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Chemistry: How to keep a good lab notebook
Keeping a notebook for a class
Though your instructor may have their own formats and guidelines, there are a few "Do's" and "Do not's" that students in chemistry and other lab classes should be aware of. Keeping a clear, legible and accurate record of your work is critical for success. In the world beyond your classroom, lab notebooks are considered legal documents and may be used to verify any claims or publications about the results.
The basic rules are:
- Notebooks must be hard covered with page numbers and the pages cannot be removable (no spiral or binder notebooks)
- Entries are made in ink, preferrable black.
- Pages are dated and the names of all lab partners are listed.
- NO erasures. Any mistakes must be marked out with a single line such that the entry can still be read. Initial and date marked out entries.
- The first 2-4 pages of the notebooks should be left blank and titled as the Table of Contents. Enter the experiment names and page numbers as they are completed.
- How to Start–and Keep–a Laboratory Notebook: Policy and Practical GuidelinesA laboratory notebook is an important tool that goes well beyond research management and can have
important implications for issues ranging from intellectual property management to the prevention of
fraud. This chapter discusses the key elements of a laboratory notebook, types of notebooks, what
should be included in the notebook, ownership issues, archiving, and security.
- Do You Call that a Lab Notebook? by Rami GhannamDiscussion of the importance of teaching undergraduates about how to correctly use lab notebooks and the pros and cons of using ELNs.
