Lab

Lab Record Keeping

Record Keeping
Standard
Standard
So as it was done,
So as it was done,
so let it be written.
so let it be written.
R. Austin
C:\Users\Richard\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Conten
t.IE5\SLW6ZA91\MC900336223[1].wmf
.
.Warning
Warning.
.
Your notebook is a legal document and is
Your notebook is a legal document and is
discoverable
discoverable
.
.That means information from it (certified
That means information from it (certified
copies, etc) can be subpoenaed
copies, etc) can be subpoenaed
It will
It will support
support your testimony/recollection
your testimony/recollection
even years after the events were recorded
even years after the events were recorded

Setup
Setup
Write
Write your
your name and
name and contact
contact information
information on the front
on the front cover
cover
Losing your lab notebook is a
Losing your lab notebook is a very
verybad thing
bad thing!
!
You will submit the duplicate sheet with the lab answer
You will submit the duplicate sheet with the lab answer sheet and as a part of t
he case file for the project
sheet and as a part of the case file for the project
General Requirements
General Requirements
All entries must be in
All entries must be in ink
ink (colored ink preferred)
(colored ink preferred)
Begin at the top of the page
Begin at the top of the page
Each entry must
Each entry must begin with
begin with date/time
date/time
When necessary to make a
When necessary to make a correction, draw a
correction, draw a single line
single linethrough the elided text and initial
through the elided text and initial it
it
Elided text should be
Elided text should be readable
readable(i.e., there should be no
(i.e., there should be no question as to what you
question as to what you changed)
changed)
You MUST sign and date each
You MUST sign and date each page as it is completed
page as it is completed
As each page is completed,
As each page is completed, make a corresponding entry in
make a corresponding entry in the table of contents
the table of contents
88DC17ED
F8D65D83
Right

Wrong

General Requirements
General Requirements
Legible!!!! Print if you have to but make
Legible!!!! Print if you have to but make
sure it is legible!
sure it is legible!
No blank lines
No blank lines
if you skip a line for
if you skip a line for
readability, draw a line through it
readability, draw a line through it
.
.Blank lines are places where things could be
Blank lines are places where things could be
added later and are therefore forbidden
added later and are therefore forbidden

NO SCRAP
NO SCRAP PAPER
PAPER
Use your lab notebook for ALL NOTES on
Use your lab notebook for ALL NOTES on
what you did
what you did on
on the lab
the lab
Lose the habit of writing it down
Lose the habit of writing it down
somewhere and transcribing it all nice
somewhere and transcribing it all nice
and pretty in your notebook
and pretty in your notebook

Multiple Pages
Multiple Pages
If you documentation spans multiple
If you documentation spans multiple
pages:
pages:
.
.If present, complete the Continued to page
If present, complete the Continued to page
block at the bottom of the page and the
block at the bottom of the page and the
Continued from page block at the top of the
Continued from page block at the top of the
next page
next page
.
.Otherwise, write Continued to Page:
Otherwise, write Continued to Page: xx
xx at
at
the bottom of the page and Continued from
the bottom of the page and Continued from
Page:
Page: xx
xx at the top of the next page
at the top of the next page

Partial Pages
Partial Pages
If your record of an activity ends on a
If your record of an activity ends on a
partial page, draw a single line diagonally
partial page, draw a single line diagonally
across the remaining blank area of the
across the remaining blank area of the
page
page
This is to demonstrate that no text was
This is to demonstrate that no text was
added at a later point
added at a later point

Level of Detail
Level of Detail
Use judgment
Use judgment
your record must be complete enough to
your record must be complete enough to
document
document what you did
what you did such that a similarly trained and
such that a similarly trained and
experienced person can evaluate/repeat your results
experienced person can evaluate/repeat your results
When using an automated or standard process, you can
When using an automated or standard process, you can
just identify the process and its results rather than
just identify the process and its results rather than
describe it in minute detail
describe it in minute detail
For example, rather than describe the PSC
For example, rather than describe the PSC
Standard Wipe and Prep protocol, it is sufficient to
Standard Wipe and Prep protocol, it is sufficient to
state that it was done in accordance with the
state that it was done in accordance with the
applicable procedure in the manual
applicable procedure in the manual

Example
Example
30Jan2011 18:03 Downloaded the file Lab1Files.zip from
30Jan2011 18:03 Downloaded the file Lab1Files.zip from
http://
http://whatever
whateveras C:
as C:\
\Lab1Files.zip on my laptop.
Lab1Files.zip on my laptop.
Extracted files using Windows Explorer into new
Extracted files using Windows Explorer into new
directory C:
directory C:\
\Lab1Files on my laptop.
Lab1Files on my laptop.
Calculated MD5 sum of baseline
Calculated MD5 sum of baseline\
\audit.txt as
audit.txt as
8452ee933ca4b39b9103fbb45bb4056e.
8452ee933ca4b39b9103fbb45bb4056e.
Verified that this matched the reference MD5 value in
Verified that this matched the reference MD5 value in
baseline
baseline\

