I am new to a small team (4-5 people) at a research group. Naturally, I depend on others showing me how many things work at the office (it is my first experience working at a university after all).
However, the professor as well as most of my colleagues decided to work from home (which means I am usually alone at the office). Sometimes, one of the other PhD students is around. However, since the professor is not at the office, he uses the time to do private business in the research lab. Usually I would not mind, since it is none of my business, but it bothers me for two reasons:
- Actually, since I am new to the working group, I would expect him to explain to me the state of his research and how the methods work, that he uses, so that we can collaborate (we share some projects together and, after all, I think this is what a working group is for)
- This student is payed by the tax money of my fellow citizens. And he uses the infrastructure (office, building, etc.) to conduct his own business. I think this is not fair.
Also, when I try to have some scientific discussions he blocks it of as he is either busy with his own research or with his side business.
I don’t wanna be the one who goes to the professor and tells her what other students are doing. However, I want a working atmosphere where people actually do research and not private business. Also, I really don’t want to dictiate other PhD students what to do with their time. Is there any good way to handle this?
Edit: The answers until now suggest that it is only something between the student and the professor. But I disagree. Scientific work has always been done together. It cannot be expected from newcomers to exactly know how to do specific scientific research if no one ever showed them how to do it. (And being a student and being a PhD student are still two different things). Usually in labs you are being taught how the simplest microscope works. Why should it be different with methods that work solely on a computer?
In many books and dissertations the authors thank their coworkers and supervisors for ‘fruitful discussions’. And also if those words are often spoken out of politeness, I’d say it is one of the main pillars of scientific research. As one professor recently said in an interview (here: 34:30):
Unfortunately, it is often forgotten that science is a social endeveour. Because often people think of the big intellectuals when they think about science, who sit at their desk and write their monographs […]. However, this is only a part of what it means to do science, but which of course in the public opinion replaces (german: übertünchen) what science really is. Namely, a cooperative undertaking.”
“Wissenschaft ist eine soziale Praxis. Das wird leider sehr oft vergessen, weil oft denkt man bei Wissenschaft an die großen Intellektuellen in ihren Schreibstuben, die irgendwelche Monographien raushauen alle paar Jahre. Das ist wirklich nur ein Randsegment der Wissenschaft, das aber natürlich in der öffentlichen Wahrnehmung übertüncht was eigentlich die wissenschaftliche Praxis ist. Das ist ein kooperatives Unternehmen.”
When it is not written on other publications, monographs, etc. it is because it is taken for granted.