Lab Notebooks

It is essential to keep a detailed record of your research activities. You should take detailed notes on how you organize your files, rendered your figures, any data analysis parameters, and so on. You will need these when you’re preparing the research for publication and when you’re writing up your thesis or dissertation. Keeping detailed logs is also enables more fruitful collaborations.

All members of lab are required to keep a lab notebook that is accessible to the PI and any other collaborators. You should keep a record of your research activities on a day to day basis. In addition, lab members must compile a written report on each of their projects’ progress at least once per quarter. These reports should also be kept in your lab notebook. Many students keep notes on meetings as well, which helps greatly in project management.

For ease of access and security, you should keep your notebook electronically so that it can be hosted/shared online with your PI and collaborators. If you like to take notes on paper, please scan those pages in and upload to your electronic lab notebook.

Pbwiki: The preferred lab notebook platform at the moment: Create a workspace and invite me using my gmail email (apsaygin).

See also: (Business) Papers, Funding, Research Integrity and EthicsLab Policies, Writing.

More:
Open Wetware
eCAT
An Online Lab Notebook
Blogger
Huge list of Wiki Options
Collaborative Online Drawing

Links:
Open Notebook Science
Lab Notebooks in Biological Sciences
On Open Lab Notebook Software