Feinberg Graduate School - Maintaining Lab Notebooks

General
As a rule, FGS students must maintain an accurate and an immaculate record of all their scientific experiments and observations in special numbered, blue-bound, hard-cover and bearing WIS logo laboratory notebooks. Students may obtain these notebooks from the Head of their research group, or from their departmental secretaries.

Why maintain detailed laboratory notebooks?

1. To allow successful repetition of experiments.

2. To use as evidence for proving inventorship.

What kind of laboratory notebooks should I use?

1. Use only the special laboratory notebooks mentioned above.

2. Never use loose pieces of paper or other types of notebooks.

What should be written on the First Page?

1. Your full name

2. The name of your laboratory.

3. The name of your department.

4. The date on which you started using the notebook (e.g. May 23, 2010).

5. Where applicable, a reference to the number of the preceding notebook.

6. Devote one or more pages to a list of contents.

How to record?

1.
All records should be in English. No other language is permissible.

2.

Use indelible ink only. Pencils should not be used.

3.

The name of your department.

4.

Do not erase. Erroneous information should be lined through, dated and signed.

5.

Do not remove pages from the notebook.

6.

Attachments such as graphs or printed matter should be permanently affixed to the relevant pages of the notebook (e.g. by stapling), dated and signed.

How much detail?

1.
Write down all data and observations immediately. (No detail is too insignificant. Write down whatever happens when it happens).

2.

Each entry should include the following:

* The date

* A title

* The objective of the experiment (goals and who suggested it).

* A numbered list of experimental procedures.

*
Documentation of observations, including negative results raw data from instruments and printout.

* Calculations and plans for future experiments.

* Your signature

3.

Document each chemical and instrument (e.g. vendor, formula etc.).

4.

Include a key to observations and cross-references to other experiments and notebooks.

Keeping Laboratory Notebooks in Archives:
Your used notebooks belong to the Weizmann Institute of Science and, when filled, should be handed to the Head of your laboratory. He/she should keep them in a safe place for at least ten years. If any such notebook describes results that are covered by a patent or may be a subject for a future patent, please indicate this fact to the head of your laboratory. These notebooks should be transferred to the appropriate party at the Institute. If you believe that an entry made may lead to an invention, at least one person who is a non-inventor (e.g. head of another research team) should read, understand and sign every relevant entry as follows: “Witnessed and understood by <full name>, <signature>,

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