MANAGEMENT OF AND SCIENTIFIC ACCESS TO DATA Michelle (Shelley) Barton S9.8116b, MD Anderson SOURCES: “ASBMB Today”, September Barker, K. “At the Bench: A Laboratory Navigator” Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press UCSD Office of Technology Transfer

TAKE HOME LESSONS Your stored data in notebooks and on the computer are your only record and only defense. It must be readable and verifiable. You should get the credit you deserve from your work. DO THE RIGHT THING… the consequences of cheating are not worth it!

A “permanent” record > 5 years (some say infinity) owned by the institution [not you!] LEGAL documents questions of ethics questions of patent rights questions of authorship YOUR NOTEBOOK…

THE FORMAT: YOUR NOTEBOOK… Bound vs binder vs electronic

Pro’s and con’s of each format: Bound - a pain to carry around but best for legal reasons legacy of your work in the lab Looseleaf binder - easiest to use portability to bench far too easy to lose sheets or alter Electronic - best for specific data has unpredictable problems lab server may be best back-up

Bound vs binder vs electronic BACK-UP YOUR DATA!! ANY FORMAT NEEDS SOME BACK-UP!! COPIES OF DATA COPIES OF PROTOCOLS/METHODS COPIES OF COMPUTER STORED DATA DISASTERS HAPPEN!!

“…nothing [in the lab] is as valuable as your raw data” If you can’t produce your data to support your findings, it’s as if the work was never done.

DISASTERS HAPPEN!! TMC-Tropical storm Allison, 2001 X

IKE September 13, 2008

THE LAB NOTEBOOK Number the pages The date The title of the experiment Purpose of the experiment The experimental protocol data calculations pictures, print-outs Results - one sentence summary WRITE IN PEN NOT PENCIL Marie Curie’s notebook Nobel laureate’s

Your LAB NOTEBOOK Number the pages The date The title of the experiment Purpose of the experiment The experimental protocol data calculations pictures, print-outs Results - one sentence summary WRITE IN PEN NOT PENCIL Marie Curie’s notebook Nobel laureate’s TABLE OF CONTENTS !!

Table of Contents Date titlepage Endless class 1 Great organizational tool! YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID IT!

THE FORMAT WRITE IN PEN NOT PENCIL Keep track of details (e.g.) serum lot numbers cell passage number & counts antibody source antibody lot extract date centrifuge used, speed, rotor tubes used, source GOOF - UPS DELAYS & INTERRUPTIONS instrumentation used program version all the nit-picky details YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS CRITICAL!

Technology Transfer Office Establish a complete and continuous record that is permanently fixed in a medium Evidence of first date you conceived an inventive idea or made a discovery; Demonstrate continuous efforts in reducing the idea to practice; Validate results you reported; Illustrate your contributions to inventions or discoveries Keeping Research Notebooks From: Dr. Denise Lew, Senior Licensing Officer UCSD Office of Technology Transfer

Technology Transfer Office Keep a bound notebook with numbered pages - no looseleaf paper in 3 ring binders! Make legible entries, consecutively and chronologically; Cross out blank spaces or pages; Use indelible ink, avoid using pencil or color codes; Make corrections by drawing a line through, not erasing; SIGN and DATE your entries on each page, and have them COUNTERSIGNED and DATED by a witness not connected to your invention, but with an ability to understand your entries. Keeping Research Notebooks

Technology Transfer Office Research records should cover: Why was work done; what was done; how it was done Who suggested or came up with the solution or method to do it; Who did it and when; All results, both negative and positive; don’t be selective; Concrete conclusions - use definite terms like “prove,” “demonstrate,” “show” and if possible, avoid ambivalent terms like “suggest” or “may mean.” Keeping Research Notebooks

Technology Transfer Office Most electronic data can be easily altered and their legal acceptability is highly uncertain Authenticate electronically generated data by printing hard copies; Tape or glue a hard copy to a notebook or bind a collection together in a permanent volume (stapling is not recommended); or convince your PI to invest in electronic storage systems that cannot be altered. Keeping Research Notebooks

DATA MANAGEMENT Record data on the spot Stay up to date Make weekly if not daily back-ups Attach pictures, films, print-outs, etc. Fill out the Table of Contents

DATA MANAGEMENT Record data on the spot Stay up to date Make weekly if not daily back-ups Attach pictures, films, print-outs, etc. Fill out the Table of Contents ADDITIONAL HELPFUL PRACTICES Summarize your work weekly Make figures as you go! what is publishable data?? plan every experiment for publication!! Make a weekly plan of experiments AN EXPERIMENT IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE CONTROLS

“Omitting a result is falsifying data.” admitting mistakes is important note when a data point is dropped scientific rationale needed to do so “Your data are your responsibility.” but your advisor (PI) is ultimately liable and responsible

Collaborations and credit your notebooks are essential for credit establish guidelines as soon as possible Sharing data make sure all involved are okay with it make it clear who did what don’t snoop, peek, sneak or grab! the advisor isn’t snooping but you are

My advisor is pushing me - for a specific result for “publication quality” pictures to get results NOW What’s good/bad?

DO NOT SUCCUMB TO PRESSURE, WHETHER REAL OR PERCEIVED, BY FALSIFYING DATA Nature 434, (21 April 2005) Image manipulation: CSI: cell biology Helen Pearson “Digital photography and image-manipulation software allow biologists to tweak their data as never before. But there's a fine line between acceptable enhancements and scientific misconduct.” 52a.html

From this article: “For their part, scientists say that they feel under pressure to produce faultless images to present convincing experiments that reviewers and editors want to publish.” From ASBMB today: “Tools used to manipulate an image leave behind a unique fingerprint…” Software programs detect manipulation What is acceptable? Global adjustments…but not “blowouts” to obscure data Cropping… but not to conceal relevant elements Tooling…must show when separate parts are linked

“…nothing [in the lab] is as valuable as your raw data” If you can’t produce your data to support your findings, it’s as if the work was never done. R - Rescue patients, visitors, self A - Alarm C - Confine fire by closing doors E - Extinguish or Evacuate G - Grab your notebooks! “grace under fire”

TAKE HOME LESSONS Your stored data in notebooks and on the computer are your only record and only defense. It must be readable and verifiable. You should get the credit you deserve from your work. DO THE RIGHT THING… the consequences of cheating are not worth it!