A Use of Laboratory Notebook
- Page ID
- 440584
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Technique A: Use of Laboratory Notebook
SECTION 1: PURPOSE OF TECHNIQUE
The laboratory notebook is a permanent record of research activities. It preserves experimental plans, study designs or protocols, procedures, observations, results, conclusions, and recommendations. Information must be documented in sufficient detail so another scientist of equivalent training and experience can replicate the results.
Supplemental quality control activities and practices related to equipment maintenance and calibration are recorded on appropriate forms and maintained in log books as required, often under laboratory Standard Operating Procedures. Unless there is a critical operation, it is generally not necessary to record supplemental quality control data twice, though the activities should be referred to and cross-referenced in all appropriate laboratory notebooks. For example, if the laboratory water supply is monitored, measured and recorded in a separate logbook, then a second record of that monitoring result is not needed.
The laboratory notebook and its contents may be owned by a business, government agency, or a private individual. Laboratory notebooks are often involved as supporting documentation in courts of law. Ownership of the laboratory notebook and its contents should be clearly defined.
SECTION 2: HOW TO START YOUR LABORATORY NOTEBOOK
Requirements for a Laboratory Notebook
The laboratory notebook is usually bound with sequentially numbered pages. Several styles are available. Some organizations require acid-free paper for archival purposes. Others require a carbon-copy for immediate archival at the end of the day. Pages can be ruled or graph-ruled. Some examples are provided below:
For most educational settings a bound composition book is sufficient. If the pages are not sequentially numbered, then sequences can be established by diligent recording of entry dates:
Laboratory notebooks should be used with either blue or black permanent ink. Many non-black or blue inks fade with time.
SECTION 3: COMPONENTS OF A LABORATORY NOTEBOOK
Part 1: Owner’s Name, Dates of Use, and Course Title
Part 2: Table of Contents and Numbered Pages
Part 3: Experiment Entries
Keep A Legally Defensible Document
All data goes in the notebook, even outliers, or “bad” data points. A failed experiment should still be documented in the laboratory notebook.
Do not remove any pages, or data. Do not skip any pages. Cross out any unused portions of your laboratory notebook and mark it with the date and signature.
Cross out any mistakes with a single line. Add corrections with initials and a date the correction was made. To correct a large section, block out with one diagonal line from corner to corner followed by a date, signature, and reason for crossing it out.
REFERENCES:
“Standard Operating Procedure for Use and Maintenance of Laboratory Notebooks and Project Binders”, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pesticide Programs, Microbiology Laboratory, Environmental Science Center, Ft. Meade, MD. SOP Number: ADM-05-04; Date Revised: 06-20-17. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production.../adm-05-04.pdf (Accessed 10/29/2018).
Photos from: The Book Factory, Inc., and National Brand