Lab Handbook

Guidelines for Subject Testing at CRL

Introduction

Welcome to the Center for Research in Language. As an experimenter in our lab, you represent us when interacting (in person or by phone/e-mail) with research participants and colleagues at CRL. Your faculty, post-doctoral or graduate student mentor should be available to answer most questions related to setting up an experiment. If they are not available, you might ask the experienced post-docs and graduate students working in the lab for help.

During your initial contact with CRL you will be shown around the lab and given some basic information regarding the access to the bullpen machines (used for development) as well as the subject-testing computers. You will also be given access to our experiment repository where you can view and copy scripts to modify for your own purposes.

CRL currently does not hold regular lab meetings, so we encourage everyone to discuss their current research during the informal "Happy Half-Hour" on Tuesdays at 3:30 pm in CSB 215 before the weekly 4:00 pm CRL Talks series.

For technical questions, please use the Technical Support Contact Form or see Luis or Bob in person for more urgent needs.

Lab Access

Please visit Luis in CSB 215A to request a door code. If he is not available, see Bob in CSB 215C. Your door code is unique to you, so please do not give your personal code to anyone else, even if you know they have access to the lab. In rare cases, we can assign a code that you might already be using in another lab so you don't need to memorize multiple door codes.

Research Participants (Human Subjects)

The online tutorial listed below MUST be taken and completed successfully by both, main experimenters and RA's, before any human-subject/experimenter interaction takes place. Please print your completion certificate and bring a copy for CRL's records.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has instituted a training requirement for key personnel on grants that include research involving human subjects. The following online tutorial and assessment is provided as a way for UCSD faculty, staff and students to meet this training requirement.

Human Subjects Research Tutorial and Assessment

Recruiting Subjects

You must become familiar with the online Psychology Experiment Scheduling tool, also known as Experimetrix. This tool is provided by the Psychology department in order to gain access to UCSD's subject pool. Be sure to understand participants' rights and the rules to using the subject population before you begin testing.

IMPORTANT: Any person, experimenter or subject, canceling an appointment MUST do so with at least 24 hours notice.

Forms

Please provide a copy of the forms/documents listed below prior to testing subjects.

NOTE: All documents for a particular experiment should be kept in the appropriate testing room and should be ready for testing before the subject's arrival.

Copy of current and UCSD IRB approved protocol.You must be listed as a co-investigator on your supervisor’s current and approved UCSD human subject protocol.

Copy of the UCSD’s IRB department letter of approval for your protocol.

Copy of the current and stamped Human Subjects Consent Form you will be using during testing.
IMPORTANT: Anyone under the age of 18 MUST sign a special consent form for minors.
NOTE: Consent forms are renewed yearly and MUST NOT be used past the date of expiration. Please ask your Research Supervisor to verify this information before you begin testing.

Other forms
If you video tape or audio tape your experiment, be aware that the completion of Audiotape recording and Videotape recording Consent Forms is a must, prior to any testing.

Please check with your Research Supervisor to see if there are any other special forms that apply to your experiment.

Testing Rooms

The rooms CSB 213A through G are our subject testing rooms. The exception is CSB 213E which is our A/V Control Room which is connected to our adjacent recording booth.

213E AV Control Room

This room is for recording audio stimuli or for recording digital video. Please reserve this room on our calendar, but do not schedule this room for subject testing.

213D