Lab Notebook

Notebooks must be complete or your career may rapidly come down to ‘You want to Supersize that?’ Companies cannot afford to have OSHA or EPA or FDA or DEP or … come down with million dollar fines because you did not feel like writing something down! Proof that you were first to try something can make the difference between a patent (royalties in) or not (payments out). And then there is ISO 9000/9001 — international rules for the documentation of methods..

ISO 9000/9001 is an international program that certifies your lab, company, or organization follows accepted practices in the workplace. It states that your firm follows the same methods each time you manufacture or analyze a product and have the documentation to prove it. All changes in practice must be documented and it must be proven that the changes will not affect the results. Because of ISO 9000/9001, patents, fines, not to mention downsizing, promotions, …, it is very important that you have a complete record of what you have done. SOURCES!

Title

What is it you are trying today?

References

Sources for information or methods (PD what have you read, SS what did PD recommend)

Introduction

Theory behind the experiment, references to similar experiences (this section will be longer for PD than SS - include when conferences occurred and results thereof)

Materials

An organized listing of chemicals (brand, lot #), equipment (brand, model), and instrumentation (brand, model, serial #) used in the experiment; types of cells; (PD may refer to pages in SS notebook)

Procedure

The actual procedures used with enough detail to allow someone else to repeat the experiment using your notebook. The SS must have complete procedure, the PD can record their role and refer to SS notebook by SS name, experiment title, page number Appropriate data should be recorded in table fashion in the SS notebook. Don’t forget to record observations AND all instrument settings!!

Results

An Excel or other table with results can be taped into the notebook with reference to location of original file (HD/FD id, complete file name, i.e. C:\01292012\instrumental\UV lab\results uv1.qpw)

Calculations

The template showing formulas can be taped in and/or a complete sample calculation can be entered into the notebook

Conclusion

A couple paragraphs that look at the results with comments about their validity and potential errors. As part of the conclusion, I will also be looking for some comments involving the instrument and analyte — Why was this technique chosen? Was it general applicability or something special about the analyte? What is the detection limit for the technique and its linear dynamic range? What other techniques would work for this analysis?

Sign and Date

You should get in the habit of initialing each page and each days work. Date each day so if questions come up, it will be easier to find the information in your partners notebook. You should also initial each error that is made and if a datum, note why the value was changed.

Entries should be made promptly and habitually. Include poor results as well as successful ones. Poor results should be labeled with a note giving possible reasons for their problems. Remember, this notebook is a legal record and only a complete record yields confidence.