Comprehensive ELN Training From Basics to Implementation

https://www.psdi.ac.uk/ Comprehensive ELN Training From Basics to Implementation Please feel free to ask questions at the end of each section UKRN ELN Training 3rd December 2025 Dr Samantha Pearman-Kanza University of Southampton Presentation Outline Background Introduction to Electronic Lab Notebooks Considerations for Implementing ELNs Different Training needs for ELNs Examples of Success Stories PSDI ELN Resources CC BY-ND 4.0 Lab Horizons https://labhorizons.co.uk/ https://labhorizons.co.uk/2024/03/electronic-lab-notebookstrends-challenges-and-opportunities-for-digital-science/ Background – Why are we here? This section can be used to set the scene for why we need to care about Digital Tools / Electronic Lab Notebooks Contents: Scientific Record Keeping & The State of Play The consequences of the reproducibility Crisis Paper vs Electronic Methods & Consequences of Poor Practices What Digital Tools SHOULD enable Audience This could be delivered to a wide range of audiences from the individuals who are going to use them e.g. PhD Students/Postdocs, but also to heads of department, teaching staff, IT and Library Staff Scientific Record Keeping Scientists keep records of their work. Often using a paper lab notebook. This tradition that still holds strong in many labs today! However…despite best intentions, the scientific record keeping practices of today are not sufficient “A Timeline of Researchers Recording Data” by ErrantScience.com is licensed under CC-BY-NC The State of Play Exponential Data Growth: Research Data is growing exponentially, which could provide great opportunities but also poses significant challenges Fragmented Recording Scientists have a fragmented approach to recording and linking their data, leaving experiments scattered and inconsistent Poor Data Management Data is often stored in random places, making access and collaboration very difficult Reproducibility Crisis A vast quantity of scientific research cannot be reproduced, re-used or built upon Cartoon created by ErrantScience.com for AI4SD: licensed under CC-BY-NC Reproducibility Crisis: Consequences Wasted Resources and Trust Lack of replication wastes resources, undermines trust in science, and slows down innovation. Lost Opportunities Unstructured data leads to lost opportunities, repeated work, and unusable (potentially valuable) research data. Impact on Scientific Integrity Lack of reproducibility hinders peer review, regulatory compliance, and future research advancements. Reproducibility Crisis A vast quantity of scientific research cannot be reproduced, re-used or built upon CC BY-ND 4.0 Lab Horizons https://labhorizons.co.uk/ Paper ≠ Bad Paper records aren’t always inherently bad e.g. Darwin’s early Notebooks Electronic ≠ Good Electronic records / methods aren’t always good e.g. spreadsheets with unintelligible column names Tech ≠ Transformation Just because something is in an electronic form does not immediately make it high quality data! Is this because…scientists still use paper? Not necessarily… CC BY-ND 4.0 Lab Horizons https://labhorizons.co.uk/ Paper vs Electronic “It Was A Normal Day Of Office When A Sweet Voice Break - Computer Vs Paper” – free download from SeekPNG Advantages Cheap Portable Robust Can be securely stored Ease/Flexibility of Data Entry Doesn’t require a power supply (or access to power) Disadvantages Easy to lose/destroy Harder to search Harder to backup Harder to share Frequently gets forgotten Harder to readily access from multiple locations Consequences of paper (or poor electronic sharing…) Cartoon drawn by Dr Cerys Willoughby for Kanza, S., Willoughby, C., Gibbins, N., Whitby, R., Frey, J.G., Erjavec, J., Zupančič, K., Hren, M. and Kovač, K., 2017. Electronic lab notebooks: can they replace paper?. Journal of cheminformatics, 9(1), p.31. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13321-017-0221-3 Electronic Research Notebooks Electronic Research Notebooks (ERNS) are also gaining traction as potential ELNS ERNS are typically Generic Notetaking pieces of software that are re-purposed as an ELN Whereas ELNs are specifically designed to capture experimental data within laboratory environments Popular Examples of ERNs: OneNote Google Drive All ELNs are ERNS, but not all ERNs are ELNs ERNS ELNs Considerations for Choosing an ELN/ERN Your Workflow Needs Does the tool fit how you currently record experiments? Can it handle the data types you use (text, images, instrument outputs)? Ease of Use Is the interface intuitive? Does it work on your preferred devices (laptop, tablet, mobile)? Integration Can it link to software you already use (e.g., ChemDraw, data analysis tools)? Does it support import/export in common formats? Accessibility Can you access it easily in the lab and remotely? Does it work offline if needed? Cost & Licensing Is there a free version or institutional license? Are there hidden costs for storage or advanced features? Data Security & Backup Where is your data stored? Can you export your data if you stop using the software? 