Checklist for organizing a lab tour#
This is a checklist for organizing a lab tour/group visit for guests.
For the department/group#
Find the labs participating in the tour
Distribute this list
Inform them about time limits and numbers of participants
Organizer of the tour#
Each group should designate someone responsible for planning a lab tour, this will often be the PI.
In general#
Decide which things and objects you want to highlight
Prioritize 1-2 things and don’t try to show everything
Think how to distribute the highlights across people running the tour
Discuss with the group members how the lab should be introduced
Write down what requires access and how to give guests the access
If you cannot give access, reconsider what you want to show; avoid talking in the corridor.
Also note special requirements (clothes, shoes, no phones, etc)
When planning a concrete tour#
Check the number of participants and that you can accommodate them
Find people responsible for:
Meeting the guests and bringing them to the place
Showing the lab/explaining the research
Check the schedule and relay it to the people running the tour and the guests
Go over their checklist with people running the tour
People running the tour#
Before the tour#
Check what the guests might know and what they would like to learn
If they are familiar with the equipment, emphasize how it relates to the research
Think about the time you will have available and prepare what you would like to show in that time
Decide how much detail you need to explain, for example:
If showing equipment, tell its name, explain what it is and briefly how it works
If showing a figure: explain axes, quantities, findings, how it was produced, why it is important
During the tour#
Don’t leave the guests waiting before, during, or after the tour.
Introduce yourself with information relevant to the audience
Name
Role
Research topic
If time and number of guests allows, ask if they need a break or a coffee
Introduce the lab research
What is the field that you work on
What questions are you trying to answer
What methods or equipment do you use
Show the highlights that you would like to share
Leave room for questions
Tell how to reach you after the tour
Follow the schedule
If the guests need to go for another tour afterwards, offer help