In the NIH format of writing up an experiment, the aim, methods, results, etc. are clear and follow one another in order. This standard of writing is good, but it is not always feasible in the lab where one is working, thinking, and recording constantly.
Should I keep a "rough" lab notebook for day to day use and a "clean" one just for recording experiments? The only problem that I see with this strategy is that the rough notebook is actually more revealing as to the chronological thought process of the scientist and therefore more important than the clean one. I don't know if having dual notebooks is even allowed under NIH guidelines.
I want my notebook to be useful for future readers, but I don't want to painstakingly record while in the midst of an experiment. I want to jot down interesting things without carving them in the stone of my lab notebook.
Hello David.
Recording lab work is not a simple task for everyone. However, as you mentioned, it would not be necessary to write everything in the middle of focused and concentrated works. You could do in a new experimental work on a specific day and the same expt repeatedly in a whole month. Then, you could refer the full description of the page, "Cell lysis as in page 123 except for that 30 min of rocking procedure was included at 4C." "Other procedures were exactly the same." Thus, if they are routine, you could put the section titles alone without the details that has already been described in previous experimental day.
Make brief once they were described before in the notebook. So you may see the Date, Title and all others are very brief in lots of pages. When you have an exciting day with fantastic results, try to make them in detail for reproducible results.
Regards.
Hello David.
Recording lab work is not a simple task for everyone. However, as you mentioned, it would not be necessary to write everything in the middle of focused and concentrated works. You could do in a new experimental work on a specific day and the same expt repeatedly in a whole month. Then, you could refer the full description of the page, "Cell lysis as in page 123 except for that 30 min of rocking procedure was included at 4C." "Other procedures were exactly the same." Thus, if they are routine, you could put the section titles alone without the details that has already been described in previous experimental day.
Make brief once they were described before in the notebook. So you may see the Date, Title and all others are very brief in lots of pages. When you have an exciting day with fantastic results, try to make them in detail for reproducible results.
Regards.
Professor Sang Ho Lee discussed exactly.
Actually, It's really very hard to maintain lab note book regularly. However, it's a good practice to evaluate lab note at the end of each week. For the future readers, it will be very effective if troubleshooting of research been noted and clearly recorded negative findings also.
Good Luck! David
in addition make sure to label, date/code each page in the notebook, it make it easy to find certain method/protocol easier. you can also ask for a supervisor to read your note book once a while. the person should read and understand. I think it is better to have only one notebook. clean or not dose not matter much. it should be just precise/ clear and accurate.
I think it is best to use one notebook at a time, and as Armin said, make sure that you label and date each page in the notebook. Many bound notebooks have an area in the front where you can make a table of contents, which makes it easier to find things quickly. This is very helpful if you are working on many different projects at one time. If there isn't a ToC section, I make my own and attach it to the inside cover.
As for protocols, many labs have standard protocols for procedures that are kept in the lab (we have binders full of protocols). That way, you can write in your notebook that you followed a certain protocol, and add the details. For instance, times and temperatures of the different steps in immunohistochemistry. In the lab in which I work, we write on the right hand page of the book only, so that leaves the left hand page as an area where we can tape the images that are printed from image analysis (we don't use electronic notebooks), or the printed output from the statistical analysis software.
I agree that it takes discipline to be organized while writing your notebook. Include all details that you think that you would need to replicate the procedure, and usually someone else will be able to do that (Armin's precise/clear and accurate). If you save electronic files of data, make sure that you note the name of the file and the place that it is stored, so that someone in the lab can access it if necessary.
Good Luck!
Jill
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