Lab Notebooks Reference: Writing the Laboratory Notebook, Howard M. Kanare American Chemical Society Washington, D.C. 1985 ISBN: 0841209332 $27 at Amazon or B&N ($5-$27 used) Adapted by Burgess, May 2012

Bad record-keeping costs. Uranus 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. Laser 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.

Types of Documentation Notebook—factual details of experiments, including thought experiments, ideas, inventions, etc. Logbook—for example, a list of measurements made on the NMR, Balance, etc. Difference from Diary or Journal— What you were feeling, a personal record, opinions—stuff 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.

Computer Records This is an entire industry —LIMS , Laboratory notebooks. Example: balances or pH meters that are hooked into a database. A few misguided souls have almost stopped keeping written records. 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.

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

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!

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 once, explain and initial errors. “It’s a notebook, not a neat book.”—R. Cueto *There are some exceptions—e.g. field notebooks where you know it will get wet and may not have a ready supply of pens.

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. (Elmer’s?) Rubber cement is not recommended (but used to be) Tape: Archival mending tape is recommended. There are various qualities of tape (3M?).

Legal Matters You do NOT own the notebook. You may ask for a copy. The lab director can and should inspect books periodically.

Employer Checklist Black, ballpoint pen used? Legible handwriting? Table of contents up-to-date? Entries signed/dated (October 13, 2012 better than 10/13/12) 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 notebook”—i.e., ideas and plans and observations integrated and written down. Are entries witnessed appropriately? Is the notebook stored safely when not in use?

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.

Labeling Samples Good: rc.3.27b This means RC’s notebook #3, page 27, sample b. Bad if used alone: PEG solution 0.1% The label should POINT to the detailed notebook description.

Documented Great Days in Science Discovery of first Computer Bug What else would you do but glue it into your notebook? Harvard, Sept. 9, 1945

Lab notebook notes from the First transistor amplifier AT&T Bell Labs Walter H. Brattain Dec. 24, 1947