Maybe this is more of a personal question, but can u give some insight on what you note down on your labbook? I mean do you only note results? or also methods protocols...things u read and can be used as a reference for future exps etc? sometimes i worry i write down too much like every detail and waste time just updating it every week....and sometimes i find out things would be so much better if i have noted exactly how i did this coz em hm i don't remember really...what do u think???

I had my labbooks from the very start so initially it was methodology ideas.  Included in this were notes of key references that framed my methodology. I also wrote down minutes of my supervisory meetings and deadlines I needed to respond with uni paperwork.  So yes really it was a weekly-ish diary too. Once the experiments started all of the data were written down for each experimental session.  This was later inputted into excel. Once I entered the write-up phase the thesis structure ideas were written in these books too.  Essentially they are a log of data and events for my PhD journey rather than 'labbooks' which would imply just data. These are the proof that it was my project and work in chronological order.  I was advised early on to sign and date each page for authenticity. Then to 'copyright' the pages of the books by photocopying them, sign/date the copies and send to yourself.  The unopened envelope provides a 'date' for that work via the postmark. Once you have publications those will endorse your authorship and rights over the data.

Oh, you can never write too much in these labbooks either!  At the write-up stange you may appreciate reading through these books to reestablish what you did and why. Any thought processes you had back then that may have seemed trivial might make much more sense later.

oh thanks a million dunni73 for the detailed reply...i think it's worth the effort to keep these books well updated...i'll add the date more accurately from now on since i keep on forgetting it ... and i will continue adding details that may be useful in the future...;-)

I am a bit lax in this regard to some extent, I make random notes (heres a tip, always have a book next to your bed, just incase you wake up with an idea...trust me it happens). But for when I was doing a vast amount of programming I used it to write down techniques which worked, how I came up with my program and the ideas behind it, clever tricks to get around issues, ideas I had about direction and what I could expand things to. I sort of keep 3 different books. 1 is my technical/data/processing info book, which covers how I go about things and the best ways to deal with problems, a second which is my random ideas notes and flavours book (which goes to presentations and is always with me...every day), and a third which is purely for writing and things related to papers, where I write down ideas, good explanations, ideas for papers (I keep these for after the PhD mostly). It might vary from day to day, but it is definitely useful to keep notes in some form of context, as it can be a good way to remember how your progress went (especially if asked by someone like your sup) and to give yourself a sense of progress.

Oh, just remembered one of my sups would always look through my labbook when I had a meeting with him, I guess to satisfy himself that work was progressing. I suppose I didn't have to agree to him seeing it but I had nothing to hide. It was he who suggested copyrighting the books. So I guess you may want to be mindful of what is written (especially meeting minutes etc) incase you are also asked!

I have three all at once (though technically I don't work in a lab, it's all computer simulations at my desk!). I have one book that is a pure mess of anything I need to write down. It makes no sense to anyone apart from me. The second is a daily diary, explaining what I am doing that day and what I have achieved. This helps me keep track of goals. The third is a "neat book". I tend to write up stuff a bit neater if I feel it will be very important (though not too neat, no need to waste too much time). On top of this, once I have finished a set of experiments or devised something new and it is all fully complete, I write up a formal report for myself. This helps spot if there are any gaps and ensures I haven't misunderstood anything.

The most important one is my rough one. I put practically everything in it (I've been through about 6 lab books in the last 4 months!).

thank u for ur comments. the thing is although i 've been having labbooks for 5 years now i've never thought of them as a proof that i did the work. doing a quick search on the internet i found out that some pretty strict rules excist in some places like u can't tear pages, u can't leave blank pages or u can't just stapple data, u have to sign every page etc. my labbook is kind of a mess stappled pages, corrections with correction fluid etc. i mean is it really important to have it as a proof? i used to have it as a reference for me and my supervisor of course but after ur comments and this internet search i started having second thoughts.

Jeepers Dunni, that's some extreme lab booking. I assume in your case it's necessary if your supervisor suggested it, but I feel the need to point out to others that most people don't need to go to that kind of extent!

Yes the books are ultimately proof that you did the work, but in most cases its highly unlikely to come down to that. If you're working in industry there will be strict regulations on keeping lab books, but in my experience in universities it's mostly for your own record, and for others to refer to later on if they're taking over a project, for example.

I find keeping a good record is very important though, it's worth taking a bit of time to write down everything you did and the results, especially the "failed" experiments. Can be a very valuable reference later on. And people following on from your work will thank you too, and maybe add your name to their papers if they were able to follow your work enough to use it in theirs ;-)

Ha-ha, Elsie, hadn't thought that my labbooks were extreme, does that count as an extreme sport!?!?!  I guess it stems from my employment in a research company where lab paperwork was meticulous with any errors crossed through with written explanation, signed and dated etc. Mine are not to that standard as they are my PhD books, but as asked by Joanna, this is an insight into my books.  Each individual can write/scribble/draw whatever they wish in theirs!! My main point that I found useful is to write things down as when it comes to write-up these little notes may mean so much more then in the bigger picture of your thesis.
:-)

I think photocopying your lab book and mailing it to yourself to keep in the sealed envelope should definitely count as an extreme sport :-). Very impressive tactic, I would never have thought of it. Oh yes, I fully agree on writing everything down, and the usefulness later on!

"especially the failed experiments" this is a nice comment Elsie. Many people (me included) get disappointed about failed experiments and they don't bother writing down what they did, how etc..and i agree that this can be of high value later on when you want to see what went wrong, or what to change etc. Good to have this in mind! :-)

My first (uncompleted) PhD was in a lab and now I'm doing a non-lab PhD I still keep a 'lab book'. I don't write in it every day but I do use it regularly and not just for findings - I use mine to jot down questions I've got stuck on, things to ask, explanations of things I've understood, 'to do' lists etc.

You will be amazed at how much you forget as you go along if you don't keep records. And there can be useful stuff in the material that doesn't at first look important - you could overlook something if you only record what you perceive at the time to be 'important'.

As well as being a useful resource, my lab book does also give me a sense of progression - I'm stuck doing a lot of reading right now and sometimes it feels like I'm not getting anywhere, but the notes show I have actually been productive and moved on in my thinking.

This doesn't mean you should write down every little thing, but you need to make it into a resource that works for you.