How to maintain a lab notebook and organise your research

As a researcher, your lab notebook is your most valuable tool and main working document that will include hypotheses, experimental setup, evaluations, data, interpretations, calculations, and early analysis. It is in fact, the first record of your research activity from experiment to observation and must be meticulously maintained.

This structured program highlights several useful tips on the types of sections and entries a researcher should ideally maintain, and the basic thumb rules to follow. It outlines the legal and ethical implications of keeping notes, wraps up with an overview of electronic note-making and documents based on lab notes. The course also dwells on how keeping a well-maintained lab notebook is a good scientific practice and crucial in lab research for organizational and legal purposes.