7. Support & Training Are there tutorials or help resources? Is there a community or vendor support? CC BY-ND 4.0 https://openworking.wordpress.com/2019/07/05/keep-calm-and-gopaperless-electronic-lab-notebooks-can-improve-your-research/ This section can be used to provide training on the considerations of implementing ELNs on a wider scale for a department/institution Contents: ELN Barriers Implementation Considerations: People, Technical, Data & Infrastructure/Institutional Audience This training is more geared towards the people who would be implementing these tools e.g. Heads of Department (decision makers), IT Staff & Departmental Staff who would be running the implementation Considerations for Implementing ELNs ELN Barriers People Barriers People still like paper Attitudes to ELNs Trust & Concerns about Data Security & Longevity Bureaucracy Technical Barriers Software Compatibility & Interoperability Infrastructure/ Institutional Barriers Cost Time Lab Setup Hardware Data Barriers Compatibility & Interoperability Data Storage Image created using https://openart.ai/ Implementation Considerations People Considerations Technical Considerations Data Considerations Infrastructure/Institutional Considerations Image created using imgflip.com People Considerations Career Level Consideration Domain Consideration Change Management / Adoption CC BY-ND 4.0 Errant Science - https://errantscience.com/ Career Level Selection What career stage is this ELN aimed at? E.g. Undergraduate/Postgraduate? What is the primary aim for this career stage? E.g. Learning / Publishing Important question How automated do you want/need this ELN to be? Is a fully fledged ELN or a Generic Notebooking tool more appropriate? CC BY-ND 4.0 Errant Science - https://errantscience.com/ Domain Selection Different domains have different requirements and data types Universities will need to cater for a variety of domains Is there specific domainbased software that this Digital Lab Notebook needs to integrate with? CC BY-ND 4.0 Errant Science - https://errantscience.com/ Change Management / Adoption People are arguably one of the biggest barriers Top-down influence can make or break this Need to get the whole group on board Concerns about changing processes Hard to persuade people to embark on a journey with a lot of front-loaded work, unless they really understand the benefits CC BY-ND 4.0 Errant Science - https://errantscience.com/ Training & Support is Key Proper ELN training is essential for effective use and adoption Training for users should cover both how to use the software, and how to use it effectively for improved research practices Training isn’t just for users, its also for administrators, teaching staff, group leaders etc Support should be available when required for all different roles CC BY-ND 4.0 Errant Science - https://errantscience.com / Backup, Storage & Security Always establish a data exit strategy before using an ELN Be aware of risks like vendor lock-in and data export limitations Ensure data can be exported in usable formats; APIs can aid automation Assess system security and data storage locations carefully Address concerns of stakeholders by covering trust, access, and safety CC BY-ND 4.0 Errant Science - https://errantscience.com / Data Capture / Templates Different domains will require different levels of data capture What data formats need to be supported for import/export? Consider the different types of data that will be recorded and make templates to ensure that all the relevant data is captured Fewer templates are ideal, but need to cover the range of data CC BY-ND 4.0 Errant Science - https://errantscience.com / Sharing / Publishing / FAIR Data A key reason to implement an ELN is to produce FAIRer Data for Publication – so your implementation plan needs to take this into account Another key reason is sharing data among colleagues/groups, its important to identify if people are finding it easier to locate relevant ELN entries to save time / inform others about their work Cartoon created by ErrantScience.com for AI4SD: licensed under CC-BY-NC Infrastructure/Institutional Considerations Infrastructure Setup Stakeholders Lab Setup Hardware & Environment Finances Time Cartoon created by ErrantScience.com for AI4SD: licensed under CC-BY-NC Infrastructure / Administration ELN Implementation is more than