Article

23 April 2004

How to Keep a Scientific Notebook

George E. Hrabovsky, President, MAST

One of the great mysteries in amateur science is how to maintain a scientifically correct notebook. Such a notebook is your single best tool for doing significant science. This is what separates the true amateur scientist from the mere dabbler.

Maintaining a Scientific Notebook

Here are 15 guidelines for keeping a scientific notebook:

1. The notebook must be bound.

2. The pages must be prenumbered, or you may number them as you go.

3. You must have at least one page for the title of the notebook (for example, "Projects for 2004," "Chemistry," "Building a Tornado Machine," etc.). Include your name here. You need not number the title page.

4. You must reserve at least one page (and I recommend at least two) for a table of contents. As you add relevant sections to your notebook, write down the section title and page into your table of contents so you can find it later.

5. When you attend discussions, talks, or seminars note the title, date, and speaker as the Section Heading. You might want to take your notes on a pad during the talk and add them to the notebook later. This gives you a chance to think about the notes as you add them to the notebook.

6. When you read source material, note the question you are attempting to answer, the author of the book/paper/article, the date of publication, the title, and the publisher/magazine/journal. Again, you might want to take the notes on a pad as you read and then transfer them to your notebook later on.

7. When you make observations in the field or the laboratory, title the observation (for example, "Observing a thunderstorm video"). Note the date, the time, any relevant local conditions (temperature, light level, etc.) that might influence the observations. Note how the data is being recorded. Then record the data into your notebook as it is taken.You should sign each page as you record the time for each observation. This is to establish and maintain the integrity of your data.

Experimental details should be carefully recorded as shown here, so they have meaning when you or others refer to them later. Click image to enlarge.

8. When making a calculation you must first title it, note all relevant assumptions you are making, note all units and constants in use, and then record each step in the calculation and its results.

9. When setting up an experimental apparatus, record the title of the experimental set-up, the date, time, local conditions that could influence the experiment, and a list all of the materials used. Then list each step in the set-up as you perform it. If something unexpected happens, be sure to record that, too. Sign each page as you perform the set-up.

10. When calibrating an apparatus or instrument, record its name, the date, the time, all relevant local conditions, a list of all the materials used, how you intend to perform the calibration, and why you chose the method being used. Then record each step as you perform it. Record all data you collect as you collect it.

Here is an example of how the author recorded essential details of a microbiology experiment. Click image to enlarge.

11. When analyzing data from an experiment or observation, record the title of the experiment/observation the data was drawn from, the method of analysis and its justification, the results of the analysis, and your estimate of the error in your analysis.

12. When making a model (physical, mathematical, or on a computer) record the title of the model, all assumptions that you are using, the method of modeling and its justification. Then record each step as you apply your model and note their results.

13. When performing a derivation or proof, record the title of the work, all assumptions being used, all definitions, all theorems, all conjectures, and then each step and its justification and results. .

Photographs of experiments can be very significant. While digital photographs can be stored in your computer or on removable media, it's often helpful to include key photographs in your notebook as shown here. Click image to enlarge.

14. When entering a practice problem and its solution, be sure to name the problem (for example, Problem Calculus - 1). Write the problem clearly and begin the solution process by explaining what you intend to do and why before you do it. Then record each step in the solution along with full justifications for the methods you use. Verify your answer, and then think about how the answer to the problem will influence the remainder of your work, can you think of applications for the answer? Can you think of other ways to answer the same problem? Does this answer shed light on other problems you are working on? (More than one research project has been started in this way).

Things are not always pretty in a theory notebook. Click image to enlarge.

These notes on the Duffing oscillator in a theory notebook include important sketches of curves. Click image to enlarge.

15. Never, ever, tear a page out of a lab notebook. Doing so for a theoretical notebook is not so bad; but it is a bad habit to get into. If you make errors, draw a single line through them.