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Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (ELNs) were invented in the 1970’s soon after comp uter based information became established
For centuries scientists have utilized a hand written diary to record their thoughts and experiments. This practice has continued up to the present despite the fact that the majority of information today relating to a scientific experiment is generated in a digital format. One of the reasons why paper notebooks have persisted is that many scientists consider them to be an intimate personal record not to be shared with others. This situation has developed because of indoctrination from the prior generation of pre-computer scientists. The first widely used ELNs emerged in the mid 1990s. These proprietary in-house programs were (and still are) utilized by hundreds of scientists in companies like Kodak, Berlex (now Bayer), Merck KGaA and Boehringer Ingelheim. In 1995, The Collaborative Electronic Notebook Systems Association CENSA (www.censa.org) was formed. The goal of the Consortium was to influence the creation and design of software and standards for R&D and testing lab applications and specifically, electronic lab notebooks. This organization of primarily major pharmaceutical companies had an influence on commercial products that began to appear around 2000.
The impetus for ELN adoption was and continues to be to gain more efficiency in data entry and analysis. However, the capabilities to improve information sharing and intellectual property protection are also strong factors.
ELN systems can be thought to be composed of 3 components. The authoring module captures experimental information using whatever tool is most appropriate for the technical discipline. It could be Microsoft Word, a report from an analytical instrument or an output from chemical drawing software. The document management module provides version control, review and approvals and security controls. Completed experiments are usually made non-editable. The third module is concerned with life cycle management of the records. This module has not been rigorously developed by most vendors
eOrganizedWorld can help you with any aspect of ELN implementation
Business justification
User requirements
Vendor selection
Business process and culture change
Short courses and seminars
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