Junior Research Keeping a Written Research Log Overview and purpose: A research log book provides written, real-time

e documentation of the entire research process. Scientists maintain research logs for a variety of reasons including 1) to provide a record to refer back to, 2) to allow later duplication of the research by anyone, and 3) to create a legally acceptable record of the research process which could stand up in court. Because research procedures should be transparent and because record keeping should meet standards of scientific and legal rigor, the scientific community has established general guidelines for setting up and maintaining research logs. In junior research, you will maintain both paper and electronic logs. The guidelines that you will use for the paper log are specified below. In general, the standards for paper logs are stricter than those for electronic logs because the paper log is the primary, real-time log while the electronic log is generally updated after some research has been completed and may be easier to fake. Our purposes in requiring you to keep paper and electronic research logs are to train you in their use, to help you keep a clear, written record of your entire research process that should ultimately strengthen the rigor of your project, to aid communication among all individuals involved in a project (research team, mentor, assisting scientists), and to create a database of projects that future students may search for ideas, methods, etc. Requirements for the Paper Log Book Paper Log Book: This is the primary research log intended to provide the most detailed record for you and others and to meet the strict guidelines for content and format established by the scientific community. - must have a good quality, permanent, and secure glued or stitched binding; spiral bindings and perforated pages are not used because pages are too easily removed with no trace - must be greater than 8 x 11 (various sizes are available such as: 8 7/8 x 11 7/8, 8 7/8 x 13 1/2, and 9.25 x 11.25) - various styles are available numbered pages; table of contents included; blank, lined, or gridded pages choose your own style - typically a group will maintain one research log. However, if group members are going to be apart or working individually on distinct aspects of the project, then a group might maintain two or three research logs (each following the guidelines given here). The alternatives are either that the log book must be passed around to within the group or that some group members make entries on other papers (loose or in a non-approved notebook or notepad) and then later attach those papers to pages in the research log (see below). Setting up the log book - on the front cover or inside front cover write in pen or permanent marker The names of group members (do not write these too large; they will need to be covered up later) Group members contact information home address, phone numbers, e-mail address, school name and address, homeroom Mentor name, room number - using a pen, give each page in the research book a page number Start with upper right corner of first page as 1, upper left corner of other side as 2 and so on. - set aside the first 4 pages for a table of contents. Across the top of the first page, write the title of your project and the date. Below that write Table of Contents and also write Table of Contents across the top of each page 2-4 (see example at the end of the document).

Maintaining the log book - other than on the cover, use the initials of group members rather than their names. This requirement is due to a science fair rule stating that names of the students conducting the research should not be in the log book. If they are, they must be covered up before the fair. So put your names on the cover so that the book may be easily returned to you if lost, and we will cover that section up before the fair. Then use initials in all other places. - all entries must be in ink, never use a pencil. Try to use an ink that does not smudge easily. If the ink bleeds through a page or otherwise interferes with the other side of the page, only use one side. Put an X through the side not used, write VOID, and initial and date at the bottom of the page. - entries in the book must be dated and are generally in chronological order. If entries are brief, daily observations, then you may record multiple dated entries per page (see example 3 below). However, it is typical to start a new page each day and when you transition between different activities (e.g., you collect some data in the morning but then do a literature search in the afternoon). - put a single line through mistakes so that the mistake is still legible underneath, correct the mistake, initial and date the correction. Do not erase, black out, scribble out or otherwise obliterate mistakes. - put an X through any large blocks of a page that are not used, write VOID, and initial and date at the bottom of the section. Every bit of every page must be legible and filled, either with information or with a mark that voids the section (see examples). Leaving a page blank for later use is absolutely forbidden. - initial and date the bottom of each page and initial and date at the end of each days entries (even if not the bottom of the page). If you are working in a group, those group members present at the time of the entry should initial. - Staple or tape any loose papers such as photocopies of important items, print outs from lab equipment, print outs of e-mail communication and so on. These papers should all be single sided. Staple all four corners or apply tape around all the edges of the paper to be attached (do not apply rolls of tape to the back of the paper). Loose papers or other unsecured items are prohibited as they can fall out, easily go missing, or be inserted in a misleading way later. On the attached paper, write (in ink) the date, the initials of the relevant group members, and the log book page number the paper is attached to. That way, if a paper does happen to come out, you will know where it belongs. You must still date and title the log book page and include any descriptive information that will help you know what the attached paper is, especially if the paper does not include clear descriptive information (e.g., a photograph). Trim large papers to leave space on the log book page for the date, title and descriptive information. It is perfectly acceptable to cut a paper into two or more pieces and attach each piece to its own page (maintaining the order or organization of the content on the paper as best possible). Use continuation notes (see below) and descriptive information to make the links between the pieces clear. Do not staple or tape papers along one edge and then fold them to make them fit. One of the first items to go in to your research log will be your final research proposal (without items 11 and 12 of the CSW proposal requirements).

