Lab Notebook Policy
Our lab maintains a standardized system to ensure the efficient retrieval of data both now and in the future. The critical goal is to guarantee that all results are reproducible and that we have traceable records. These guidelines apply to all lab members—no exceptions. If you have any questions or need examples of properly formatted notebooks, please ask.
General Principles:
- All lab members (wet and dry bench scientists alike) must maintain an electronic lab notebook stored in Box.
- Organization, ethics, responsibility: All work, whether published or unpublished, must be traceable to the raw data, code, methods, and interpretations.
Notebook Formatting Guidelines
1. Chronological Recordkeeping
Maintain a chronological record for each experiment, following UC-directed guidelines (refer to OTM Recommended Procedures). Ensure the following conventions are followed:
a) Complete the Table of Contents (TOC) at the same time as entering data in the notebook.
b) Assign a unique experiment ID to each experiment, consisting of your initials followed by a number (e.g., MM24 for Michael McManus's 24th experiment). Use this ID to label tubes, reagents, and scripts.
c) Provide a short title at the top of each entry summarizing the experiment (e.g., "Cloning hPGK promoter into pSico-mCherry").
d) Record the start date of the experiment and sign the entry. Include a brief description of the purpose of the experiment in 1-2 sentences.
e) Document the materials and a concise outline of the methods. For standard techniques, specify only key variables. For new or modified methods, provide enough detail for reproducibility.
f) Enter results directly into the notebook when possible (e.g., photos of gels). For large datasets (e.g., FACS plots, sequencing data), store them electronically in a clearly labeled folder (matching the experiment ID).
g) Summarize the results and conclusions at the end of each experiment. Keep it concise but informative (e.g., “Identified 7 potential CD45(+) 293 lines”).
2. Multiple Experiments in a Day
Start a new entry for each experiment, even if several are conducted on the same day. Assign each experiment a unique ID and keep the entries separate (e.g., MM48, MM49, MM50).
3. Table of Contents
Maintain a consistent TOC format at the front of the notebook. Update it in real time as entries are made. This is illustrated in the following example:
Briefly, for notebook entries you should:
- Ensure each experiment has its own entry-- and is located in a directory having the same name (eg MM17)
- All data relevant to each experiment is located in the same directory as the lab notebook entry (eg the MM17 directory may contain a subfolder for FACs data, another for vector maps, etc)
- Include sketches, diagrams, etc. and explain them.
- Photos, drawings, etc., should be identified and appropriately explained.
- Periodically have someone who understands the subject matter, not a co-worker or joint inventor, review the entries
Keep in mind that the lab notebook does not belong to you or even the lab-- it is the property of our institution. It should not be taken off campus without permission. At any time, UCSF legal may confiscate the notebooks to evaulate the validity of our practice or our patent claims. Take your notebook seriously!
