Lab Notebooks

[Golden Applesauce]

I know we have some scientist-types here, so I thought I'd ask:
How important is it that a lab notebook containing raw data be kept with the notebooks containing procedures and documentation?  For example, if you had a study about a novel anti-osteoporosis drug in rats, and you had one notebook detailing all the procedures used, another journal/notebook containing the day-to-day observations of the scientists involved, another notebook containing necropsy reports of the animals, and another notebook containing tons of x-rays of the lab rats, would any of those be valuable without the others?  I'm thinking that just having one or two notebooks from the set would be pretty useless.

[Requia ☣]

Do people still use paper records?

[Vene]

The one with the procedures would be valuable by itself. I'm not seeing the other ones as being that useful without knowing what was done. But, this is assuming that everything was kept in separate notebooks. Which, strikes me as a poor idea and something to avoid if at all possible.

[Template]

I know we have some scientist-types here, so I thought I'd ask:
How important is it that a lab notebook containing raw data be kept with the notebooks containing procedures and documentation?  For example, if you had a study about a novel anti-osteoporosis drug in rats, and you had one notebook detailing all the procedures used, another journal/notebook containing the day-to-day observations of the scientists involved, another notebook containing necropsy reports of the animals, and another notebook containing tons of x-rays of the lab rats, would any of those be valuable without the others?  I'm thinking that just having one or two notebooks from the set would be pretty useless.

Paper trail is supremely important.  Best to keep original notebooks, but also update a master, digital record of procedures and any changes in procedure.

Also, just use one notebook at a time.  Simpler time-record.  Perhaps one diary per active researcher, but only one at a time.

[Jasper]

I haven't done a great deal of science, but when I do attempt it I keep as much documentation as possible.  Never know what might be important later.

[Faust]

Always keep a personal record notebook that has more detail to the one you submit, it can save your ass in so many situations. For instance if everything goes horribly wrong it can show that you put the work in.

Or lets say for example a member of the group goes nuts, steals everything you did and leaves. If he was acting suspicious prior and you noted and dated it, it could well be your defense when people come waggling fingers.

[Jasper]

Does that happen much?

I mean, it is the plot device in a lot of sci-fi, but...

[Kai]

I know we have some scientist-types here, so I thought I'd ask:
How important is it that a lab notebook containing raw data be kept with the notebooks containing procedures and documentation?  For example, if you had a study about a novel anti-osteoporosis drug in rats, and you had one notebook detailing all the procedures used, another journal/notebook containing the day-to-day observations of the scientists involved, another notebook containing necropsy reports of the animals, and another notebook containing tons of x-rays of the lab rats, would any of those be valuable without the others?  I'm thinking that just having one or two notebooks from the set would be pretty useless.

1. Documentation is important, but the form of documentation depends on the science. If you are a chemist, engineer, inventor, or do many complicated experiments, a notebook is a pure necessity. Backing up this with computer copies is also important, but a penned notebook with dates (and signatures if necessary) shows when and what work you did, becoming a legal document.

Other scientists make keep scattered notes just to understand whats going on in their head. A notebook can help organize these thoughts. Field biologists widely benefit from something called the Grinnell System (http://www.your-nature-journal.com/grinnell-system.html).

2. Unless you are using something like the Grinnell System, it is best to only have one or two notebooks.



Personally, I keep two black bound and squared notebooks for my research, one for anything dealing with my thesis or Trichoptera, and the other for any other scientific work or musings.

I suggest reading http://www.amazon.com/Laboratory-Notebook-American-Chemical-Publication/dp/0841209332 for more information on keeping laboratory notebooks.

[Golden Applesauce]

Thanks.

Just on a side note, I'm not actually doing science.  A local company decided to sell off its prescription pharmaceuticals, and the buying company needs to get all of the relevant research, but the original company has all its prescription drug research and over-the-counter research mixed up together ... and they have at least 5,000 boxes of notebooks and raw data to go through.  But they decided to hire a document processing company with little technical expertise, so instead of sorting by content we are going by "keywords."  So if notebook #10,000 is a study about a drug that is getting sold off, that might go to the other company, but notebook #10,000A, clearly labeled as an "adjunct notebook" to #10,000, might have nothing but x-rays of the animals in the study ... and since the name of the drug isn't printed on the x-rays themselves, that notebook gets kept.