\audit.md5
audit.md5

DON T
DON T
Don t write down just the answers and
Don t write down just the answers and
expect to receive credit for the record.
expect to receive credit for the record.
Write down the things important to
Write down the things important to
someone attempting to repeat what you
someone attempting to repeat what you
did.
did.
Witness Statements
Witness Statements
When completed, each page must be
When completed, each page must be
signed by the investigator and witnessed
signed by the investigator and witnessed
by a colleague (someone with similar
by a colleague (someone with similar
training and experience).
training and experience).
The investigator writes By: followed by
The investigator writes By: followed by
his/her signature and date
his/her signature and date

Witness Statements
Witness Statements
.
.If the witness personally
If the witness personally observed you perform the
observed you perform the activities
activities
write
write Witnessed by
Witnessed by
Attests to the
Attests to the veracity
veracityof the record
of the record
.
.If the witness read
If the witness read and completely understood
and completely understood your description of
description of what you did
write
write Read and
Read and Understood by
Understood by
IOW, very comfortable in being able to follow
IOW, very comfortable in being able to follow
ults (
produce similar results (if
ifthey are repeatable)
they are repeatable)
Attests only to the
Attests only to the completeness
completenessof the record
of the record

Statement followed by signature and date/time

Statement followed by signature and date/time
Sample Page
Sample Page

your
what you did

your record to
your record to produce similar res

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
As you complete each
As you complete each
page, make an entry
page, make an entry
for it on the Project
for it on the Project
Log page
Log page
Duplicate
Duplicate
Attach the duplicate sheet to your lab
Attach the duplicate sheet to your lab
deliverable
deliverable
.
.Make Sure It s the Duplicate!!!
Make Sure It s the Duplicate!!!
.
.If you EVER tear out an original sheet,
If you EVER tear out an original sheet,
your lab notebook becomes invalid and
your lab notebook becomes invalid and
must be replaced!!!
must be replaced!!!

Case Numbers
Case Numbers
For labs, your case number will be:
For labs, your case number will be:
2013
2013-labnumber
labnumber-last4digitsofstudentnumber
last4digitsofstudentnumber
The case number
The case number SHALL BE
SHALL BEat the top of
at the top of
EACH AND EVERY
EACH AND EVERYsheet you turn in
sheet you turn in
To Receive Credit for Lab 1
To Receive Credit for Lab 1
NLT the due date,
NLT the due date, you must:
you must:
.
.Submit a
Submit a hard copy of the questionnaire for lab 1
hard copy of the questionnaire for lab 1
.
.Submit the duplicate pages of the record from your
Submit the duplicate pages of the record from your lab notebook
lab notebook stapled
stapledto the questionnaire
to the questionnaire
Questionnaire on top; duplicated sheet(s) in page order
Questionnaire on top; duplicated sheet(s) in page order following
following
And,
And, NO
NO, I
, I don t
don tbring a stapler to class
bring a stapler to class
.
.Make sure the package is stamped Received when
Make sure the package is stamped Received when you turn it in
you turn it in
Record keeping and deadlines MATTER
Record keeping and deadlines MATTER!!!
!!!
.
.Another way of saying they affect your grade
Another way of saying they affect your grade

Lab Grading Rubric

Lab Grading Rubric
Lab Questionnaire
Lab Questionnaire
the answer sheet from
the answer sheet from the lab
the lab
Lab Notes (duplicate pages from your
Lab Notes (duplicate pages from your notebooks)
notebooks)
.
.Procedurally Correct
Procedurally Correct
page(s)
page(s) is|are
is|arecompleted
completed correctly, legible with appropriate signature and
correctly, legible with appropriate signature and witness statement
witness statement
.
.Quality
Quality
adequacy of your notes
adequacy of your notes
.
. Procedurally Correct trumps quality
Procedurally Correct trumps quality
do this
do this incorrectly and you get a 0 for the
incorrectly and you get a 0 for the grade
grade
Expressed as X|Y|Z
Expressed as X|Y|Z
Lab 1
Lab 1
Lab 1 will be treated as a learning
Lab 1 will be treated as a learning
opportunity
opportunity
Grade will be a checkmark (indicating a
Grade will be a checkmark (indicating a
score of 95)
score of 95)
Feedback will be provided
Feedback will be provided
From Lab 2 onwards, the grading criteria
From Lab 2 onwards, the grading criteria
apply
apply