Keeping Your Research Notebook

1
Keeping Your Research Notebook

• For RTT August. 2004

2
Reasons to Keep A Good Notebook

• Keep yourself organized
• Defend your research
• Make your Advisor/Mentor happy
• Protect your patent rights

3
Types of Acceptable Notebooks

• All Notebooks MUST have glued or sewn in pages
• Pages should not be perforated
• Composition books are acceptable
• Computer Logs are NOT allowed
• Spiral notebooks are NOT allowed
• Loose-leaf pages are NOT allowed

4
Writing in Your Notebook

• Use only permanent pens (dark blue or black)
• NO pencils or erasable ink
• NO whiteout allowed
• Mistakes should have a single line drawn through
  them
• Do not obliterate mistakes in your notebook

5
Writing in Your Notebook (continued)

• Number each page in the upper right corner
• Write only on the front of each page
• Tape or glue stick your graphs and printouts
  into your notebook
• Include e-mails in your Notebook

6
Writing in Your Notebook (continued)

• Date each entry (Month, Day, Year)
• Enter all information directly in your notebook
• Include all sources with annotated bibliography
  entries
• Place research DIRECTLY into your notebook as
  soon as you find the info

7
Writing in Your Notebook (continued)

• Do NOT include names, addresses, or other
  personal information about human subjects in your
  notebook
• Use codes instead
• Keep consent forms, collected papers, original
  survey sheets, etc. in a 3-ring notebook

8
Writing in Your Notebook (continued)

• End your entry by drawing a single horizontal
  line, initialing, and dating the line
• You may start the next entry directly below this
  line

9
Parts of Your Research Notebook

• Cover of Notebook
• Your Name
• Project Name
• School and Year
• Table of Contents
• Leave First 5 Pages empty, but numbered
• List Entries by Pages

10
Parts of Your Research Notebook (Continued)

• Data Entries
• Follow format consistently throughout notebook
• Use your notebook as a place to keep data
• Bibliography
• Leave Last 5 pages open as a Bibliography
• Use MLA format for all entries

11
Final Thoughts About Notebooks

• Keep your notebook accurate
• Keep your notebook current
• Keep your notebook neat
• You may have multiple notebooks for a project
• Guard your notebook (No notebook, no Project)