Research Skills

1
Research Skills Ethics

• Lecture 3 Your Laboratory Notebook - The Whys,
  Wherefores, and Hows

2
Truth or Consequences...

• A Secret Service analysis concluded that as much
  as one-third of the information in the notebooks
  was not authentic. Indeed, Imanishi-Kari later
  testified that she occasionally recorded data
  from experiments months after they had been
  performed.

Rayl, A.J.S. The Scientist (1991) November 11,
18-20.Misconduct Case Stresses Importance of
Good Notekeeping.
3
Doing it Right - It is Important, Why?

• Your Dissertation
• Your Research Support (Industrial, Governmental)
• Technical Papers
• U.S. Patents

4
The Lab Notebook Contains...

• Record of experimental results
• Analysis of experiments
• Calculations relevant to experiments
• Plans for new experiments
• Record of scientific progress on project

5
So, Who Should Keep One?

• Everyone whether experimentalist, theorist, or
  computer programmer

6
Whose Property Is It?

• Northeastern Universitys
• Your research advisors
• Your companys (employment agreement)
• You may or may not be permitted to retain a copy
  depending on your situation
• Notebook should remain in the lab at ALL times

7
The Lab Notebook is Distinguished By

• Permanent edge binding spiral or comb binding
  not acceptable in patent law.
• Consecutively numbered PAIRS of pages
• Pages which cannot be removed from notebook (in
  some one page per pair can be removed)
• May contain carbon paper though some are
  carbonless

8
General Procedures

• Neatness DOES count. Can you read it? Can your
  colleagues read it?
• ALWAYS use ONLY blue or black permanent
  ball-point ink
• ALWAYS use English and write in first person
  active voice
• Who did the work???

9
General Procedures (contd)

• Write ALL words out. Do NOT use
  private/personally created abbreviations or code
  
• DO write simply and clearly - avoid technospeak
• NEVER use scratch paper
• NEVER rely on your memory

10
General Procedures (contd)

• Write everything down when you think of it in
  sequence
• Use significant figures when recording original
  data
• Record data using proper units
• Date ALL work
• Be sure to include the YEAR
• Never backdate data

11
General Procedures (contd)

• NEVER remove any page from your notebook
• Begin each new experiment on a separate clean
  page of your notebook
• NEVER leave blank pages or blank sections on page
• Place a single diagonal line through the blank
  space

12
General Procedures (contd)

• NEVER erase, obliterate, or write over anything
  in your notebook
• Make corrections by placing a single diagonal
  line through error and initial and date the
  erroneous entry
• If possible ALL entries should be signed, dated,
  and read by another chemist in your lab

13
General Procedures (contd)

• Be careful what you write do not make negative
  comments which later might indicate abandonment
  of idea (patent)
• DO draw pictures
• Ideally, use one notebook per project. If
  impossible make it clear what project each entry
  refers to

14
General Procedures (contd)

• ALL relevant primary data (dated and signed)
  should appear PASTED in the notebook. Whenever
  possible reduce data to tables
• Each entry should be COMPETENT. Must not require
  special interpretation by YOU
• no secret codes
• no personal abbreviations

15
The Golden Rule-Krull and Swartz

• If you do not write it down, it did not happen.
  Period.

16
Team Projects and Notebooks

• Each investigator should keep separate notebook
  documenting his/her contributions
• Each notebook must completely and independently
  contain project
• Project should NOT be split between 2 or more
  notebooks
• Role of each team should periodically be clearly
  indicated in notebook

17
Table of Contents

• Reserve first 3 or 4 pairs of pages
• Experiment title, complete date, and page number
  should be specified

18
Notebook Format

• Top Line
• Descriptive title
• Date - including year
• Full name of anyone working with you
• Purpose Brief introduction
• What are you doing?
• Why are you doing it?
• How are you going to do it?

19
Notebook Format

• Procedure
• step-by-step
• stand alone
• may include drawing of any apparatus
• instrumentation - include manufacturer, model and
  date of last calibration

20
Notebook Format

• Results
• All samples should be assigned a unique
  identification number
• spectral data should be filed on diskette, backed
  up on second diskette, AND on paper (pasted into
  notebook)
• Use tables whenever possible

21
Notebook Format

• Analysis
• all data should be analyzed
• analysis should be performed IN your notebook
• at least ONE example calculation of each kind
  should be worked out IN notebook
• major sources of error should be identified

22
Useful Information

• What materials used?
• Manufacturer including address
• Catalog number
• Lot number
• Purity
• How stored? frozen solution? dessicator?
• Where stored in lab?

23
Useful Information

• All samples should be coded and location of each
  sample identified

24
Useful Information

• What Instrumentation
• Manufacturer including address
• Model number
• Serial number
• Date purchased, if known
• Evidence of proper function

25
Useful Information

• Frequently used Molecular Weight Data
• Molar extinction coefficients
• Frequently used equations for calculations
  performed in notebook
• Names of all collaborators
• Names and Telephone Numbers of Instrumentation
  Service Engineers, Sales representatives, etc.

26
The Full Proof Notebook Test

• Can a peer pick up my notebook and accurately
  determine what I did, how I did it, what I found
  (results) and what it means WITHOUT speaking to
  me AND can he/she step into the laboratory and
  repeat the experiment with the same quality of
  results?