Key points: Consider periodically backing up your paper log book. If you lose the log book, all your effort and data may be lost if you do not have back up copies. You could photocopy, scan, or take pictures of your log book pages (or at least the most valuable pages, like data tables) to create backups. Just make sure your backups are legible (e.g., can you really read the data off that photograph of a page?). Keeping your electronic log up to date also acts like a back up. The research log should be used during all phases of your project, and it should record much more than experimental setups and data collected. It should be a record of everything you do related to your research project, including (but not limited to): - thoughts about, and comments on, your research; - records of phone calls and phone numbers, meetings with your mentor, participating scientist, or other people that helped you, lists of contact people and contact information, and e-mail exchanges related to key aspects of your work; - calculations, diagrams, graphs, figures, sketches - materials lists including source and price, lists of any equipment used including model number where appropriate (such as a piece of electronic lab equipment) - details of experimental setups and procedures, including items like the recipe for a bacterial growth medium or the recipe for a chemical reaction - results of library and internet searches Use the research log regularly and err on the side of recording too much information. Even if the item seems insignificant at the time, it could be extremely useful later. Inevitably, there will be a situation where you need to quickly put your finger on a crucial detail, such as a citation or who in the group collected certain data. Be sure to describe things completely, so that when you read your notes weeks or months later you will be able to accurately reconstruct your thoughts and your work. In addition, your entries must be sufficiently detailed so that you or someone else could conduct any procedure with only the notebook as a guide. You will record a lot more information in your research log than you will report in your final research paper. For example, if you were using a centrifuge (a device for spinning samples at very high velocity to separate their components) you would record in your log book the centrifuge type, revolutions per minute, rotor type, and which machine was used, even though you would probably not give most of those details in your final paper. One reason for recording such detailed information is that you can more easily troubleshoot if a procedure is unsuccessful. In the centrifuge example, you would be able to check back to make sure you used the correct revolutions per minute and rotor type, and you would be able to check if the particular machine you used was properly calibrated and working correctly. People experienced in research know that unanticipated problems of all sorts occur frequently, so that careful recording in the log book provides the best basis for troubleshooting later. In a research paper one does not report which person performed which tasks, because this information is generally of no interest to a third party. In the research log, however, it is important to note who was responsible for carrying out each procedure. Again, you may need this information to troubleshoot your experiments later. (Perhaps you start to suspect that one persons measures of heart rate are always lower than anothers and you want to test if that is true to see if you will need to start over). You should maintain a legible research log but you should not obliterate any part of the log that is sloppy. The log book is a real-time record of what you did. However, you may re-enter tables or figures any time you wish to re- organize your work. To prevent confusion over duplication of data, you may put a line through a table or figure you intend to re-draw, initial and date the change, and note the page on which the reorganized data can be found. Just don't obscure any of the original entry.

All data are to be recorded directly into the research log. Record any and all observations directly into your research log. Recording of original data on loose pieces of paper should be avoided. If data must be obtained on separate sheets of paper (e.g., the printout of a laboratory instrument, your partner has the log book), the loose paper must be stapled or taped into the research log as soon as possible. The corresponding log book entry should refer to and clearly identify the paper which has been attached. Keep all data orderly, legible and sufficiently well-labeled as to be clear to anyone. Do not crowd data. Each entry should have a label or units (e.g., M, mg, mg/mL, etc) where applicable. After carrying out a procedure for the first time, you can then refer back to your description of that procedure, and only note changes you make. For example, the first time you prepare a DNA sequencing gel you would write down the exact formulation, how you mixed the gel, how long you let it cure, etc. The next time, just refer to the name of the procedure and the appropriate page(s) of your notebook. But be sure to note anything you did differently.
Always include any changes made to procedures as well as mishaps, failures, and mistakes. If you change a protocol in any way or decide between alternative methods, then the correct information must be recorded in the notebook.

Use continuation notes if you need to link pages to each other within the research log. For example, you are running an experiment over a number of days but on some days you are not collecting data and are instead doing something else in your research log (library searches, preliminary analyses, etc.). At the bottom of your data page write Continued, page ___, and then enter the date and title of what you are doing next on the next page. When you return to recording data, title and date a new page, and write Continued from page ___, and enter your new data. Fill in the ___ with the appropriate log book page numbers once known. Write a title for each new set of entries. Distinct sets of entries should be separated by using informative headings and by leaving a single space or two between individual sets of entries. Specific information can be more readily located that way. The object is to make completely clear what you intend to do and what you did. Record all entries in the table of contents as you go along. The idea is to enable someone (such as a supervisor, teacher, or yourself 4 months from now) to find anything quickly. List each entry with date and page numbers. (e.g., 6/2/12, Heart rate measurements of 5 volunteers prior to exercise16 or Heart rate measurements of 5 volunteers before, during, and after exercise, 6/2/12.16-18) Use summaries in your log book. When you have finished part of a project, summarize what you have accomplished so far. You don't have to draw conclusions, just indicate what sort of data or observations you collected, samples you saved (and where and how you saved them), or any other relevant information. The summary can be very brief, but it can help maintain continuity by indicating where the work left off and how it might resume.

Research Log Checklist

As you record your activities in the log book ask yourself, "Did I..." Keep up with the table of contents? Date each page? Number each page consecutively? Use continuation notes when necessary? Properly void all blank pages or portions of pages (front and back)? Enter all information directly into the notebook? Properly introduce and summarize each experiment? Include complete details of all first-time procedures? Include calculations?

Example entries: 1) Table of contents Note: Do not include your name(s)! Research Project Title Page Number

This line is not necessary, especially as you will you record more than experiments

The date may appear before or after the description

2) Mistakes crossed out but legible underneath; mistake is initialed and dated

Note that the above example is only part of a page that included other details such as information about equipment used (like the centrifuge referenced in step 2).

3) Daily entries of observations on tree seedling growth and survival made while raising trees for use in an experiment. Note the use of ID codes in the research, the recording of mishaps (3/22/99, power off 9:30-noon; 3/23/99, lights still off @ 7:30 AM, forgot to reset time clocks after yesterdays power outage), and the recording of observations (3/22/99 removed #88 RO-OH-1, insect feeding?).

Page number not shown. Researcher neglected to initial and date bottom of the page.

4) Data table showing notes on mistakes and one section crossed out but legible Researcher neglected to include any indication of units for measurements or to sign and date the bottom of the page.

5) Example showing blank space crossed out to prevent future entries with initials and date (doubling as initials and date at the end of an entry/bottom of page). Note that researcher neglected a title/heading or any continuation notes.