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Benefits to Using LabArchives

  • Stores all lab notes, protocols, and data in one place, making it easy to search, retrieve, and track changes with version control.
  • Compatible with mobile and tablet browsers. 
  • Allows easy searching and retrieval of past entries, reducing time spent looking for information. 
  • Helps researchers ensure the reproducibility of their work. 
  • Data is securely stored and automatically backed up, reducing the risk of loss.
  • Provides time stamped records for transparency and accountability. 
  • Ensures accurate record-keeping with audit trails and prevents data loss or tampering
  • Enables real-time collaboration with colleagues, lab members, and external collaborators.  
  • Eliminates the need for paper notebooks, reducing costs and promoting sustainability.

Introduction to Lab Archives

What is LabArchives?

LabArchives is a general-purpose electronic lab notebook (ELN) for research groups on campus. It is cloud-based and can run on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Apps are also available for use with tablets and phones—both Android and iOS.

NOTE: The campus license covers LabArchives Scheduler, ELN for Research, and Inventory. These are available, free of charge to assist researchers in managing their research.

  • Store digital files captured from instruments instead of printing and attaching to a paper notebook.
  • Store spreadsheets, annotated images, and documents in one place along with your research notes and data.
  • Store protocols and record the exact version of a protocol used for an experiment.
  • A paper notebook can be damaged or lost - protect your data with an electronic notebook.
  • Quickly search across the notebook to find information when preparing manuscripts vs. struggling to interpret messy handwriting.
  • Share portions of your notebook with remote collaborators.
  • Upload images/videos directly to your notebook while conducting lab experiments.
  • Versioning: LabArchives ELN tracks and stores all revisions for every entry.
  • Integrates with Office, Box, Prism, SnapGene, Jupyter, and Protocols.io and works with Android and iOS.

Usage Guide

Why Use LabArchives:

  1. It is a secure platform - See additional information from LabArchives.
  2. To improve the efficiency of your research group.
  3. To improve communication among members of your research group.
  4. You are collaborating with other research groups and need an efficient way to communicate.
  5. Managing both paper and electronic data and records can be cumbersome.
  6. You need complete audit control to protect IP and to be able to determine who did what and when.
  7. You do not want to worry about your research being lost or leaving campus
  8. You need to be in contact with your team when away from the University.
  9. The agency funding the research requires a data management plan.
  10. You need to be able to sign and freeze entries in your lab notebook.

When NOT to use LabArchives:

If your research primarily involves code, simulation, and/or modeling, LabArchives may not be a good fit. 

For information on additional storage options for research purposes on campus see the Library Guide, Data Storage for Research Activities.

 

Support/Contacts

Templates

Building templates to be used across notebooks, is one way of standardizing how all lab members enter information/data into a notebook. If these standards are set upon adoption of the ELN, it can help lab members understand what content to include in a notebook in addition to assisting with consistent documentation.

Articles

Guerrero, S., Dujardin, G., Cabrera-Andrade, A., Paz, Y. M. C., Indacochea, A., Inglés-Ferrándiz, M., Nadimpalli, H. P., Collu, N., Dublanche, Y., De Mingo, I., & Camargo, D. (2016). Analysis and Implementation of an Electronic Laboratory Notebook in a Biomedical Research Institute. PloS One, 11(8), e0160428. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0160428

Higgins, S. G., Nogiwa-Valdez, A. A., & Stevens, M. M. (2022). Considerations for implementing electronic laboratory notebooks in an academic research environment. Nature Protocols, 17(2), 179-189. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41596-021-00645-8

Foster, E. D., Whipple, E. C., & Rios, G. R. (2022). Implementing an institution-wide electronic lab notebook initiative. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 110(2), 222-227. https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2022.1407

  • Electronic Lab Notebooks: Can They Replace Paper?

    Kanza, Samantha, Cerys Willoughby, Nicholas Gibbins, Richard Whitby, Jeremy Graham Frey, Jana Erjavec, Klemen Zupančič, Matjaž Hren, and Katarina Kovač. 2017. “Electronic Lab Notebooks: Can They Replace Paper?” Journal of Cheminformatics 9 (May). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13321-017-0221-3.

  • Why Should You Switch to ELNs?

    “Why Should You Switch to ELNs?” n.d. Informatics from Technology Networks. Accessed February 19, 2020. https://www.technologynetworks.com/informatics/blog/why-should-you-switch-to-elns-309334.

  • “A Pocket Guide to Electronic Laboratory Notebooks in the Academic Life Sciences

    Dirnagl, Ulrich, and Ingo Przesdzing. 2016. “A Pocket Guide to Electronic Laboratory Notebooks in the Academic Life Sciences.” F1000Research 5 (January). https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.7628.1.

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