Considerations for implementing electronic laboratory notebooks in an academic research environment

Stuart G. Higgins, Akemi A. Nogiwa-Valdez, Molly M. Stevens

Published: 2022-01-13 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00645-8

electronic laboratory notebooks

academic research

data management

implementation

technology adoption

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As research becomes predominantly digitalized, scientists have the option of using electronic laboratory notebooks to record and access entries. These systems can more readily meet volume, complexity, accessibility and preservation requirements than paper
Main
The past 20 years have seen a rapid increase in the number of ELN software packages
Before choosing an ELN, the purpose of the laboratory notebook must be identified
ELNs recover researcher time and enable better research practices, in return for financial cost
An ELN is typically a combination of a user interface, a centralized database and a file store
Data integrity can be enhanced by using version control and timestamping
Open-source and commercial ELNs have different costs and benefits
ELNs are not a solution to poor data management
Successful ELNs recognize the needs of their users
ELNs are an opportunity to consider the broader philosophy of academic laboratory research
- References
References
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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Considerations for implementing electronic laboratory notebooks in an academic research environment

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