Electronic Lab

What are electronic lab notebooks for?

1.  Introduction

 

Electronic lab notebooks enable groups of researchers to conveniently carry out four central aspects of the research process:

• Record experimental data and other kinds of information
• Add structure to the data and information
• Share the data and information
• Communicate about their research

Electronic lab notebooks differ from other tools used in recording experimental data, like paper lab notebooks and electronic media such as word documents, spreadsheets,and wikis, in that they enable researchers to carry out all four of these functions in an integrated, ideally online, environment.

 

2.  Recording experimental data and other information

 

Electronic lab notebooks enable recording of experimental data, and other information like meeting notes and protocols, in two ways. First, they allow import of data which has already been captured elsewhere -- e.g. in word documents, spreadsheets and images.  Second, they permit direct recording of data in various forms -- text, tables, images, etc.

 

3.  Adding structure to data and information

 

Like paper lab notebooks, but unlike other electronic media such as word documents, spreadsheets, and wikis, electronic lab notebooks enable research groups to bring structure to their data.  They do this in a variety of ways:

• By providing the ability to use records which, unlike the blank page of the word document or wiki, themselves have structure.  This is illustrated In the example below, where the record has a series of fields; Alternative name, Source, Lab, etc.

 

 

• With preformatted template records likely to be of use to many researchers, e.g. for experiments, antibodies, protocols,and  inventory
• By providing the ability to create records with a structure desired by the user, and including a range of field types, such as strings, radio buttons, dates, etc.

The structure which is added to the research record is invaluable not only in terms of immediate organization, but also in terms of later search and archiving.  The field structure make it possible to conduct fine grained searches which go below the record level.  In the above example, the lab might have thousands of antibody records; taking advantage of the field structure it would be possible to search on all the' validation status' fields containing the term 'No signal'.

Electronic lab notebooksalso  make is possible to build in a second level of structure through the ability to create links between records, for example between a record of an experiment and a record of an antibody used in the experiment.  Links are useful at this one-to-one level.  Moreover, by creaing a series of links it is also possible to build databases, as reflected in the visualization below of a series of linked records.

4.  Sharing data and information

 

Electronic lab notebooks are designed to facilitate collaboration among a group of researchers. They do this with a permissions system that permits some records to be accessed by the entire group, some records to be accessed by subsets of the group, and some records to be kept entirely private.  In addition, they provide different kinds of access to different records or sets of records.  For example, the PI and the student conducting an experiment might have view and edit permission on the experiment record, so that the student could document the experiment and the PI could comment on it, and other members of the lab might have view only permission, so that they could observe and learn.

Electronic lab notebooks also permit permissions to be inherited by 'child records'.  So, once the permissions are set on a particular project folder, all the experiments created within that folder have the same set of permissions, and it is not necessary to reset permissions each time a new experiment is set up.

Electronic lab notebooks also allow the creation of groups of users.  Typically there is an 'all users' group, and groups of smaller sets of users working together on particular projects.  Again, this makes setting permissions more streamlined.  For example, on records which everyone is to have access to, permissions are set for the all users group, and since everyone is a member of that group, it is not necessary to set permissions for each individual.

 

5.  Communicating

 

It's pretty hard to collaborate if you can't communicate, so good electronic lab notebooks include a messaging system.  This acts as an internal email capability, but it should also do more.  Ideally there should be the ability to make links in messages to other records in the ELN, so for example when a student sends a message to their PI to say that a particular experiment is ready for review and comment, the student can put a link in the message to the experiment record, so that all the PI has to do to access the record is to click on the link.

Online electronic lab notebooks are accessible 24/7 through any web browser, so they allow a new level of flexibility in communication between lab members.  No need to make an appointment during offfice hours to look at someone's paper lab notebook.  You can now view it, and comment on it, at a time that is convenient to you, for example at home in the evening.  And when you are on the road you can stay in touch with the work that's going on back in the lab because you can login over the internet, in the evening, between meetings, or whenever it suits you, and see what people have been doing.

About the Author

Rory Macneil is the author of the Electronic lab notebook blog, the place to go for all you want to know about electronic lab notebooks:  what they do, how to use them, considerations in adopting an ELN, and how they are distinguished from alternative means of recording and sharing experimental data.

8 Recommended Electronic Kits for Science Fair Projects

Some of the electronic kits ideal for science fair projects are as follows: Snap Tricity kit, electronic playground, 300-in-1 electronic lab, electronic bell, lemon clock, radio AM/FM radio kit, Go electric, and car alarm simulator kit.

Science is full of mysteries that need to be discovered and explored. Experimentation is the sole solution to curiosity. Thus, science fair, which is a common school event, is launched almost every year to allow children to discover things on their own. One of the most common things children love to research is electronics. Below are some of the good science fair project ideas such as:

Snap Tricity Kit

This is a good project that deals with magnetism and electricity. It has an instructional manual that contains a step-by-step procedure on how to go about the experiment. With complete parts, it demonstrates how circuits affect electricity and how magnetism is produced.

Electronic playground

Ideal for children 10 years and above, all the basics of electricity are covered such as voltage, current, antennas, transistors, and more. The cost is worth the knowledge because there are more than 50 experiments possible with just one piece of kit.

300-in-1 Electronic lab

For beginners, you will be amazed of the numerous experiments while using this gadget. This is safe even for children because no soldering is required. You can build a transistor radio, alarm, electronic game, rain detector, and so much more – fun and excitement awaits all the students.

Electronic bell

A fun way to learn simple electronic experiment is by discovering how a bell rings. It has its own motor, meter, and generator that allow a child to learn the mechanism of electricity the simple way.

Lemon clock

To discover nature’s magic, you can generate electricity out of lemon fruit. At least 18 experiments can be made using this simple kit through the chemical reactions of the substances.

Radio AM/FM radio kit

Be a scientist in your own way. Learn how to make your own radio the fun and safe way. Children will surely enjoy doing the experiment because they get to tune in to their favorite station with just a quick set-up.

Go electric

Explore the world of electricity by learning the fundamental Ohm’s law, amperes, fuses, and Mores code. These are essential if you want to create your own electric puzzle, light bulb, and the likes.

Car alarm simulator kit

Although this requires soldering, yet this is easy to install alarm that automatically gets activated once engine is off. It only uses a flash and LED, which is a cheaper way of deterring thefts.

Always remember that anything that involves electricity can be very dangerous. Whether these experiments are simple or not, utmost care must still be practiced to ensure safety of the students.

For more samples of electronics lab projects for students, kindly go to this site: Super Science Fair Projects. Lots of great ideas are in store for you.

 

need an electronic circuit discription for follwing circuit??? please help me?

http://www.electronics-lab.com/projects/science/019/Electronic_Stethoscope_2.jpg

You are asking for quite a bit of work to be done for you. What part of this don't you understand? It is a rather simple thing to do, if you take it step by step. How detailed does the description need to be?

Simplest:
U1a is an amplifier
U1b is a lowpass filter
U4 is a comparator that blinks an LED on each heartbeat
U5 is a headphone amplifier

The Best Ideas from Duke University: A Foldable iPad and a Cancer Flashlight (AtlanticBusinessChannel)

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EEVblog #168 - How To Set Up An Electronics Lab