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Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN)

An electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) is a software tool that replicates a traditional paper lab notebook.

Choosing and ELN

Readings on choosing an ELN

A Grid for Comparison

From Harvard Data Management:  The Electronic Lab Notebook Matrix has been created to aid HMS researchers in the process of identifying a usable ELN solution to meet their specific research needs. Through this resource, researchers can compare and contrast the numerous solutions available today, and also explore individual options in-depth. Click on the matrix below to expand the table and see detailed descriptions of each resource. 

Questions to consider

There are many different ELNs to choose from and each differs in cost, functionality, and user experience. It’s useful to start by thinking about your needs before looking at different products. Here are some questions to consider when selecting an ELN.

  • How much will the product cost? Is it a one-time cost or a recurring cost (subscription)? Will you be able to sustain access for as long as you need?
  • What happens when you stop using the ELN? Can you export notebooks to a usable format? What functionality do you lose when you export?
  • How do you want to grant control and monitor access to your notebooks? (e.g. Do you need an audit trail that records who makes changes? Does each lab member ‘own’ their own notebook or do you ‘own’ every notebook? Do users need access to each other’s notebooks?)
  • Do you need to collaborate or share a notebook with others? - How will that work? Do your collaborators need their own account? Who owns the content? Are you a PI with students working for you? Who owns the data on their account? What happens when they leave? How granular are controls over read and write access?
  • What types of information do you need to record and how much space will you require? (e.g. text, images, Microsoft Office documents, raw instrument outputs, other data files, etc.)
  • What specialized functionality do you require? (e.g. chemical structure drawing, lab inventory control, protocols and templates, etc.)
  • Do you work with sensitive data and, if so, does the product provide measures to protect that data?