KeepingaLabNotebook

GarlandCrawford,PhDMuscleAssemblyGroup

LaboratoryofMuscleBiology

NIAMS,NIH

TakeHomeMessage

Alabnotebookisatoolforeffectiveresearch,notanend.

Overview

•  WhyKeepaNotebook?•  TypesofNotebooks•  Organization•  NotebookManagement

ReasonsforKeepingaNotebook

•  Recordoriginalintent•  Preservedataandobservations•  Assistotherswithunderstandingandreproducingyourobservations

•  Supportintellectualpropertyclaims

•  Defendagainstfalseallegationsofresearchmisconduct

•  Primesourceforwritingadissertationorpaper

TypesofNotebooks

•  Boundnotebook•  Loose‐leafnotebook•  Electronicnotebook– LabTrack– LiveScribe

Pens

http://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/cpurrin1/notebookadvice.htm

BoundNotebook

•  Pagesaresewnorgluedtogether•  Advantages– Portable– Simpleset‐up– Common

BoundNotebook

•  Disadvantages– Noteasilysearchable– Requiresreferencetootherdata– Difficulttoduplicate– Requireslegiblehandwriting

Loose‐leafNotebook

•  “ThreeRingBinder”•  Advantages– Pre‐formatteddatasheets.

– Allowsprimarydatatobekeptadjacenttoexperimentalentries

Loose‐leafNotebook

•  Disadvantages– Noteasilysearchable– Easier,butstilldifficulttoduplicate– Requireslegiblehandwriting– Pagesmay“fallout”

ElectronicNotebook

http://medblog.stanford.edu/lane‐faq/archives/2008/06/class‐electroni‐1.html

ElectronicNotebook

•  Computerprogramorcomputerrecord–LiveTrack•  Pencapture–LiveScribe•  Advantages

–  Searchable–  Legible–  Ifappropriatelybackedup,cannotbemisplaced,lost,or

accidentallydestroyed–  Easiertoincorporatecomputerfiles–  Enormousamountsofdatacanbestoredinasmallspace–  Security–  Uniformsystem–  Canbesharedbyagroup–  Canbeaccessedremotely

ElectronicNotebook

•  Disadvantages– Requiresencryptedlaptopforeasyportability– Theftordamage– Transcriptionerror– Datacanbelostifnotbackedup– Datamaybecomeinaccessibledueto“upgrades”– “CutandPaste”protocols

Organization

•  Frontsection•  Body

OrganizationFrontSection

•  Frontsection– Notebookname(GLC001)–  Preface

•  Name,affiliation,co‐workers•  Goaloftheworkandanyprogresstodate•  Locationofthework,equipment,samples•  Funding

–  Tableofabbreviations•  Listofabbreviationsused•  Abbreviationsforequipment•  Describesamplelabeling

OrganizationFrontSection

•  Frontsection– Tableofcontents•  Dates•  Pagenumbers

•  Subject

WritingtheLaboratoryNotebook,Kanare,ACS,1985

Exercise

•  Takeafewminutes•  Describewhatyousee

OrganizationBody

•  Writeenoughdetailthatanotherresearchercouldrepeatyourworkbasedonyourwrittendescriptionsandmakethesameobservations

Observations

•  Reagents:source,productnumber,lotnumber,expirationdate,howstored

•  Numberandvolumeinwashes•  Cellsused:source,passagenumber•  Centrifugespeeds•  Heatingratesandlevelsofagitation•  Timebetweenandduringsteps•  Instruments:type,calibration•  Typeofwaterused•  Gelpercentages

ANotebookPage

•  Writtenimmediatelyafterworkwasperformed•  InEnglish•  Dated(24June2010)•  Signed•  Clear,descriptiveheadings•  Legibleandgrammatical•  Activevoiceinthefirstperson•  Indicateswhodidthework•  Readbyawitness,signedanddated

WritingtheLaboratoryNotebook,Kanare,ACS,1985

BodyHeadings

•  Introduction•  Experimentalplan

•  Observationsanddata•  Discussion•  Conclusions

Body‐Introduction

•  Shorttermgoalofthework•  Whyisitundertaken?

•  Whatpreviousworkwasdone?

•  Citetheliterature•  Whywastheapproachtaken?

•  Whatprojecttheresearchwaspartof?

Body–ExperimentalDesign

•  Descriptionoftheplannedexperiment•  Whowilldothework?

•  Workflow

•  Referencestopreviouswork•  Establishedprotocols•  Materialstobeused

•  Safety

Body–ObservationsandData

•  Recordofobservations•  Objectiveandhonest•  Rawdata•  Avoidinterpretations•  Whodidthework?

Body‐Discussion

•  Reflectonwhatyoudid•  Interpreteddata•  “Thinkinginthenotebook”•  Notarestatementofdata

Body‐Conclusions

•  Summary•  Youroverallinterpretation•  Wasthegoalachieved?

•  Qualityofexperimentaldesign

•  Whattododifferently?

•  Thenextstep

NotebookManagement

ElectronicFiles

•  Mediaused– Permanentstorage–  Images– Sequences– Readouts

•  Indexing/Referencing– Allocationofspace– Access/sharedfolders– Clearlylabeledstoragelocation

MakingCorrections

•  Singlemarkthrough

•  Attachingnotes– Donotpasteoversomethingelse

– Signanddate

2783 2785

WritingtheLaboratoryNotebook,Kanare,ACS,1985

MakingCorrections–Electronic

•  Usesoftwaretotrackchanges•  Maintainallelectroniccopies

•  Donotkeeponlyasinglefile•  Errorsthatchangedatainterpretation

OtherThoughts

•  Donotripoutpagesorleavepagesblank•  Updateestablishedprotocols•  Failedexperiments

•  Multiplenotebooks

•  Avoid“obvious”or“abandoned”•  Donottakeitfromthelab

•  Blockofftimetoreview

Conclusion

•  Ifyoudidn’twriteitdown,itdidn’thappen•  Keepingnotebooksisadevelopedskill•  Continuetoimprove

•  Atoolforbetterresearch,notanendinitself

Questions