By Dr. Arnab Samanta
Introduction
Experiments by the scientists in the
laboratory lead to scientific inventions. The time spent in laboratory work is
mainly devoted to experimental, theoretical and analytical work. But, unless
properly recorded for future use, the experimental work could become a futile
exercise.
What is a laboratory note book?
Laboratory note book is a basic tool for recording details of any experimental work.
Purpose of maintaining a laboratory note book
- A detailed laboratory note book is the best and most direct
evidence of the work performed.
- Intellectual property rights protection (IPR): The laboratory notebook is a base document with which a
scientist’s IPR may be protected. Exact details, date of conception,
experimental observations and results, and chronological record of a work
are essential parts of evidence for patent applications.
- Scientific repeatability: Based on
the content of a laboratory notebook another scientist should be able to
repeat the work performed, using only the notebook as a guide.
- Project accountability: Often a
project is run with the help of some funding body. To assure the funding
body that their investments are being effectively and wisely utilized,
accurate, complete, authentic and reliable records of research data is
essential. This proves the scientific integrity of the staff as well as
the institute.
N.B. In December 1994, the US Government passed a
bill on the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual property Rights
(TRIPS) of the General Agreements on Tariff and Trade (GATT). This bill allows
foreign countries, including
Maintaining the Laboratory Note Book
- The note book should be bound, so that pages cannot be removed and replaced.
- The pages should be numbered consecutively, preferably by a printer or a counter.
- The pages may be plain, bordered, lined or with grid.
- The first page of the notebook should list the principal investigator, the names of the other investigators, the title of the study and the date of beginning of the study. The aim of the study and the problems the study attempts to address may also be indicated.
- If more than one notebook is used for a project, they should be serially numbered.
- All entries should be in non-erasable ink.
- “White outs” are not allowed. Erasures are not allowed. In case of an error the entry should be crossed out; taking care to make sure that the entry was legible (i.e. readable).
- Date written only in numerals (e.g.
- If a blank page is not used then it must be voided by drawing a corner-to-corner line. Every bit of every page must be filled and legible either with information or with a mark that voides a section.
- The language used in a note book should be objective and
factual. The past tense (e.g. ‘was heated’) should be used to describe
experiments that were actually performed.
- When recording an experiment, it is important to include enough information, so that the experiment will be reproducible. These include information relating to the equipment used, time, condition and method of experiment.
- It is advisable to record all the entries in the table of
content (TOC) as one goes along. It is preferable to include multiple
levels in a TOC to include subheadings of an experiment or part of it. The
TOC may take two or more pages at the beginning of the lab notebook.
- All abbreviations and acronyms must be defined the first
time they appear in the lab notebook.
- It is important to include conceptions (ideas) and not
just data in the notebook. An idea concerning, what the invention is, what
problem it addresses, and how it is different from what was done earlier,
should be entered in the laboratory notebook. Comments should be made objective
and accurate. Derogatory comments about the work of others should be
avoided. It is often useful to record what occurred at laboratory group
meetings, especially suggestions regarding the project work or experiment.
This is helpful in documenting conception and inventorship.
- Entries made by any person other than the person to whom the
notebook belongs must be dated and signed by the person making the entry. Data
that is generated may be incorporated in the notebook by photocopying
(e.g. graphs) and stapling into the notebook. Data that cannot be stapled
into the notebook should be maintained in an orderly manner and its
location should be cross-referenced in the notebook.
- An independent witness, i.e. some one who understands
the technology but will not be named as a co-inventor of the invention,
should sign and date each entry after a statement like: “Read and
understood by …”. The witness can sign the entries on daily, weekly or
monthly basis. No changes should be made to an entry after witnessing of a
page. If changes is made, the witness should re-witness the entry by
signing and dating next to the correction.
Archiving and Categorization
Notebooks are permanent records of a
research project, and are stored securely for years and sometimes for centuries.
Laboratory notebooks that relate to inventions on which patents are granted
must be preserved for the life of the patent plus six years.
Laboratory notebooks are categorized by
levels of use as follows:
- A working laboratory notebook – one
that is in current use.
- An active laboratory notebook – one
that is complete but is required for reference.
- An inactive laboratory notebook –
one that is complete and currently not required for quick reference.
·
Most institutes permit the
investigators to make copies of the primary data in the laboratory notebook for
his or her own use, but laboratory notebooks are not permitted to be removed
from the laboratory.
·
Lab notebooks of eminent
scientists and Nobel Laureates are preserved carefully and studied for
centuries.
Laboratory notebooks of the future
The increasing use of computers in research
indicates that very soon we may use electronic laboratory notebooks
(e-laboratory notebook). As software is increasingly being used in research,
the number of computer-assisted discovery programs will also increase, making
the use of e-lab notebook inevitable.
Conclusion
- Scientists have a responsibility to science. Confidence in reproducibility of the results is fundamental to another scientist who would like to build upon the earlier results of another scientist. Science is built on trust and the trust is most inspired when the original data exists for review.
- The laboratory note books are not clean documents as we are taught from our childhood. It is evident from the lab note books of the famous scientists.
Examples of Note Books of Famous Scientists
Thomas Alva Edison (T.A. Edison)
The most prolific inventor of American History was Thomas Alva Edison. He had 1093 patents under his authorship. He was a very disciplined scientist. He maintained all his works in his Lab Note books.
Sir Isaac Newton
Sir Alfred Nobel
Alexander Graham Bell - the inventor of telephone
