Lab Notebooks

1
Lab Notebooks

• Its a notebook, not a neat book

STSC June 11, 2004
2

• Reference
• Writing the Laboratory Notebook,
• Howard M. Kanare
• American Chemical Society
• Washington, D.C. 1985
• ISBN 0841209332
• 27 at Amazon or BN
• (5-27 used)

3
Bad record-keeping costs.
LeMonnier, French astronomer who gets no credit
for the first sightings of the planet Uranus.
His notes were so bad that he thought it was a
comet. Discovery of Uranus is instead awarded to
Herschel. Gordon Gould had many ideas related
to the production and use of lasers. He foresaw
that they could cut steel or ignite fusion
reactions. His notes were witnessed by a
candystore notary instead of a colleague. He had
undocumented meetings with the maser people.
Years and years of legal proceedings were
required to get him some of the credit he
deserved.
4
Types of Documentation

• Notebookfactual details of experiments,
  including thought experiments, ideas, inventions,
  etc.
• Logbookfor example, a list of measurements made
  on the NMR, GPC, Balance, etc.
• Diary (Journal)What you were feeling, a personal
  record, opinionsstuff that is less factual than
  the notebook. Depending on the situation, this
  might be appropriate to place in the notebook but
  be careful to delineate fact from opinion.

5
Computer Records
This is a whole industry nowLIMS , Laboratory
notebooks. Example balances or pH meters that
are hooked into a database. A few misguided
souls have almost stopped keeping written
records. We operate on the assumption that you
are not misguided, so DO keep a decent lab
notebook. Back up your data! Good
Laboratory Practice (GLP) requires that you
PROTECT THE RAW DATA. If you need to edit
something, save a COPY of the raw data.
6
A proper notebook page

• Written as the work is performed
• Dated and signed by author
• Each section has a clear, descriptive heading
• The writing is legible and grammatically correct
• Active voice in first person
• I added the two ingredients
• Read by witness and signed/dated
• Do Not write over cross, and write above

7
(No Transcript)
8
The Right Stuff
Notebooks have to last 23 years after patent
issue. Patents take time to get, so figure 30
years longevity. Paper has to be very good (much
paper today is junk by the standards of a hundred
years ago). Notebook should be bound. No
spiral notebooks! No loose-leaf! Page layout
easy to graph, date, sign, etc. Table of
contents!
9
What to write with?
No pencils. Erasures are a definite no-no! No
aqueous-based pens (e.g., most felt-tips). Best
bet for general use black, ballpoint pen. No
white-out!! Just strike through, explain and
initial errors. Its a notebook, not a neat
book.R. Cueto There are some exceptionse.g.
field notebooks where you know it will get wet
and may not have a ready supply of pens.
10
Sticky situations
It is better to glue or tape that original paper
snippet into the lab book than it is to copy the
result. Glue acid-free white glue is best.
(Elmers?) Rubber cement is not recommended (but
used to be) Tape Archival mending tape is
recommended. There are various qualities of
tape (3M?).
11
Legal Matters
You do NOT own the notebook. You may ask for a
copy. The lab director can and should inspect
books periodically.
12
Employer Checklist

• Black, ballpoint pen used?
• Legible handwriting?
• Table of contents up-to-date?
• Entries signed/dated (October 13, 2002 better
  than 10/13/02)
• Clear headings saying what this page is about?
• Written in first person?
• Complete sentences?
• Could the work be followed by another scientist?
  (avoids jargon?)
• Is the researcher correctly thinking in the
  notebookI.e., ideas and plans and observations
  integrated and written down.
• Are entries witnessed appropriately?
• Is the notebook stored safely when not in use?

13
What goes in the notebook?

• Plans
• Realities (deviations from the plan)
• Observations
• Sketches and photographs
• Links to the notebooks of others in your group
• Links to instrument logbooks and data on disks
• Ideas a notebook is a repository of creativity
• E-mails from collaborators (tape or paste them
  in)
• Plot-as-you-go graphs do it!
• Summaries of papers you have read
• Hints and tips you may get from science friends
• Concerns and personal data.but be careful to
  delineate fact from fiction/opinion. Also,
  remember that personal info could become
  embarrassingly public! For that, use a diary.

14
Labeling Samples
Good rc.3.27b This means RCs notebook 3,
page 27, sample b. Bad if used alone PEG
solution 0.1 The label should POINT to the
detailed notebook description.
15
Great Days in Science Discovery of first
Computer Bug. What else would you do but glue it
into your notebook?HarvardSept. 9, 1945
16
First transistor amplifier, ATT Bell Labs
(Walter H. Brattain)Dec. 24, 1947