David has taught Honors Physics, AP Physics, IB Physics and general science courses. He has a Masters in Education, and a Bachelors in Physics.
Science involves collecting huge amounts of data in order to better understand the universe. That data has to be collected somewhere. You could type it all out carefully, or create beautiful, elaborate tables with titles that would rival the best work of calligraphers, but all of that takes time. When you're in the heat of an experiment, you often need to act quickly.
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A laboratory notebook is the main working document in any research or experiment. It's the first place you record all of your work, including hypotheses, experimental setup, data, calculations, and early analysis. This can be helpful for many reasons from organizational to legal, including providing proof that you completed the work for intellectual property and copyright purposes.
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Unfortunately there are no official rules for how to write in and keep a lab notebook (as they're commonly called). Different universities and private companies have different rules and procedures. However, there are certain features that are extremely common: the notebooks are usually bound and ruled and have numbered pages and dates for every entry. Entries are usually made as and when they happen, and never after the fact. Many lab notebooks include a table of contents and voided blank pages. When two experiments are being completed at once, you can move back and forth between them, or divide the page into columns. And when a mistake is made, a line should be drawn through it - nothing should be erased, and all markings should be permanent and in ink. Finally, your contact details are important to include in case the notebook is lost.
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Lab notebooks have multiple uses. They're for your own records, to refer to when you begin to write up an experiment. They avoid confusion if a method changes multiple times or becomes convoluted. They also encourage you to think deeply, and open up an internal dialogue - a lab notebook can be used much like a diary where you express your thoughts and work through problems. Lab notebooks can be useful if your research is passed along to someone else, allowing him or her to continue your work. Some people even argue that lab notebooks should be so detailed that anyone would be able to repeat your experiment without assistance or clarification. Last of all, lab notebooks are considered to be important legal documents. They enable you to prove that you did the original work, to apply for patents, and to protect your intellectual property.
These days many lab notebooks are electronic, but the same principles still apply. Some universities are even promoting the concept of open lab notebooks, where scientists' lab notebooks are available to the public at all times. This is an attempt to increase transparency in the scientific process.
A laboratory notebook is the primary record of any research or experiment. It should include hypotheses, experimental setups, data, calculations, and early analysis. While there are no official rules for how a lab notebook should be set up, they're generally bound and ruled and have numbered pages, every entry dated, a table of contents, and voided blank pages. They are written in permanent ink, and mistakes are crossed out rather than erased.
Lab notebooks have many uses, including record-keeping, organization, and legal proof of your work. They are also useful if your work is passed along to someone else, allowing them to continue it, and can help you develop an internal dialogue as you work through your research problems.
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