Keeping a Laboratory Notebook
After “Writing the Laboratory Notebook”, Howard M. Kanare, ACS, 1985
Reasons for a Notebook Good skill for most professions – discipline and patience Part of the thinking process Records experimental details and observations must be clear concise and complete another person must be able to repeat experiment To enable analysis, discussion, evaluation, interpretation of data Important aid to report and thesis writing
Discovery of Uranus by William Herschel in 1781 “If the writings were held in order, a simple glance would have shown to LeMonnier that he had observed a moving heavenly body, and the name of this astronomer, instead of the name of Herschel, would be found forever next to the name of one of the principal planets of the solar system. LeMonnier’s records were the picture of chaos. …LeMonnier, in reviewing his records, found that he had observed three times the so-called comet of Herschel in 1763 and 1769.”
Francois Arago (1857)
Discovery of Lasers
Gould vs Townes and Schawlow Townes and Schawlow received the patent and the Nobel prize, but the invention is described in Gould’s notebook. But when was the notebook written?
Records
Laboratory notebook One owner, practical and thought experiments, factual Diary/personal journal Synopsis of daily work, opinions Logbook Multiple owners, chronological, fixed location, often lose-leafed, national standards in some fields Daily chamber sheets CO2 delivery log
Proper Notebook Page
Entry must be written in real-time Dated and signed Sections must have clear descriptive headings Legible and grammatical Active voice Read by a second person, dated and signed
Hardware of a Notebook Must be a bound notebook Acid-free paper Pen not pencil Ball point not felt tip If not pre-formated (fill-in-the-form type) standard format should be used Carbon paper okay for students Pages should be numbered Graphs and photocopies can be pasted or taped into book
Ethics and Legal Aspects Academic dishonesty is illegal Most work is “for hire” – it is the intellectual property of the employer Universities have legal obligations to funding sources Most funding sources have reporting requirements but do not claim intellectual ownership Most funding sources require publication Know and respect the legal obligations between you and employer
Management of Notekeeping In universities, notekeeping is usually learned by osmosis Research advisor’s should frequently inspect student’s notebooks to “stay in touch” and prepare student for industry Many employers complain that new employees do not know how to keep notebooks, especially in the chemical industry
Check list Black ball point pen Legible and unambiguous (neat handwriting, good English) Table of contents Each entry signed and dated Clear, grammatical heading that describes each section First person No blank pages Complete, could another researcher repeat the work Checked and signed by second person Place of safe keeping – collection, storage, preservation
Organizing and Writing a Notebook Be flexible Notebook is a tool Allow space on bench for labbook Front matter – Title Signout Instructions Table of contents Preface Table of abbreviations (inside back cover) Number pages
Organizing and Writing a Notebook (continued) “Chance only favors the prepared mind” – Louis Pasteur
Body of notebook Plan work Make safety notes Record data and observations Describe inventions Track personnel assignments Review progress Track supplies and equipment
Organizing and Writing a Notebook (continued) Laboratory research experiments Introduction Experimental plan Observations and data Use drawings, graphs, tables, and loose sheets Page numbers Discussion Conclusions Literature surveys Notebook as a training record Grammar, style and tone “Elements of Style”, Strunk and White
Examples
Da Vinci’s notebook on eclipses
Faraday’s notebook on induction
Fleming’s notebook on penecilin
Baekeland’s notebook on bakelite
Patents and Inventions Notebook essential and requires
Accurate and complete Date and witness
Electronic Notebooks Factors to consider
Writing and reading Transporting Security Storage
