TSG info

Our goal: The Technical Support Group ensures an optimal technical environment in which researchers perform their experiments, quality measurements are the best starting point for successful research.

To achieve this, the following objectives have been set:

• We strive for a balanced representation of knowledge about the various technical disciplines that are required.

• In order to achieve good quality we define, monitor and ensure the accuracy of solutions offered, and we innovate if possible.

• We develop and produce hardware, electronics and software that are not commercially available and that meet up to the specifications of the researcher.

• We give reliable technical advice and deliver solutions.

• We provide good lab facilities.

The TSG gives support in the following areas:

• Mechanical engineering and building hardware.
• Electronic engineering.
• Programming experimental software.
• Stimulus design.
• Lab ICT support.

When writing the code for your experiment, we use an open source tool.

You can choose between three options.

• Create your experiment in Presentation (you will need a dongle).
• Program it in Psychopy, this is a multi platform programming language (Windows, Linux, Mac) it is also an open source software tool.
• Choose for an ‘out of the box’ solution, when you want your experiment to be programmed

for you.

• We use HTML5 to programm mobile applications.

Stimuli Design is done for experiments that require digital media, such as: images, 3D animations (motion capture and key frame), video, virtual environments and interactive games.

ICT support is limited to computers and peripherals in the lab facilities.

Procedures and working agreements:

When you want information about our technical support or discuss an experiment you can send an email to tsg@socsci.ru.nl or you can pose your project to any employee of the TSG. He will determine whether he or anyone else will carry out the project. In some cases several technical disciplines have to work together, an appointment will be made to discuss the project with everyone involved.

When we accept a research project we differentiate two types of assignments:

The first is an order with material costs less than €100. You will have to provide us with a budget number, preferably by e-mail, which we will use to send an invoice tot the financial department.

The second is an order over €100. You will receive a budget form that has to be filled in with a budget number and a signature from the budget holder. After receiving the budget form we will carry out the project.

You can expect from us that we provide you with the following information :

• We inform you who will work on the project.
• We give an estimation of the time and costing involved.
• We report to you when costs or time schedules will exceed.

We expect from you that you will give us feedback during and after finishing the project in order to improve our technical support.

TSG drive: Independence, freedom, responsibility, trust in colleagues, open communication.