About research notebook - (Jan/22/2007 )
Would you please tell me how to keep a good research note?
I think it is very important to keep a good research notebook..
Please give some advice.Thank you.
you can have a look at this topic:
http://www.protocol-online.org/forums/inde...hl=lab+notebook
Thanks very much, Pumuki..
Record-Keeping Fact Sheet—
A Guideline for Maintaining Research Records for Patent Purposes
The American Chemical Society's Committee on Patents and Related Matters has prepared this fact sheet as a guideline for maintaining complete research records. Such records are crucial to the advancement of invention and to the protection of intellectual property rights.
1. DO keep the record factual.DO record novel concepts and ideas relating to the work project.DON'T editorialize.
2. DO use a record book with permanent binding.DON'T use a loose-leaf, spiral-bound or otherwise temporarily bound book that provides for page deletions and insertions.
3. DO enter data and information including formulas and/or drawings directly into the record book promptly as generated.DO sign and date each page of the record book at the time the page is completed.DON'T rely on memory or use informal loose sheets for entries with the intention of later putting these into the bound record book.DON'T leave any completed page unsigned and undated.DON'T postpone signing and dating all completed pages.
4. DO use a permanent ink, preferably black, which will reproduce well when photocopied in black and white.DON'T use colored inks.
5. DO write legibly.DON'T make entries in handwriting that later on can be subject to interpretation, translation or wrong meaning.
6. DO identify errors and mistakes and explain them.DON'T ignore errors and mistakes.DON'T obliterate, delete or otherwise render errors unreadable.
7. DO completely fill each page.DO sign and date each page immediately after the last entry.DO draw vertical lines through unused portions of a page where an experiment takes less than a full page.DON'T leave part of a page blank.
8. DO attach support records to the record book where practical; where volume and size prohibit this action, store such records, after properly referencing and cross-indexing, in an orderly form in a readily retrievable manner.DON'T file supporting records in a haphazard, helter-skelter manner without any record of their relationship or connection to the research report in the record book.
9. DO use standard accepted terms; avoid abbreviations, code names, trademarks, trade names or numbers if possible; if abbreviations or code names, trademarks, trade names or numbers are used, make certain these are defined at least once in every record book.DON'T use any abbreviation, code name or number without giving its meaning or definition, or identifying the compound or the trademark and/or trade name and source.
10. DO keep the record book clean; avoid spills and stains.DON'T subject the pages of the research notebook to chemical or physical destruction from spills.
11. DO see that the record is promptly witnessed by a knowledgeable person who understands what is being reported and, preferably, who assisted in or witnessed the work, but who is not a contributor to the research being conducted.DON'T postpone having notebooks witnessed.DON'T have notebooks witnessed by someone who is not technically skilled in the art being reported and who does not understand the contents of the record.DON'T use as a witness someone who has contributed professionally, conceptually or technically to the work being reported.
12. DO maintain the confidentiality of the record until properly released.DON'T treat the record book as a publication that is freely available to the public.
13. DO maintain control of an assigned record book at all times, keeping it in a fireproof safe, file or vault when not in use.DON'T let the book lie open around the laboratory when not in use.DON'T remove the record book from the company's or institution's premises.
14. DO index and close out the record book as soon as it is filled or a project is completed and check it back in for filing and storage to the person who issued it.DO reference the location where the book is being stored to assure ready retrieval.DON'T keep a closed out and completed record book in the possession of the author.DON'T file or store a book without referencing its location.
15. DO remember the record book is a legal document and should be treated as such and made available to your legal and patent counsel if needed.DON'T keep a record book beyond the company's or institution's established record retention policy for such record.
This fact sheet is provided for information purposes only. Copies may be obtained by phoning (202)872-4386 or writing the ACS Department of Government Relations and Science Policy, 1155 16th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.
Copyright 1988 American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C.
Photoduplication of this fact sheet for noncommercial purposes is encouraged. Please give proper credit.
I keep my lab notebook (biochemistry research) on my tablet pc computer.
Check it out on www.e-lab-book.com
i am not lucky enough to have a tablet pc as a notebook
I am not friend of writting the lab notes on the computer, it is more labile and less adaptable than ink and paper. I follow only two rules:
1) write the notes the very same day, or as a maximum the day after
2) Write it as it was going to be read by somebody else, and that sb is slightly dumm. In fact, even if it's only you who's going to read the notes, in one year you will already be another person, and you cannot believe how many things one's thought would be self-understood, and in fact they are not. 
I generally dislike keeping records on the computer (or any electronical device) for a few reasons:
1. Computers do crash.
2. If you change labs or do a collaboration at another lab and they have a computer of different age/type then you may not be able to open your files.
3. Things are too easily erased and replaced with "better" concentrations/incubation times etc... A main thing is that the changes should still be readable if you want to backtrack something... I know it is possible to do this in a computer too but in real life who really does.
4. It is easier to look at things in a real book and supervisors usually like that.
5. Sometimes I like to include a drawing into my records and thats way easier by a pen and paper.
6. You cant write WTF!!! in a satisfactory way that justify the pain you feel when stuff aren´t working. 
D
I like using electronic notes very much. It's specially usefull when noting primer or other sequencies or names or electronic publications. This way you can easily search, copy, add comments, etc.
But true is it's less adaptible than paper (and I use many kinds of unusal markings) so best way for me to have for example a gene transcript with noted primer positions, regions of interests, mutations, protein domains and other things, is to have a Ensembl numbered transcript with translation table saved as HTML in my computer, and have a print out of it with the other information.
When I need to find something or copy a primer sequence I take my paper notes, find what I need, look up a number and find it in the electronic version. Same again if I need to find a specific sequence in the transcript, I found it in the electronic version and look up the numbers on the paper.
It works great and it saves a lot of time.
I'm using simple text files, no Word, so it can be opened virtually anywhere. And of course I backup everything monthly.
I have a problem in writing a research notebook, though. I can usualy concentrate on the experiment I'm doing or I can write about it. It had happend a few times, I was so consumed by the experiments, I didn't write the notebook for a week and forgot what actually I had done 
But now I made something like unoficial research notebook, where I can quicky write reaction setups, pictures, ideas, notes in a "less readable" form, take it with myself to the lab (I don't take my notebook to the lab, I want to touch it with bare hands and there is lots of unhealthy stuff in lab), and later write it properly to a notebook. Works fine so far.
Only thing I really miss in paper form of notebook is the searching, things would be so much easier.
I guess that no matter what type of notes you keep they are all bad if you wait too long in writing them down... Happens to me all the time. It all comes down to notes written on the computer, labbooks, post-its, calendars etc... :-) I think I need a second pair of hands and an extra brain...