e.g., here are our guidelines for creating markdown slides)
  • Before the publication of results, research data (including code, interview data and manuscripts) should be kept private.
  • Coordinate with your team on whether and when a shared repository will be available to the public and set a clear time frame to avoid misunderstandings.

Agendas

To facilitate collaboration, we work with agenda repositories. An agenda repository is a shared GitHub repository with a README.md file to keep track of meeting notes, TODOs, and items to discuss. It is one place to keep track of information that can be linked and edited by all participants.

Example repository: https://github.com/digital-work-lab/agenda-adam-eva

# Agenda: Adam - Eva

Regular meeting:

- Time: ...
- Location: ...

## Items to discuss

- item

## Log

### CW 1

- meeting note

Meetings

Work-in-progress

Netiquette

1. Respectful interaction

  • Treat everyone with respect and professionalism, fostering a positive environment.
  • Use inclusive language and avoid discriminatory or offensive remarks.

2. Efficient conversations

  • Clearly communicate the purpose and objectives of discussions.
  • Be concise, provide necessary context, and avoid unnecessary tangents.

3. Trust

  • Build trust through honesty, integrity, and accountability.
  • Meet deadlines, honor commitments, and respect confidentiality.

4. Listening and transparency

  • Actively listen and create a safe space for open communication.
  • Share information transparently and provide relevant updates.

5. Not being afraid to make mistakes

  • Emphasize a growth mindset, seeing mistakes as learning opportunities.
  • Foster a supportive environment where mistakes are acknowledged and learned from.

6. Getting feedback

  • Encourage a culture where both positive and constructive feedback are valued.
  • Regularly seek feedback to promote continuous improvement.

Mentoring

Work-in-progress

Channels and Media

Category Guidelines
E-mail - Use clear and concise subject lines to convey the purpose of the email effectively.
- Maintain professionalism and appropriate tone in your emails, considering the recipient and the nature of the communication.
- Avoid overloading emails with unnecessary information or attachments and ensure that the content is relevant and easy to understand.
- Respond to emails in a timely manner, acknowledging receipt and providing a helpful response or next steps when required.
Video chats - Establish clear guidelines for scheduling and conducting video chats, ensuring that they are productive and efficient.
- Test the technology and ensure a stable internet connection before starting a video chat.
- Be mindful of video chat etiquette, such as muting when not speaking, avoiding distractions, and maintaining a professional appearance.
- Encourage active participation, ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to contribute and share their thoughts.
Handbook as documentation platform - Use the handbook to document guidelines, processes, and other helpful information. We encourage you to contribute to this valuable resource.
- Encourage collaboration and contribution from team members to keep the handbook updated and relevant.
- Ensure that your contribution to the handbook is well-structured and easily searchable, making it a valuable resource for finding information and promoting knowledge sharing.
Shared calendar - Ensure that the shared calendar is regularly updated with important events, meetings, and deadlines.
- Establish guidelines for scheduling meetings and appointments, ensuring that conflicts are minimized and participants have sufficient notice.
- Use the shared calendar to promote transparency and coordination, allowing team members to stay informed and plan their work effectively.

Resources

Gawande, A. (2010). Checklist manifesto, the (HB). Penguin Books India.