just buying software licenses There are a range of stakeholders and roles to consider A solid infrastructure needs to be established for a successful implementation Need to consider data owners after people move on CC BY-ND 3.0 Dataedo - https://dataedo.com/cartoon/ Identifying Stakeholders & Roles Stakeholders Types Primary Stakeholders: Direct Users of the ELN e.g. Researchers/Students Secondary Stakeholders: Not primary users of the ELN, they support and have influence over its usage e.g Department Heads Tertiary Stakeholders: Provide supporting infrastructure to run the ELN e.g. Administrators & IT Support Identifying Roles What people power and different roles do we need? CC BY-ND 4.0 Lab Horizons https://labhorizons.co.uk/ PRIMARY STAKEHOLDERS •Researchers/Students: They will use the ELN on a day-to-day basis. They will use it to plan and record their experiments and be able to share their work with other researchers and their group leaders. •Group Leaders: They will use the ELN regularly to oversee their researchers research activities, they will sign off experiments and ensure that their researchers are adhering to both best research practices and adhering to the relevant health and safety terms. They might also use the ELN to do their own research. •Teaching Staff: They will use the ELN within their modules for students to record their lab work and project work. 21 SECONDARY STAKEHOLDERS •Head of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering: They sign off on the budget for the ELN, they will have influence over its adoption and how its implemented but won’t necessarily use it on a day-to-day basis. •Health & Safety Staff: They will review the Health and Safety documents within the ELN to ensure compliance, if there is an incident they will use the ELN to retrieve the relevant experiment and health and safety entries, and if there is an audit they will use the ELN to pull out all of the health and safety documents required. TERTIARY STAKEHOLDERS ELN Administrators: They will oversee initial ELN development, creating and turning on features and templates, developing and running training, and supporting the users with any queries on how to use the system. IT Support Staff: They will ensure the smooth running of the service from a technical perspective, they will work with the vendor to integrate single sign on and will run backup scripts to ensure all entries are backed up safely to the relevant University file store locations. Administrative Staff: They will administer the user accounts and groups to ensure that the required individuals can access the relevant parts of the ELN. 3 Example Stakeholders (from UoS) TECHNICAL TEAM •Run backup scripts daily & ensure security •Facilitate access to backups where required ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM •Administer User Groups •Ensure researchers are added to the correct groups with relevant permissions •Deactivate users and hand over accounts HEALTH & SAFETY TEAM •Work with ELN Manager to ensure needs are being met and they have relevant access to documents •Oversee inventory setup GROUP LEADERS •Work with ELN Manager to ensure templates in the ELN are sufficient for their sub domains •Decide on sharing levels for groups •Oversee and sign off health and safety documents and experiments • LOCAL ELN MANAGER •Provide training for the new system •Fix/address any bugs •Point of contact for the school for queries •Key contact with the vendor •Handle License agreements/renewals •Coordinate across different stakeholders RESEARCHERS/STUDENTS •Be trained to use the new system •Document their plans and experiments in the ELN •Adhere to health and safety policies •Send health and safety documents and experiments to group leader for sign off TEACHING STAFF •Be trained to use the system •Work with ELN Manager to incorporate ELN into Teaching Laboratories •Work with ELN Manager to get relevant templates set up Example Roles (from UoS) Lab Setup (Hardware, Power, Internet) Hardware Devices What electronic devices are going to be used? Dedicated in-lab hardware is key to avoid cross contamination Where are the devices going to be placed? Power Need suitable power sockets to charge / power electronic devices Internet Need good quality WIFI or hardwired Internet cables/sockets CC BY-ND 4.0 Errant Science - https://errantscience.com / CC BY-ND 4.0 Errant Science - https://errantscience.com / Financial Considerations Licensing costs: ELN Licenses, Custom Notetaking Licenses Renovation costs: Installing more power sockets/ethernet sockets / WIFI boosters Power costs: Facilitating charging of devices “University Funding in a Nutshell” by ErrantScience.com is licensed under CC-BY-NC Hardware