Laboratory Bookkeeping Guide

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Laboratory Bookkeeping Guide

A practical guide to structured and efficient lab documentation

Why lab bookkeeping matters

Clean lab documentation isn’t just bureaucracy – it’s a cornerstone of scientific integrity. Clear records ensure reproducibility and quality assurance, and they protect you: when data gets lost, during publication reviews, or simply when you’re writing your thesis or dissertation.

Core principles

1. Traceability

  Someone else (or future you) should be able to fully understand the experiment – including materials, conditions, purpose, and result.

1. Immutability

  Don’t "clean up" your data or rewrite history. Corrections should be transparent – e.g., by crossing out rather than deleting.

1. Timeliness

  Record entries ideally during or right after the experiment. Memories fade quicker than you think.

1. Structure

  Use a consistent format, clear sections (date, title, goal, procedure, observation, analysis), and clean writing. It helps you too!

Analog or digital?

• Analog lab notebooks (e.g., A4 with numbered pages) are often mandatory in publicly funded projects or for patent purposes. Pros: legally valid, tamper-proof, always accessible.
• Digital notebooks (e.g., ELN software like eLabFTW, LabArchives) offer search functions, backups, file uploads. Important: ensure versioning and access control.

In many cases, keeping both formats pays off: analog for the official documentation, digital for better searchability and extra materials (raw data, scripts, images).

What to include

• Date, experiment number/title
• Research objective or question
• Materials, equipment, samples (incl. batch numbers, storage info)
• Precise experimental procedure (incl. deviations!)
• Observations, measurements, spontaneous notes
• Preliminary analysis, charts or screenshots
• Reflection: What worked, what didn’t? What’s the next step?

Practical tips

• Use templates (your own or institutional) to save time.
• Develop a consistent naming scheme for samples, files, and experiments.
• Document failures in detail – they’re often more informative than “perfect” data.
• Use waterproof pens – no pencils or erasers.
• Regularly create digital backups (even of analog books, e.g., by scanning).
• Add photos, sketches, or printouts – visual documentation is incredibly valuable.

Conclusion

A well-kept lab notebook isn’t a burden – it’s your best ally in research. It protects your work, preserves your results, and can save you hours during the writing phase. Just invest a few minutes a day – your future self will thank you.