• Question: Do you keep note books on what you find?

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      Asked by Zara.banara to Daniela ?, ☣ Danna, Jonny, Juan, Lindsay on 13 Jun 2016.
      • Photo: Danna Gifford

        Danna Gifford answered on 13 Jun 2016:

        Hi Zara, Good question! Yes I keep a lab notebook where I write down every experiment I do, and the results. I also use Evernote, an online notebook, to keep track of pictures and ideas as well.

        If I can post links, here is a link to my Evernote notebook when I was sequencing some antibiotic resistance genes:
        https://www.evernote.com/shard/s678/sh/7da62fd4-2e3a-40a3-a703-e51cbe47409d/bb709c5390e333b1f57ec10ae3d13d72

        It’s important to keep good notes so that in 6 months or a year, I can remember exactly what it was I was doing. It’s also important in case anyone else wants to repeat the things I did.

      • Photo: Lindsay Robinson

        Lindsay Robinson answered on 13 Jun 2016:

        Hi Zara! I have a notebook but it’s electronic so is a bit different to a paper notebook. I have to fill it in to keep track of my research. Being electronic means that other scientists in my lab can see what I’ve been doing. It’s another great way to share knowledge which is really important in science.

      • Photo: Juan Ortiz

        Juan Ortiz answered on 13 Jun 2016:

        Yes, I keep track of all my experiments, my results and my goals in a lab book. Otherwise it would be very difficult to remember after one month and would be very difficult to follow a research strategy. Being organised and writing down clearly what you have done and why is essential for a scientist.

      • Photo: Jonathan Hunter

        Jonathan Hunter answered on 13 Jun 2016:

        Yep, I keep a notebook.
        Not only is it good for remember what I did a year ago, but I find that when I write up some of the bits I did, it allows me to thing about what I’m doing and planning what to do next!

      • Photo: Daniela Lobo

        Daniela Lobo answered on 15 Jun 2016:

        Hi Zara,
        As you might have already figured out, yes, most scientists take notes of their results. After 3 years of research, I have gathered 6 lab books (which may be unusual, I do write a lot!). You should write your successful results but also the things that didn’t work, so next time you: 1) don’t do it again or, 2) make changes to your previous experiments.
        I tend to write everything by hand rather than on the computer – this is probably a silly thing to do because it’s way easier to lose a notebook than a computer file!

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