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Keeping accurate records is critical to the process of scientific
discovery. The lab notebook is the place where you record what
you have done and what you found out. In industry, the lab notebook
is often vital to the patenting process, especially if there
is litigation over priority. Many companies require that each
day's work be signed by the investigator and a witness, and in
many cases, notebooks are periodically collected and notarized.
Each company publishes its own, very stringent set of regulations
for lab notebooks. In this course you will keep your according
to industrial standards. The rules for this course are based
on those required by Eastman Kodak Company.
You are expected to have your notebooks with you at all times,
whether in lab or lecture. Notebooks will be collected periodically
without warning. Collection will be made during lecture sessions!!
Each notebook grade will be equivalent to one lab report.
| 1. |
Each notebook must have an accurate, up-to-date
table of contents. |
| 2. |
Each entry must have a title, a date, and a statement
of purpose or intent. |
| 3. |
Each entry must end with a conclusion and/or a statement
of what must next be done. |
| 4. |
Make entries at the time the work is performed. Do not write
notes on scratch paper and make entries in your notebook later. |
| 5. |
Make neat legible entries in blue or black ink |
| 6. |
Use the pages in consecutive order. Do not leave any blank
pages, or room for data or data analysis to be added later. All
entries should be chronological at the time the data or analysis
are completed. You may add a note at the end of one entry referring
to the page of the data or of the analysis if there is intervening
material. |
| 7. |
For computer-generated records, photographs, or hand-drawn
graphs, tape the material into your notebook. Make reference
to the printout on the page. If it is necessary to put such inserts
into the notebook, mount them so that they do not cover written
information. |
| 8. |
If data or samples from another source are entered, be sure
to indicate the source clearly, including the name of the person
form which they were obtained. |
| 9. |
Record all steps in sufficient detail so that any person
skilled in the field can repeat the work and obtain the indicated
results. |
| 10. |
A protocol that is used for the first time must be written
out in full. If it is a standard protocol that you use on subsequent
occasions, you may simply reference the first citing, subsequently
giving only modifications or experimental details (e.g. particular
strains, enzymes, etc.) |
| 11. |
Use only standard abbreviations. |
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