Ideally ELNs should be implemented as part of a well thought out data management strategy for a research group or lab. Considerations for choosing the best ELN for your needs are listed below.
Some types of research may dictate that an ELN have specific features.
The use of ELNs to support invention disclosures has not been extensively tested in the courts. Though the US moved to a "first inventor to file" system rather than the first to invent, lab records are still important legal documents to support patent claims. At Oklahoma State University, an inventor is anyone who contributes to the idea or conception of the invention. This may be documented with the lab notebook. More information about the OSU disclosure process is available from the Technology Development Center and the OSU IP Policy.
Tremouilhac, Pierre et al. “Chemotion ELN: An Open Source Electronic Lab Notebook for Chemists in Academia.” Journal of cheminformatics 9.1 (2017): 1–13. Web.