Index

Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN)

Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELNs) are software applications that are used to document research data and replace paper laboratory books.

ELNs offer several advantages to the paper equivalent:

  • Data findability through search and filter functions
  • Accessibility: Network access regardless of location and time
  • Backup copies of lab notebooks (previous versions can be restored)
  • Reusability of templates, protocols and processes
  • Time savings through templates, standardization and existing digital data
  • Automatic recording of measurement results

The decision to use ELN software should be made carefully, as it is generally used over a long period of time. Important points that should be taken into account in the decision can be found here.