Electronic lab notebooks (ELN)

Good documentation will ensure the correct interpretation of the research data. Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN) or Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) can be one of the documentation tools. 

Electronic laboratory notebooks (ELNs) are usually more suitable for more diverse and unstructured information that requires flexibility. Researchers can use ELNs in a personalized way and customize it to document their daily work. They are systems suitable for day-to-day internal work with data.

Benefits of using ELNs

• support FAIR data principles
• allow oversight by principal investigators or core facility managers
• data and documentation can be easily shared within the team
• eliminates the problem of illegible handwriting or corrupted logbooks
• can prevent data loss when a staff member leaves
• allow integration with other tools, which can facilitate the research process and publishing

There is no one right tool that we can recommend for the whole BUT. Different disciplines will have different requirements for the systems. The tool comparison table developed by Harvard University in 2018, or the How to pick a notebook guidance questions developed by the University of Cambridge and the comparison table, can serve as a good guide to choosing the right tool. The University of Darmstadt has developed an ELN Finder where up to 40 criteria for tool selection can be set.

As a pilot tool at the BUT we chose the open source system Kadi4Mat.