Third Year Project (Science) - making notes... which method would/did you use?

Basil_Fawlty

Hi there

I'm doing my third year project now but was wondering with all the labwork, how would you suggest I make records of all the work I'm doing?

Today was my first day at it (more like just getting to know the place and methods) and i've just made a note of the steps I carried out on A4 file paper and popped it into a designated part of my folder.

However, some of my friends are using paper notebooks. One is using a tablet notebook (not an option for moi ) to enter all the details there and then, but I'm a little confused about how I should do this so I can easily refer to experimental procedures and also read/refer to results easily... any ideas would be welcome :beer:

talksalot81

Get a solid A4 'lab-book' and then scribble everything into it. Pieces of paper are a disaster because they get lost so easily and I dont think a tablet PC is a great idea either... any scientist will tell you that the ability to quickly flick back to a previous note and to see several pages together is important. You cannot do that with a pc screen. To further emphasise this point, you will find the vast majority of people will print out academic publications because the use of on screen data is very tough.

DrFluffy

^^^Wholeheartedly agree...

Make sure you write up everything... It's always tempting to say 'I'll do it later', but the reality is you more than likely will not!

cowboy

I will speak from my experience working in labs as my summer placement.

Write down what you do in a rough book(meaning, no need to bother about how tidy or how neat it is). At the end of the day, type it out onto your computer neatly (try remembering what you did rather than just copying from your rough book). Print it out and bring it with you when you do the experiment in your lab again. Add extra notes as you go along, or if you have ways to enhance your experiment, write it down as well. Cancel any unnecessary steps, etc etc....

At the end of the day, go back to your computer and do the necessary changes (out of memory if possible).

There you go. That's my method and I find that it really works for me. I'm now in my 3rd year too, but unfortunately, I've been allocated a dry computer project rather than wet lab project -_-|| . If you have any tips for such project, do let me know as well.

All the best to both of us... LoL!

tomstickland

Where I work I write things on random bits of paper and if they're useful I then write them into word documents, making no great effort to keep it tidy. Then I gradually clean up the documents until they become refined into the finished article.

Basic lab book is probably best way to do it.

melancholly

i can only echo what's been said already - as long as you write down lots (don't underestimate the power to forget details - at least for me anyway!) in a legible way that makes sense to you, you should be ok.

talksalot81

Another tip... do not write on every page! Use every other. So write on the front of a page, not on the back. Then you have a load of space for coming back in the future and making further notes.

crazyscientist

Hey

The undergrad projects have just started in our department too. I have advised the students in my lab to use 1 notebook for all their lab notes (ideally with a washable plastic cover - i know from experience that its very easy to knock things over onto it!).

Then all the information on reagents, concentrations etc is easily accessible in one place. Its best to type up methods and things as you go along too.

But i guess its down to personal preference, as long as the information is understandable and thorough it doesn't really matter how you write it down.

DrFluffy

*Geek* I have a separate 'recipies' book, which I started while on my industrial year and have kept adding to over the years - I pop all my protocols etc in there. Has come in VERY useful over the years, especially when you move on from a lab, and your lab books remain the property of the MRC/Wellcome/whoever...

cowboy

DrFluffy wrote:

*Geek* I have a separate 'recipies' book, which I started while on my industrial year and have kept adding to over the years - I pop all my protocols etc in there. Has come in VERY useful over the years, especially when you move on from a lab, and your lab books remain the property of the MRC/Wellcome/whoever...

That's a very useful tip. I should get a folder and keep all the "recipes" from my placements as well... Might be handy in the future...

sallywl

I agree with all the ideas on here, when i did my dissertation I used a project book with a plastic cover...wipeable with its different sections (mine had 5) I could separate my notes into relevant areas, and then were easy to find.. also being v sad I numbered the pages to link everything in. Even now in work I seem to be the only one who uses my lab book, but I like to have a record, and it paid off the other day.

The project books can be bought from woolworths and WHSmiths and prob other stationary supliers.... HTH, an Good luck its hard work but it will be worth it!!