The humble lab notebook has undergone a metamorphosis. Not in every lab by any means, but in many today researchers are entering details mid-experiment with gloved fingers by pressing on the screens of ziplocked tablets.
The electronic lab notebook (ELN) is growing in popularity due to its ease of backup, searchability, accessibility by multiple lab members, and other perks. Given the wide variety of experiments performed in labs across scientific disciplines, there are multiple options, many costing thousands of dollars. But many are available free or for a nominal cost (less than $200), and they’re worth a closer look.
Ease of use
One of the most important qualities of any lab notebook format, including ELNs, is ease of use. According to Ted Pawela, senior director of materials science and engineering business at Accelrys, ease of use and simplicity are strengths of their low-cost ELN, the Accelrys Notebook.
“Accelrys Notebook is outstanding at replacing the functionality of paper lab notebooks to make information searchable, sharable and persistent,” Pawela says. “It does this and only this in order to keep both the price of the product, and total cost of ownership as low as possible.” Pawela notes that other important features include full support for chemistry reactions, and the options of using the Notebook locally in the lab or in the “cloud” for easier remote access.
An important aspect of Accelrys’ ease-of-use is its flexibility. “This is a true strength of the Accelrys Notebook for research-driven lab environments,” says Pawela. “The types of data and experiments vary widely in this environment, therefore flexibility to accommodate these variations is paramount. Accelrys Notebook can accommodate virtually any type and format of data and experiment without customization.”
The Accelrys Enterprise Platform and Pipeline Pilot authoring application (which is included with the ELN) allows users, even those without computer programming experience, to customize their ELNs by creating different protocols and tailored methods of data analysis. As with most ELNs, data can be entered manually, imported directly from some types of instruments (such as a spectrometer, for example) or added as images (e.g., photos of gels or blots).
Flexibility
For any ELN to be successful, it must be flexible enough to be useful across different disciplines. Even within individual labs, the experiment types may be so diverse that flexibility is a must. Antoni Wandycz of Agilent Technologies’ LDG Software and Informatics Group says Agilent’s OpenLAB ELN is designed to be flexible in such situations.
“The forms and templates capabilities make it very flexible and easy to adapt to each discipline, allowing users to go further into information structure, data capture and interfacing with external tools and systems,” Wandycz says. “It fits any researcher’s needs from a pure paper notebook replacement.” For example, users can import results directly from chromatography systems, and even smaller instruments such as balances and pH meters. Likewise users can enter visual data, such as images of gels, blots, photos or videos.
Agilent’s OpenLAB ELN is used in biology, analytical and medicinal chemistry and general engineering in both academia and industry. It is available in two formats, one for industry and another for academic customers. “Key features of OpenLAB ELN are geared [toward] protecting intellectual property, improving data quality and traceability and enabling collaboration and information sharing between labs and sites,” Wandycz says.
The low-cost Elements ELN from Revvity uses an “App Store” approach, where users can browse through and choose the most appropriate ways to view or manipulate their data.
“Elements' app-store approach allows researchers to compose pages of purpose-built scientific applications for input, visualization and analysis of data, whether it comes off of an instrument, desktop software package or other cloud-based service,” says Clive Higgins, vice president of marketing and informatics at Revvity. Alternatively, users can upload raw data for archival purposes. “In the future, the Elements team will [deploy] more applications for new or different data types, and our third-party developer community will create and deploy elements on the platform for niche data types and processes allowing for ultimate configurability.”
Lab notebook and management tools
ELNs vary in the different tools they offer, with some supporting lab management as well. Labguru is an ELN with customizable fields to enter all experimental details. But it also offers features that help to organize and manage lab resources and research projects.
Labguru facilitates collaboration on research projects by providing a central place for sharing ideas, scheduling use of shared lab equipment and streamlining order requests. It also lets users map their lab’s storage, from rooms to freezers to shelves to individual tubes, making it easier to find reagents quickly. These features are customizable for the physical and storage needs of different labs.
Labguru also links items used in a project together, which helps researchers to keep everything in context, says Joshua Phillipson, marketing manager at Labguru. “For example, by opening a particular run of an experiment, you can easily identify the protocols and materials used, the results as well the location of associated tubes in the lab’s freezer.”
In searching for an ELN, Phillipson believes “the best thing to do is to first define what your needs are. What are your ELN ‘must-haves’ and what are the ‘nice-to-haves’, and what are the deal-breakers.” A “must-have” feature, for instance, might be the ability to organize data by project in a way that allows easy access by the project leader to check on lab members’ progress. By contrast, a sought-after deal-breaker may be the ability to assign secure access to collaborators in another part of the world, for recording or analyzing the results of particular research projects, perhaps with tracking functions to indicate who added to the ELN, and when.
Phillipson encourages researchers to look closely at what is offered, as opposed to what is promised. “You’ve got to dig down into the features to really figure out what they deliver,” he says.
To spend, or not to spend?
With free and almost-free ELNs available, when (if ever) should researchers spend a considerable amount of money for an ELN? Generally, it’s a good idea to consider laying out funds for an ELN when your needs can’t otherwise be met. “I believe a higher-priced notebook should be purchased when requirements don't match common scientific workflow, data and analysis procedures,” says Higgins. “Or it should be purchased if you're in a highly-regulated environment where custom software development is required to exactly match regulators processes and procedures.” One example of a specialty ELN is the Accelrys ELN that is designed for GMP/GLP-compliant regulated environments and structured procedures, Pawela says.
Another factor to consider is the quality and stability of the ELN’s developer. After all, your ability to access your data long-term depends on a functional product – or at least, the ability to export your data in another format. “Is the company behind the ELN reliable? Are they likely going to be around in another year?” Pawela asks. “Are they continuously improving the product?” A good product is likely to be backed by a company that is receptive and responsive to user comments and requests, resulting in improvements that directly address users’ problems.
Without a doubt, the concept of free or lower-cost ELNs is certainly more attractive than higher-cost options. But before you choose one, it is prudent to consider what you may want from it in the long run. “[Agilent’s OpenLAB] ELN supposes a long-term view,” says Wandycz. “Choosing a free or low-cost type of ELN adds to the challenge of obtaining access to your data in the long term.”
If your experiments are easily organized by a free ELN, woohoo! But investing in what you really need, rather than trying to conform your research to the limits of a free or less expensive option, may be the most cost-effective solution in the end.
Caitlin Smith