Electronic Laboratory Notebooks Progress and Challenges in Implementation

Abstract

Electronic laboratory notebooks (ELNs) are increasingly replacing paper notebooks in life science laboratories, including those in industry, academic settings, and hospitals. ELNs offer significant advantages over paper notebooks, but adopting them in a predominantly paper-based environment is usually disruptive. The benefits of ELN increase when they are integrated with other laboratory informatics tools such as laboratory information management systems, chromatography data systems, analytical instrumentation, and scientific data management systems, but there is no well-established path for effective integration of these tools. In this article, we review and evaluate some of the approaches that have been taken thus far and also some radical new methods of integration that are emerging.

On the reproducibility of science: unique identification of research resources in the biomedical literature

“…Better tracking of research resources by researchers during the course of research can facilitate sharing of information with databases and at publication time. Electronic lab notebooks and management software (Machina & Wild, 2013; Hrynaszkiewicz, 2012), or resource sharing repositories such as the eagle-i Network () (Vasilevsky et al, 2012) or the Neuroscience Information Framework () (Bandrowski et al, 2012) enable creation of stable identifiers and structured tracking of information. The MODs have recommended nomenclature standards for organisms, but these are not always adhered to (Eppig & Levan, 2005; MGI, 2013; ZFIN, 2013; Flybase, 2013).…”

Using an ePortfolio system as an electronic laboratory notebook in undergraduate biochemistry and molecular biology practical classes

“…Surveys of users allowed Machina and Wild [1] to collate an extensive list of benefits conferred by ELNs, and these can be summarized into three main categories: consistency and efficiencies in storing data; the improved ability to search and filter data; improvements in sharing data. Earlier articles, for example Kihlen [2], also cites usercontrolled templates as a major draw-card, while advantages such as setting up differential access via security protocols, backup of data, and remote access have always been self-evident.…”

Managing research data

“…The papers presented at these sessions discuss many different aspects of the technology and its implementation in research labs. Several recent reviews follow the evolution of the ELN and describe the current types and models available today and the challenges involved in switching from paper to digital Machina and Wild, 2013a;Pearsall, 2013;Rudolphi and Goossen, 2011;Taylor, 2011).…”

“…In spite of the many advantages ELNs offer compared to paper notebooks, adopting them in an environment that is using mostly paper notebooks could cause significant disruption in the research work flow (Machina and Wild, 2013a). Researchers are interested in having ELNs that are associated with laboratory instruments and scientific data management systems.…”