Laboratory Documentation & Notebooks

Documentation in the Lab

What Is Documentation? Documentation is a system of records, essential to any quality system. If a scientist can’t show evidence of their results, those results are not credible.

Functions of Documentation Record what an individual has done and observed. Establish ownership for patent purposes. Tell workers how to perform particular tasks. Establish the specifications by which to evaluate a process or product.

Functions of Documentation Demonstrate that a procedure was performed correctly. Record operating parameters of a lab instrument. Demonstrate by an evidence trail that a product meets its requirements.

Common Lab Documents Laboratory Notebooks. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Forms. Protocols. Reports. Equipment/Instrument Logbooks. Recordings from Instruments.

Common Lab Documents Electronic documents. Numbering systems (bar codes, lot numbers). Chain of custody forms. Training reports. Labels.

Laboratory Notebook

Laboratory Notebook A chronological record of an individual’s work- the primary document in a research laboratory.

Laboratory Notebook The purpose of a lab notebook is to keep a record of the experiment so you or someone else can repeat your work or understand exactly how it was done. Each laboratory notebook must be written as an individual effort, never as a group project.

Laboratory Notebook Rules The notebook should have permanently bound pages which are consecutively numbered and should be used by a single engineer or scientist. Ideas, calculations and experimental results should be entered into the notebook as soon as possible, preferably the same date they occur, so that the laboratory notebook becomes a daily record of the inventor's activities. Recopying can cause errors.

Laboratory Notebook Rules All entries should be made in the notebook in permanent black or blue ink and should be as legible and complete as possible. Write legibly. Draw a line through all errors and initial & date the corrections. Do not erase. Never use whiteout.

Laboratory Notebook Rules Notebook entries should be made without skipping pages or leaving empty spaces at the bottom of a page. To start an entry on a new page, draw a line through any unused portion of the previous page. Never tear out or remove a page from the notebook.

Laboratory Notebook Rules All photos, charts or computer printouts pertinent to the project should be permanently put in the notebook with your initials and date over the tape. No entry should be changed or added to after signature by a witness. If the inventor has any additional information or corrections, a new entry should be made. Last entry page (per lab) should be signed with the inventor's full name and dated.

How to Set Up a Notebook Page 1: Title Page The first page of the notebook should include the following information: The name of the researcher The name of the institution where the research was performed The date the notebook was started and finished Complete contact information so the notebook can be returned in case of loss.

How to Set Up a Notebook Page 2-4: Table of Contents Leave three pages after the title page for table of contents. Each of these pages should be titled Table of Contents Pages should have columns for: Lab Title Lab Date Page # (on which the lab can be found). All of this information needs to be entered into the table of contents before the lab is turned in or your lab is incomplete!

How to Setup a Notebook

How to Set Up a Notebooks Page 5: Your first notebook entry All lab write-ups need to follow the appropriate format: Title of Experiment and Date Purpose Hypothesis Materials Procedure Results Conclusion