Lab Log Format
- In general …
- Use a hardbound notebook — one that would show obvious damage if a page was removed.
- Number all pages so that missing pages can be spotted.
- Never remove pages from your lab notebook.
- Place important information on the inside front cover.
- Personal information
- Your name, phone number, email address so that a lost lab log can be returned to you
- Your ICE name and phone number (ICE means "in case of emergency")
- Where you work
- Name of primary worksite, location (room number), phone number (if applicable)
- Name of secondary worksite, location (room number), phone number (if applicable)
- Name of tertiary worksite, location (room number), phone number (if applicable)
- Who you work with
- Principal investigator (PI) name, phone number, email address
- Other researcher name, phone number, email address
- Lab manager/technician name, phone number, email address
- Post-doc name, phone number, email address
- Graduate/Undergraduate student name, phone number, email address
- Personal information
- Daily entries
- Date
- Location
- Time In/Time Out
- Aim/Goal
- Notes/Procedures/Results
- Monthly summaries
- At the end of each month, create a table that summarizes the work you did for that month.
Name of Month Date Hours Activity ⇐ Total hours for the month
Weighting and Extra Credit Requirements
- In order to receive extra credit for the month (juniors only) or to receive a 1.05 for the semester (juniors and seniors), you are expected to attend lab and/or do lab-related work for at least 4 hours per week (16 hours per month for a month with 4 full weeks).
- A possible option for this time is analyzing articles that are related to your subject similar to the way you reviewed articles for this class.
- For all equipment that you use, you should read the manual from your lab and explain the operating principle behind that piece of equipment.
- For all protocols you should create an extremely simple flow chart of the procedure and identify the final product.
Fall Lab Logs
- Junior lab logs are due at the first meeting of each month.
- Summer lab logs are due in October.
- September lab logs are due in October.
- October lab logs are due in November.
- November lab logs are due in December.
- December lab logs are due in January.
- Senior lab logs for September, October, November are due December 1 and are only used to qualify for Honors Research (1.05 weighted class).