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Laboratory Notebook

FITT

(Fostering Interregional Exchange in ICT Technology Transfer)

2 | February 2010 Laboratory Notebook

Laboratory notebook in general

The laboratory notebook is an essential working tool for the researcher.

It is used for documenting and dating any experiments, work, research

results and original ideas.

In general, it is an important source for:

• understanding how the experiments were conducted

• understanding how the conclusions were formed

• understanding how the results were deduced

The laboratory notebook establishes the precedence of results or

inventions from an intellectual property standpoint. It therefore

constitutes evidence in the event of disputes relating to scientific

publications or patent applications in the United States.

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Laboratory notebook in practice:What is laboratory notebook?

Sewed notebook, without mobile sheet.

• bound notebook and numbered pages

One cover page

• Research Unit, Name of the project, Name and signature of the user(s), Name

and signature of the manager, Number of the notebook

Table of contents (first sheets)

Pages to fill in

• Footer space reserved for signatures

Description of the procedure before the table of contents

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Laboratory notebook in practice:How it looks like

• Cover page • Table of content • Page to fill in

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Laboratory notebook in practice:What to record in the laboratory notebook?

•Title of the experiment in process and

date of execution

•Precise description of handling, as one

goes along the execution, even if they did

not reach.

•List of measurements

•Noticeable facts or observations

•Interpretation and comments about the

obtained results

•Review of the results, ideas of handling to

improve and complete the results

•Every new working hypothesis

•Advance in a research

•Batch number of used material or

products

•References of used methods and devices

•Partners participation

•Working discussions

•Copy of electronically stored data, with

identification and localisation of the files.

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Who?

Who can use the ‘laboratory notebook’?

• Every people who realize researches in a research unit.

• Ideally, one notebook per person, but can also be allocated to a project or an

equipment.

• The notebook is the property of the laboratory. All information contained in the

notebook is confidential and is the property of the University.

Setting up the laboratory notebook in a research unit

• Responsibility of the researcher

Ensure the confidentiality of his researches

Follow the practical advices for the use of the notebook

Keep his notebook in an appropriate place

• Responsibility of the unit director

Order the notebooks via the responsible person

Define the notebook allocation rules

Ensure the archiving

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Where and When?

This laboratory notebook established by the LIEU network was granted

by the Walloon Region and the European Union.

It was adopted simultaneously by all the French speaking universities in

Belgium in 2005.

The use of the notebook is mandatory within the framework of research

convention financed by the DGTRE (General direction for Technology,

Research and Energy of the Walloon Region.)

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Why to use the laboratory notebook (1)

Scientifically: memory of the researcher

• Prevent from reinventing the existing

• Time saving / Simplification of the work

For the research of information

For publications / reports / patents writing

For experimentation reproduction

• Avoid the loss of information

Loss of sheets

Walkout of a researcher

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Why to use the laboratory notebook (2)

Juridical: results protection

• Mean to define the know-how of the laboratory at a given time

• Interest for contracts

clearly identify the confidential information and the exact contribution of each

• Proof in case of litigation

Demonstrate the originality of an idea

• Interest for patents

Patent application can lean on these recorded data (on condition that they were not publicized before the patent fill in)

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Pro’s & Cons (1 slide)

Pro’s

• Laboratory notebook is

The memory of the researchers / the laboratory (traceability)

An element for excellence and professionalism in the field of scientific research

A key element in the technology transfer policy

An essential tool for the process of protection for the research results (proof mean)

Cons

The procedure of use in the lab must be clearly defined

Sometimes it is considered as a too heavy addition of work

Need for frequent awareness sessions by the TT officer

It still happens that no notebook or other type of notebook are still in use: it can cause

problems in IP management.

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Lessons Learned

A satisfaction survey was organized in 2009. Interesting lessons were

learned with this feedback from the users:

• There is a need for frequent awareness sessions:

Other types than the LIEU notebook are still in use. Uniformity is not yet accomplished.

Some labs do not use any notebook.

Procedure of use is not always well understood and applied

• Interesting remarks about the design of the notebook that can be adapted for

the next printing.

Spiral-bound notebook for easier manipulation (with an unanswerable spiral), margin reduction (for more place

for the content), A4+ format (to glue an A4 doc without the necessity of cutting it),…

• Too many labs criticize the price of the notebook

Solutions are under investigation to reduce the costs.

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Outcome

Plans for the future?

• One possible evolution can be the Electronic laboratory notebook

• Electronic laboratory notebook must maintain the same highest standards

than the paper version

In a scientific and traceability point of view

In a juridical point of view (signature, certain date, data secure, avoid from falsification…)

• PRO’s

All files are linked to an experiment (database)

Notebook in network, remote access, interactive

• CON’s

More difficult to set up (Transcription of data…)

Expensive commercial solutions, often adapted to a specific scientific discipline (from 400 to 7000€)

Evolution with operating systems?

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Suggested Reading

Link to code book

• LIEU

• Research result

• Invention

• Intellectual property

• Patent