Guidelines for keeping a lab book

The University provides a lab book which has permanent binding and has numbered pages. The brief guidelines below are taken from "Keeping a Laboratory Notebook" published by BTG plc.

1. Students should use the University of Sheffield Laboratory Notebook, as issued during the Practical Week.

2. It must be written in permanent ink.

3. The entries must give full details of all laboratory materials and methods, and all computer analyses. They should be sufficiently detailed so that the work could easily be replicated by another individual.

4. Results should refer back to the original entry in the lab book, if other entries have been made in the interim.

5. Pictures and computer print-outs should be permanently fixed into the book. They should fit onto the page, and the witness should sign across the join (see point 8). Where additional supporting material cannot be kept in the book, reference to that material should be made, and the material stored in an orderly manner.

6. Unused pages/parts of pages should be ruled through. Pages should not be left incomplete.

7. Errors should be simply crossed out, corrected and initialled. Never use correction fluid or tear out pages.

8. All pages should be signed and dated by the author.

All pages should be signed and dated by the supervisor. In instances where the supervisor feels results may be patentable, a witness should also sign and date the lab book.