Etiquette and Conduct
Etiquette and Conduct
While it may seem intuitive, maintaining a sense of professionalism as a researcher is always important. As a student, a lot of your relationships with superiors, including mentors and PIs, may be really informal which makes it easy to get comfortable. While it is great to build these kinds of relationships, it is important to remember proper etiquette when communicating with people you have never met or do not know well. When speaking with a professor, it is a good idea to always refer to them as Dr. or Professor. This is a good rule of thumb with anyone you meet who has a PhD/MD. In many cases, they may refer to themselves by their first name in emails, but it is still a good idea to refer to them as Dr. unless they explicitly say to call them by their first name. Just remember they have worked hard to earn that title and deserve to be given it at their own discretion. There will likely be instances where you need to communicate with someone, and you don’t know their title. If you’re not sure, look them up! Still don’t know? It is always a safe bet to refer to them as Dr. if you have any doubt. Now in most cases, your lab’s PI will tell you to refer to him/her by their first name, but when in doubt, it is best to remain formal.
When it comes to writing an email, the level of formality depends on the context. If you are sending a cold email to someone you do not know, formal is best. This means including a proper salutation (“Dear” if formal or “Hello” in less formal settings), a concise but clear body of text, and a closing (Thank you, Sincerely, Best, or Regards) followed by an email signature or your name. Once you have developed a relationship with your boss/PI, it may be tempting to write more informal emails without a salutation or closing. In some cases this may be okay, but it really is dependent on the context and how formal your PI’s emails are. As a general rule of thumb, always use a similar or more formal email etiquette as the superior you are communicating with.
