Basic Lab Notebook Protocol

All work that you do on a project should be documented in a laboratory notebook. The lab notebook is an official project record and in some cases is considered a legal document. Protocols for lab notebooks can be quite detailed. Here are some general procedures and guidelines:

q Use a standard laboratory notebook (permanently bound with numbered pages).

q Use ink.

q On the first page, identify the project, course, date begun, and project team members.

q Begin an entry for each work session. For each entry, note the date, place, and team members present.

q Record all activities, ideas, data, and decisions associated with work on the project for that session. Annotate sketches and other graphics with explanations. Identify methods or instruments used for data collection or analysis. Identify variables, label axes, provide units, and otherwise follow standard scientific and mathematical conventions.

q Major design discoveries and decisions should be initialed by the members of the team (and if appropriate, by your supervisor).

q Attach print-outs of computer-generated material to pages of the notebook as needed.

q Cross-reference other documents as needed (for example, lab handouts and other references). These documents can be attached to pages of the notebook if desired.

q Do not skip or remove pages.

q Do not erase or obliterate notebook content. Mistakes can be crossed out but the original content should still be decipherable.