html5-img
1 / 19

The Laboratory Notebook

The Laboratory Notebook A Record of Experimentation and Observation Ref: Porush, David. A Short Guide to Writing About Science.” HarperCollins, NY, 1995 Communication Flow in Science Problem Setting Experiment Observation Lab Notebook Lab report Written Communication

Mia_John
Download Presentation

The Laboratory Notebook

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Laboratory Notebook A Record of Experimentation and Observation Ref: Porush, David. A Short Guide to Writing About Science.” HarperCollins, NY, 1995

  2. Communication Flow in Science Problem Setting Experiment Observation Lab Notebook Lab report

  3. Written Communication • Writing begins in the lab!

  4. What Is a Lab Notebook For? • Serves as a record of experimentation and observation • an eyewitness account recorded at the scene of the action • carries legal weight (when properly kept) • Can be an intellectual diary • Serves as the basis of the formal report

  5. Parts of a Lab Notebook • Clear identification of time, place and people directly involved in experiment • Brief statement of the problem/purpose of the experiment • Detailed descriptions of the apparatus • Detailed instructions for setting up the apparatus …… more …..

  6. Parts of a Lab Notebook (cont.) • Instructions for conducting the experiment • Description of the method for collecting the data • Complete records of data/other observations • Description of method for analyzing data • Brief analysis/interpretations of data • Brief statement of conclusions

  7. Checklist for Style for Notebook • Will other researchers be able to reconstruct the setup? • Will other researchers be able to conduct the experiment? • Will other researchers be able to understand the results? • Will other researchers be able to understand the conclusions? ….. more …..

  8. Checklist for Style… (cont.) • Have I numbered the pages of the notebook? • Does every entry have a date (and time)? • Is every entry signed? • Have I eliminated blanks with diagonal lines?

  9. Guidelines for Recording Data • Record everything in ink • Enter all data directly into the notebook • Record data in the order in which you made the observations, i.e., chronologically • Make sure each data point has a number and a dimension or unit of measurement • Record data with correct significant figures ….more…..

  10. Guidelines for Recording…(cont) • Make corrections and deletions by lining through words or figures with a single line in ink (no erasures!) • Leave minimal blank space between entries • Use diagonal lines to fill larger blank spaces • Date and sign each page • Have each page signed by a knowledgeable witness

  11. Steps in Interpreting Data • Find generalities about the data by applying mathematical/statistical methods and matching to different hypotheses or theories • Make qualitative judgments about the data • Decide which competing explanation of the data makes more sense • Note specific points of agreement or disagreement with hypothesis you were testing

  12. Lab Notebooks in MENG 3207 • Your lab notebook number will be your initials (3) and the last four digits of your student number (e.g., ABC1234) • Use this number along with page number(s) when referencing lab data in lab reports • Put your name, MENG 3207-01, and lab notebook number on inside front cover • (optional) include your address or telephone number in case you lose the notebook

  13. Lab Notebooks in MENG 3207 • All entries are to be made in ink • Don’t leave any pages blank • use “To Page No./From Page No.” to indicate sequence of pages • Maintain a Table of Contents, listing the experiments included in the notebook • Each experiment is to include the “parts” of a lab notebook described earlier

  14. Lab Notebooks in MENG 3207 • Come to the lab with drafts of the following in your own words • brief statement of the objective(s) of the experiment • description of the apparatus and materials • instructions for setting up the apparatus • instructions for conducting the experiment • data sheets

  15. Lab Notebooks in MENG 3207 • Confirm that your drafts are factual, then enter them into the lab notebook before taking any data • note: if the descriptions of the setup and methods in the lab handout are correct, sufficiently detailed, and lengthy, you can substitute a summary of these, then reference the original document and (properly) include it in the notebook

  16. Lab Notebooks in MENG 3207 • Record all data chronologically and directly in the notebook, not on “scratch paper” • Make observations in the notebook during and after collecting data • Have pages witnessed before leaving the lab

  17. Lab Notebooks in MENG 3207 • After collecting the data, continue to use the notebook to complete the lab • describe method(s) for analyzing the data • record all results of data analysis • use appropriate significant figures • give brief analysis/interpretation of data, including charts and graphs • give brief statement of conclusions • have all pages witnessed

  18. Summary • Lab notebooks serve as a record of experimentation and observation • In this course, the lab notebooks will contain • all information needed to conduct the experiment (entered before data collection) • all data collected during the experiment • all observations and analyses made during and after conducting the experiment

  19. End

More Related