Good Practices for Laboratory Notebooks

 Laboratory notebooks should err on the side of completeness. Someone from outside your lab should be able to read what was done without your verbal interpretation.  General guidelines for lab notebooks include:

•  Permanently bound book (not spiral), with acid-free paper
•  Pages should be consecutively numbered 
•  Dated entries 
•  Signed entries 
•  Record entries chronologically 
•  Recorded in English 
•  Each entry should stand on it's own
•  Organize material with sections and headings 
•  If a page is left blank draw a line through it
•  Identify material sources (e.g. manufacturer, lot number, expiration date) 
•  Identify and describe reagents and specimens
•  Include instrument serial numbers and calibration dates 
•  Explain nonstandard abbreviations 
•  Use permanent ink – don't remove pages or obliterate original entries
•  Use glue to permanently attach graphs computer printouts etc. to the notebook (sign & date) 
•  Outline new experiments, include objectives & rationale 
•  Include periodic factual summaries of findings 
•  Enter observations immediately 
•  Summarize discussions from lab meetings and ideas made by others citing the person's name  

For more information on laboratory notebook management, see the Responsible Conduct of Research site,  sponsored by the Office of Research Integrity.