laboratory notebook lieu final
TRANSCRIPT
www.FITT-for-Innovation.eu
Laboratory Notebook
FITT
(Fostering Interregional Exchange in ICT Technology Transfer)
2 | February 2010 Laboratory Notebook
Laboratory notebook in general
The laboratory notebook is an essential working tool for the researcher.
It is used for documenting and dating any experiments, work, research
results and original ideas.
In general, it is an important source for:
• understanding how the experiments were conducted
• understanding how the conclusions were formed
• understanding how the results were deduced
The laboratory notebook establishes the precedence of results or
inventions from an intellectual property standpoint. It therefore
constitutes evidence in the event of disputes relating to scientific
publications or patent applications in the United States.
3 | February 2010 Laboratory Notebook
Laboratory notebook in practice:What is laboratory notebook?
Sewed notebook, without mobile sheet.
• bound notebook and numbered pages
One cover page
• Research Unit, Name of the project, Name and signature of the user(s), Name
and signature of the manager, Number of the notebook
Table of contents (first sheets)
Pages to fill in
• Footer space reserved for signatures
Description of the procedure before the table of contents
4 | February 2010 Laboratory Notebook
Laboratory notebook in practice:How it looks like
• Cover page • Table of content • Page to fill in
5 | February 2010 Laboratory Notebook
Laboratory notebook in practice:What to record in the laboratory notebook?
•Title of the experiment in process and
date of execution
•Precise description of handling, as one
goes along the execution, even if they did
not reach.
•List of measurements
•Noticeable facts or observations
•Interpretation and comments about the
obtained results
•Review of the results, ideas of handling to
improve and complete the results
•Every new working hypothesis
•Advance in a research
•Batch number of used material or
products
•References of used methods and devices
•Partners participation
•Working discussions
•Copy of electronically stored data, with
identification and localisation of the files.
6 | February 2010 Laboratory Notebook
Who?
Who can use the ‘laboratory notebook’?
• Every people who realize researches in a research unit.
• Ideally, one notebook per person, but can also be allocated to a project or an
equipment.
• The notebook is the property of the laboratory. All information contained in the
notebook is confidential and is the property of the University.
Setting up the laboratory notebook in a research unit
• Responsibility of the researcher
Ensure the confidentiality of his researches
Follow the practical advices for the use of the notebook
Keep his notebook in an appropriate place
• Responsibility of the unit director
Order the notebooks via the responsible person
Define the notebook allocation rules
Ensure the archiving
7 | February 2010 Laboratory Notebook
Where and When?
This laboratory notebook established by the LIEU network was granted
by the Walloon Region and the European Union.
It was adopted simultaneously by all the French speaking universities in
Belgium in 2005.
The use of the notebook is mandatory within the framework of research
convention financed by the DGTRE (General direction for Technology,
Research and Energy of the Walloon Region.)
8 | February 2010 Laboratory Notebook
Why to use the laboratory notebook (1)
Scientifically: memory of the researcher
• Prevent from reinventing the existing
• Time saving / Simplification of the work
For the research of information
For publications / reports / patents writing
For experimentation reproduction
• Avoid the loss of information
Loss of sheets
Walkout of a researcher
9 | February 2010 Laboratory Notebook
Why to use the laboratory notebook (2)
Juridical: results protection
• Mean to define the know-how of the laboratory at a given time
• Interest for contracts
clearly identify the confidential information and the exact contribution of each
• Proof in case of litigation
Demonstrate the originality of an idea
• Interest for patents
Patent application can lean on these recorded data (on condition that they were not publicized before the patent fill in)
10 | February 2010 Laboratory Notebook
Pro’s & Cons (1 slide)
Pro’s
• Laboratory notebook is
The memory of the researchers / the laboratory (traceability)
An element for excellence and professionalism in the field of scientific research
A key element in the technology transfer policy
An essential tool for the process of protection for the research results (proof mean)
Cons
The procedure of use in the lab must be clearly defined
Sometimes it is considered as a too heavy addition of work
Need for frequent awareness sessions by the TT officer
It still happens that no notebook or other type of notebook are still in use: it can cause
problems in IP management.
11 | February 2010 Laboratory Notebook
Lessons Learned
A satisfaction survey was organized in 2009. Interesting lessons were
learned with this feedback from the users:
• There is a need for frequent awareness sessions:
Other types than the LIEU notebook are still in use. Uniformity is not yet accomplished.
Some labs do not use any notebook.
Procedure of use is not always well understood and applied
• Interesting remarks about the design of the notebook that can be adapted for
the next printing.
Spiral-bound notebook for easier manipulation (with an unanswerable spiral), margin reduction (for more place
for the content), A4+ format (to glue an A4 doc without the necessity of cutting it),…
• Too many labs criticize the price of the notebook
Solutions are under investigation to reduce the costs.
12 | February 2010 Laboratory Notebook
Outcome
Plans for the future?
• One possible evolution can be the Electronic laboratory notebook
• Electronic laboratory notebook must maintain the same highest standards
than the paper version
In a scientific and traceability point of view
In a juridical point of view (signature, certain date, data secure, avoid from falsification…)
• PRO’s
All files are linked to an experiment (database)
Notebook in network, remote access, interactive
• CON’s
More difficult to set up (Transcription of data…)
Expensive commercial solutions, often adapted to a specific scientific discipline (from 400 to 7000€)
Evolution with operating systems?
13 | February 2010 Laboratory Notebook
Suggested Reading
Link to code book
• LIEU
• Research result
• Invention
• Intellectual property
• Patent