Home
Keeping a Laboratory Record
You are responsible for maintaining a research quality
notebook that follows the guidelines we have given you.
- The format and style of the notebook follow
guidelines used in BIOC 311.
(You may use your notebook from other BIOC labs if
you have pages remaining.)
- Please see the BIOC 413 checklist.
Use this checklist as a guideline for the contents of your
notebook.
-
SPECIAL NOTE: Record enough procedure details in your notebook during each day of lab so that you can repeat these procedures using your notebook as the ONLY resource (i.e., you should not use printed web pages or handouts from previous labs).
- Here are additional details for BIOC 413:
- Each team will maintain a single laboratory
notebook.
- Team members record their individual activities and observations and initial all entries.
We intend to use the overall quality of the laboratory notebook and your specific notebook entries to evaluate your individual effort.
NOTE: A single team member must not, for example,
act as a recordkeeper by writing in the notebook
while the others carry out the work.
- To help you keep things organized when two or more of you are working, you might "reserve" a page for each team member. Skip to the next blank page if you have more entries to make.
When you finish for the day, initial your pages and record the time, drawing a line through any remaining blank spaces.
- It is absolutely critical that you record
details such as WHO did WHAT (e.g., loading
samples on the gel, setting up PCR, etc.)
and LABELS on your samples. You
must have this information in your notebook
to determine where a procedural error(s) occurred
and to use the correct sample for that day's
procedures.
- Each team member is expected to make daily
entries in the notebook during each lab.
You may want to take turns writing the Objectives/Daily
Summary for
each lab day; remember, do NOT "pre-write" objectives
or methods in your notebook BEFORE you come
to lab.
- You must give us the copy notebook pages
for each lab session BEFORE
leaving lab EACH day. Each
team member should initial her/his notebook
pages.
NOTE: I will grade the duplicate pages.
- On the last day of lab, you
must submit the copies of the notebook
pages for that day; the Table of Contents
and any additional pages, such as "Discussion
/ Conclusions" (see the checklist)
are due with the poster.
- Pictures of gels must be dated, labeled,
and stored in your BIOC 413 folder (do not tape them in
your notebook); "sketch" the gel in your lab notebook and
describe/interpret results.
- Because this is a real research project, you must
submit all raw data. Please organize the information
so that it is readily understood by someone who will be
reviewing your findings.
Copyright, Acknowledgements,
and Intended Use
Created by B. Beason (bbeason@rice.edu),
Rice University, 22 June 2006
Updated 3 March 2012