Homepage for oiseau-lab’s GitHub Pages of the research-notebooks repository.

Testing the formatting of a table imported from .csv format using Liquid below.

ID Name of Attributes Description/expected content
TL-01 Name Digital Notebook (DiNo) name
G-01 License Source code of software can be made available by the developer or not. The license details the legal aspects related to the distribution and use of the DiNo. An end-user may be passionate about open software and/or open source code, and so therefore may argue for their notebook to also carry an open software licence. Most are probably unaware! If they are particularly enthused, they may offer up preferred open licence types.
U-01 Customizable user interface Individual operability of the DiNo can significantly increase acceptance. It specifies whether and how users can configure the interface according to their preferences. Criterion refers to whether personalisation of say, column headers in the GUI, can be achieved.
U-02 Languages Any additional language availability in the GUI is captured here. Users can of course enter data in any language they wish, although the University would encourage English for sharing purposes, users may wish for menus etc. to be in another language, which could be facilitated. Note the language if mentioned. Top 30 Most Spoken Languages from Wiki input as default entries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_languages_by_total_number_of_speakers
U-03 Support This refers to all the support that a provider offers so that the tool can be used. This includes both general information, such as "Getting Started" or general explanation of the tool's concepts, and individual support for specific problems. This does not refer to maintenance, which is usually part of the contract and is agreed individually.
CF-01 Data input Data entry into the DiNo can be done through various input options. On the one hand, different sources can be supported (e.g. voice through dictation function, handwritten through digital pen, barcode scanner) and on the other hand, several input elements or editors can be made available to the user. In addition to free text notes, which are usually possible in every DiNo, input can be made e.g. via structured forms, tables or links to other objects within the DiNo (internal links).
CF-02 Data import (formats) A DiNo should be able to import and attach all filetypes, so this attribute refers to when a specific format can be previewed directly in the notebook. This criterion should be ignored in the first round of scoring, as its accuracy cannot be assured given the departure from ELN Finders attribute definition. Format classification is modified from ref (https://www.publisso.de/forschungsdatenmanagement/fd-archivieren/) and captured in the worksheet "DataFormats".
CF-04 Data export Again, departing from ELN Finder definition. The resource here (https://ukdataservice.ac.uk/learning-hub/research-data-management/format-your-data/recommended-formats/) is helpful for the purpose of export classification. The distinction between 'Formats suitable...' and 'Complete...' is only whether complete export or selection of subsections is possible in either publication/document or machine-readable formats. Ideally, an ELN would carry all four options plus have the direct publication option.
CF-05 Templates Templates are used for time saving and standardization. There can be templates for documents, protocols, etc. In addition to the ability to create own templates, many products include pre-configured templates for specific tasks. Some DiNos also offer the possibility to import and/or share templates. Research supporting colleagues (Technical or otherwise) typically have large interest here.
CF-06 Searchability One of the most significant advantages of electronic lab books over paper books is the ability to find data quickly and easily. In addition to the simple full text search, most products offer an advanced search. Moreover, many tools offer additional possibilities, these are e.g. search for chemical formulas, for biological content, database queries, filtering possibilities with marking of filtered records. BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) is relevant to DNA sequencing. The presence of file hierarchies and tagging features has also been included here.
CF-07 Collaboration Collaborative functions, such as sharing documents, data, and workflows, are a key strength of electronic lab notebooks. However, not all users need (and should have) the same access rights. Rights and role management helps to define the access right in different granularity, sometimes down to the user- and file level. Rights management is used when access permissions of individual or grouped objects can be adjusted, whilst role management refers to defining a user or group’s access rights/data visibility. Mention of real-time collaboration, shared project management tools including calendars and task assignment with notifications are also captured here.
C-01 Preservation of evidence The sustainable and secure storage of research data is both required by law in specific branches of research and generally required by funding agencies and research institutions. Specific regulatory codes are captured in the next criterion. Here, specific features which help preserve evidence are captured, i.e. audit trails, signatures, timestamping and version control.
C-02 Compliance Any reference to specific security or integrity standards (see above) should be captured here.
EF-01 Laboratory management functions Laboratory management functions can be a helpful extension of the DiNo, but it may also be important to allow existing systems to interoperate with the DiNo if (partial) management, e.g., a chemical database, is already in place. The functions mentioned here are often available as an additional module. 'Materials database' is the broader definition of chemical inventory. 'LIMS Connectivity' is used to define when integrated LIMS software is available, or integrations possible. 'Sample tracking' is used to indicate demand for a sample inventory.
EF-02 Integrations and extensions Integrations and extensions provide additional functionalities to a DiNo, e.g. for transferring data to external services or programs. Any mention of additional software integrations should be included here (beyond LIMS).
EF-03 Automation Any automation capabilities are listed here, including functions which can be accessed using an API, including "Device control" - the transmission of signals/commands to external devices - "Data analysis" - for at least preliminary plotting and data manipulation/ visualisation within the notebook (or via an integration).
EF-05 (Individual) Project management tools Project management tools referred to here are non-collaborative, as distinct from CF-07, such as the features of a personal calendar or task-board.
EF-06 Workflows The term workflow here refers to the ability to capture both workflows in the laboratory and technical sense, i.e. for capturing data/decision flow of a DiNo, both internally and external. The documentation and reuse of workflows, SOPs (self-defined standard operating procedures) and processes can bring about a significant increase in efficiency. Traceability of workflows contributes to transparency and can be a means of transferring expertise. It can be worthwhile to develop a concept for the creation and use of workflow templates to derive the maximum benefit from the use of a DiNo.
IT-01 Application programming interfaces An API (application programming interface) is an interface for application programming. It can be used, for example, to integrate software into another system or to transfer data to/from a device. It is important that an API is sufficiently described. If a specific programmatic interaction with the notebook is mentioned, that should be captured here, including demand for SDK (Software Development Kits), which accelerate software add-on development, and ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) database interfacing.
IT-02 Controlled vocabulary Controlled vocabularies (ontologies) are a set of predefined expressions/words that can be provided as input. They improve the coherence of records by preventing different versions of the same term (e.g. typos, plural vs. singular). Using published controlled vocabularies (or ontologies) is an important step to increase interoperability and comparability of records between groups.
IT-03 Data access (client) The vast majority of DiNos are browser-based and are therefore accessible through any computer operating system. Accessing the platform via a browser, tablet/mobile compatibility (i.e. Responsive Design), mobile app or a desktop client is captured here.
IT-04 Data storage location The location of storage must be compliant with the privacy policy of the using organization. Depending on the selection, full control over the data and the security protocols lies with the administration of the organization using the DiNo. In the case of cloud storage, the physical location of the servers may determine whether compliance with certain data protection policies may be expected.