Virtually everyone engaged in experimental work keeps a lab notebook. Reasons why lab notebooks are necessary for successful experimental work are Exact observations, especially numerical results, are easily forgotten. Analysis of large collections of data allows a better interpretation of experimental results. If conclusions later prove to be incorrect, the original data can be analyzed again to reach new conclusions. Records of earlier experimental work help in planning and carrying out future experiments.
Accurate records allow the experiment to be reproduced, if necessary.
General Rules Obtain from the University Bookstore a bound laboratory research notebook. Spiral bound or loose leaf notebooks are not acceptable. All entries in the laboratory notebook are to be made in ink. If errors are made, simply cross them out with a single line. All data and observations are to be entered directly into the notebook, not on scraps of paper.