costs: Replacing legacy equipment, providing devices for digital capture (e.g. in the lab or in the field) Maintenance & Development costs Staffing Costs: Setup & Run ELN Hands on Training Allow users to actually try using the ELN with experts present to provide assistance Documentation/Videos Have documentation and videos for users to watch as a refresher Support Checkins Have regular support drop-ins/checkins to solve problems in the beginning Key Contacts for Support Ensure users know who to contact for urgent issues Successful Training Mechanisms Audience: IT staff, ELN managers Purpose: Configure infrastructure, integrate with institutional systems Key Topics: Installation & configuration Security & backup protocols API integrations Data migration strategies General ELN Usage to enable training of others Ideally delivered by ELN Vendor Backend Training Audience: Administrative staff Purpose: Enable smooth day-to-day management of the ELN system Key Topics: User account management Role-based permissions Troubleshooting common issues Key contacts for support ELN Administration Training Audience: Researchers, Students Purpose: Train users to record experiments and maintain FAIR data principles Key Topics: Good Notetaking practices Creating and editing experiments Linking to data Using Templates / Adding relevant metadata Sharing & Searching Key contacts for support Day-to-Day ELN Usage Training Audience: Teaching staff, group leaders Purpose: Provide oversight, ensure compliance Key Topics: Accessing Group / Students Work Understanding Group Permissions Reviewing & approving experiments Ensuring Compliance Supporting students in learning good practices General Troubleshooting Key Contacts for support ELN Management Training Audience: Heads of Department, Health & Safety Staff Purpose: Ensure important information can be accessed by the relevant users Key Topics: Navigating the ELN for their specific purposes e.g. find a students experiment after a health and safety incident Handling sensitive data (ensuring that records aren’t shared with the wrong people) Establish process to grant others these privileges Key contacts for Support ELN Special Permission Training Audience: Designated Trainers, Early Adopters Purpose: Build internal capacity to deliver ongoing ELN training Key Topics: Understanding all user roles Creating reusable training materials Running workshops & refreshers Communication strategies Feedback and Continuous Improvement Train the Trainer Training Examples of Success Stories This section can be used to provide information on different success stories of implementing digital tools in the Lab Contents: Using OneNote as an ELN Implementing an Open Source ELN Implementing a Commercial ELN Audience: This could be delivered to a wide range of audiences from the individuals who are going to use them e.g. PhD Students/Postdocs, but also to heads of department, teaching staff, IT and Library Staff to demonstrate the value these tools can add Case Study Description: Adoption of Microsoft OneNote for digital lab notebooks in undergraduate chemistry teaching labs. ELN Selection: Chosen for familiarity within the Microsoft ecosystem and ease of integration with existing institutional tools. ELN Setup Pre-built lab templates for practical sessions Integration with university accounts via Single Sign-On Shared notebooks for classes and instructors ELN Environment & Usage Nottingham Labs: MS Surfaces purchased for the lab as part of refurb, Lab refurbed to have power sockets and space for devices. Southampton Labs: Laptops & LapSafe purchased to provide each student with a device in the labs Training & Support: Introductory sessions for students and staff Ongoing support via IT and teaching teams Quick reference guides embedded in OneNote OneNote (Southampton & Nottingham) https://onenote.cloud.microsoft/ AI4Green (Nottingham) Case Study Description: Development and deployment of AI4Green, an open-source ELN tailored for green chemistry education and research. ELN Selection: Custom-built to meet sustainability goals and pedagogical needs. ELN Setup: Two versions: Pedagogical (teaching) and Research Structured templates for reaction planning and green metrics Accounts managed internally by the chemistry department ELN Environment & Usage: Postgraduate Labs: 1 Screen per fumehood raised above lab bench, tucked away mini PCs, mice and keyboard on benches, wired internet connection Undergraduate Labs: MS Surfaces purchased for the lab as part of refurb, Lab refurbed to have power sockets and space for devices. Training & Support: Workshops for students and researchers Documentation and video tutorials Dedicated in-house support team https://ai4green.app/