"The primary place for recording data should be a laboratory notebook...the notebook should describe the work objectively and completely so it can be understood without additional explanation...entries should be in ballpoint pen or permanent ink...each section should have a clear grammatical heading describing the work...entries should be in the first person and should be specific about who actually did the work...each entry should be signed, dated, and witnessed..."
At the beginning of each day the purpose of the study should be concisely stated. This sets the focus of the study and all undertakings should be aimed toward the stated goal. A brief introduction delineates your specific interest in the investigation and the facts that lead you to the question you will attempt to answer or explain by the current experiment. Adding your references in this section greatly simplifies writing the final report.
The Materials and Methods section may not always be a specific section but may be mingled with results especially when developing your own protocols. In any case it is advisable to outline the intended manipulations in a flow diagram. Whether the handout contains all the necessary directions to complete the task or you are designing your own experiments your notebook must contain enough information so that another biochemist could exactly repeat your experiment. In the true research setting, the name, source, and lot number for each compound is essential as well as any characteristic determined as a check for purity. (i.e., melting point, TLC, HPLC, etc.). Specific details about how a solution was prepared should be presented here to ensure reproducibility of the experiment. For example: you report making a 30% methanol solution that you made by adding methanol to 70 ml of water in a graduated cylinder until 100 ml was reached. Since volumes of methanol and water are not additive when mixed, your 30% solution is not the same as one made by adding 30 ml of methanol to 70 ml of water or even one made by starting with 30 ml of methanol and filling to 100 ml with water. Sometimes this may be inconsequential but in other applications, in particular HPLC, this subtle difference can have profound effects.
Information on materials and methods used in any study cannot be too specific. Ideally everyvariable should be noted. These include: times of every step, temperature, mixing techniques, instruments used and allsettings, weights and volumes used to make the solutions, how long and under what conditions the solutions were stored until used, purity of water and other chemicals used. Sometimes whether glass or plastic containers were used can be important. A sketch of an apparatus usually saves many words. In the laboratory, write as much information about the conditions of the experiment as you can. What seems unimportant now may be something you will need in the future. Often variable results are obtained and only by having complete records of a study can you hope to find the reason for the variability.
The data section (or results) should contain all your raw data and notes taken during the performance of the experiment. Make notes next to any collection of data that was obtained under conditions or circumstances not described in the handout. Tables should have labeled headings and columns as well as the unitsfor each column or row. Note the label put on samples collected and where they were stored. When analyzing or assaying samples from previous pages the source page (or date collected) of the sample should be noted on the page of the assay. Sample calculations (at least the equations with units) for every column of a table must be written in the notebook. Any graphs used to analyze the data should be drawn directly in the notebook (computer analysis of data for this lab is not necessary but if used please record what was done and the filename and location of the information). Sketches of gels can be drawn onto the page.
Often materials are generated, by chart recorders or computers for example, which are part of the data records. These materials are to be dated and coded to correspond to the relevant entries in the notebook and stored in the ring binder or folder.Dividers are useful or tape tabs that allow easy retrieval of information in the binders.
When you have finished a day's work, briefly summarize what you have accomplished. Do not draw conclusions, just indicate what sort of data or observations you collected, samples you saved (and where and how you saved them), or any other relevant information that tells you next time where you left off. The summary helps maintain continuity and reveals where the work left off and how it might resume.
A conclusion section should contain only brief statements summarizing facts found in the experiment and your analysis/interpretation of the data. This is not the same as a discussion section of a paper or report that draws information from outside sources. The conclusion statements in the notebook should only be derived directly from your data. A conclusion is expected at the completion of each major experiment (e.g., after completing statistical analysis of the pipet calibration check, after completing the stability study, after purifying ADA).
You can have other entries in your notebook. Record your class lecture notes, lab lecture notes, ideas, questions, library research notes, and notes that are part of your pre-lab preparation. When you are introduced to a new instrument and are given verbal instructions, the notebook is a good place to record those special instructions or helpful hints. Note changes to be made if the experiment is to be repeated. Particularly troublesome steps can be identified so that special care is taken next time.
Copyright, Acknowledgements, and Intended Use
Created by B. Beason (bbeason@rice.edu), Rice University, 10 June 1999
Updated 17 March 2006