Date and cross-reference the new data to the previous entry. Also, record experiments shortly after they are performed to ensure accuracy. Attachments such as graphs, printouts and photos should be either permanently stapled or otherwise secured to the notebook. Both the attachment and the notebook should be signed and dated. Use the past tense, for example, "was titrated," to describe procedures that were actually performed. Use the future tense, for example, "will be titrated," to describe procedures before they are performed.
Define all terms that are unconventional. This may be done within the text, in a table, or in a glossary. Also, explain all uncommon abbreviations. All notebooks should be indexed and retained in a safe location. Retain all patent applications or patents with the relevant notebook. Notebooks that relate to patented inventions should be kept for the life of the patent plus six years.
Catalog all notebooks—specifically, assign to each notebook a number, which is correlated with the name of the author of the notebook, along with the date the author received the notebook, and the date the notebook was completed and returned. When an employee leaves the company, that employee should return all notebooks checked out by or to him or her. Although we would like to hear from you, we cannot represent you until we know that doing so will not create a conflict of interest.
Also, we cannot treat unsolicited information as confidential. Accordingly, please do not send us any information about any matter that may involve you until you receive a written statement from us that we represent you. You recognize that our review of your information, even if you submitted it in a good faith effort to retain us, and even if you consider it confidential, does not preclude us from representing another client directly adverse to you, even in a matter where that information could and will be used against you.
Apr For example, a witness in your Last Will and Testament should not be a beneficiary of your estate. Having a witness helps to reinforce the validity and authenticity of your document by adding another layer of security should your contract ever be questioned in court. For example, when a document is signed by a neutral, third-party witness, it helps to prove that the document was signed willingly and not through undue influence, coercion, or duress.
Keep in mind that some documents may require both witness and notary signatures, and that they should not be from the same person. Brittany is a writer, editor, and content manager interested in law, marketing, and technology. She's been writing for LawDepot since In the case of universities, you will probably find that employees enter into a contract that stipulates that all inventions developed while employed are the property of the university. Universities, and some companies, have agreements that income generated from discoveries.
Some laboratory notebooks come equipped with carbon copies. These types are the best and safest. If your notebook is not of this type, you should make photocopies of the complete notebook. But why do you need copies?
Archiving means keeping your notebooks in a system that allows easy access. Your supervisor or institute will probably have an archival system in operation for this purpose.
Here are some recommendations for archiving:. It is essential to protect the security of your records. Here are some important practices to follow:. A laboratory notebook is an important tool that goes well beyond research management, and keeping good records has implications for issues ranging from intellectual property management to the prevention of fraud. Institutions should have a comprehensive policy that should be rigorously implemented see Box 1 for guidelines for a notebook policy.
The policy itself is based on actual policies that are in effect in several leading research centers and companies, but has been adapted to reflect the specific needs of public sector research institutions. Many public organizations are entering a new era and are considering protecting their own inventions and engaging in research with other organizations, both public and private.
These new relationships, often based on collaborative research agreements, may require precise documentation of certain activities and results. Laboratory and research practices will frequently need to be carefully formalized and noted in ways that will allow future IP auditors to review the authenticity of results and certify the dates of occurrences.
Such practices are important for potentially patenting possible discoveries made by these institutions or by their collaborators, especially when seeking patent protection in the United States. Recording procedures are generally spelled out with respect to standard laboratory notebook practices. These procedures inform all staff about the process for daily establishing and maintaining of laboratory records that could become primary evidence for the resolution of disputes or litigation.
In court, dates of invention, description of an invention, and research techniques can be established through carefully kept laboratory notebooks. In order to achieve the goal of maintaining court-ready documentation, a bound laboratory notebook, in whatever format, must be:.
It is essential, however, that any laboratory notebook policy be consistent with other laboratory procedures, that all research staff be well trained in the execution of the policy, and that the adopted policies be systematically enforced. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the institution is sufficiently protecting its inventions, research, and products, so that discussions or allegations during disputes or litigation are based on documented fact.
This includes such things as the date of an invention or a description of the invention or research, the dates or research techniques that were used, and the like.
In order to do this, the laboratory notebook, in whatever format, must be an honest representation of the research work done by the institution, and must be acceptable to a court, the U. Patent and Trademark Office, and other offices whose charge is regulating statutory protection of IP. Therefore, certain standards apply to each type of notebook. All ideas and data must be entered into the laboratory notebook. Entries must be complete enough that another scientist would have little or no trouble understanding and repeating the experiments.
In deciding the exact procedures to follow, it is important to keep in mind that any type of laboratory notebook must achieve two goals:. Thus, the condition of the laboratory notebook must reflect that it is a clear and accurate representation of activities that have taken place in the lab and that none of the information has been falsified: any changes made to the recorded information should be clear and obvious and the new information should be able to be compared with the old; and the notebook should be completely in tact, with no pages missing or illegible.
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Endnotes All referenced Web sites were last accessed between 1 and 10 October Get the ipHandbook. Related Definitions: intellectual property IP invention notice patent U. Search advanced search search help ipHandbook Blog Your source for expert commentary on IP management issues.
What is a Laboratory Notebook? In short, a laboratory notebooks is: a daily record of every experiment you do, think of doing, or plan to do a daily record of your thoughts about each experiment and the results thereof the basis of every paper and thesis you write the record used by patent offices and, in the case of disputes, courts of law in the event you file patents on your findings a record that would enable successive scientists, working on the same project, to pick up where you left off or reproduce your results 2.
Types of Laboratory Notebooks The following items explain a few important things to know about lab notebooks and how they may be used: Hardbound books with numbered pages show that no pages have been deleted or added. In companies or institutions aimed mainly at producing patentable products, carbon copies of each page are often required. In addition, each page may have to be signed and dated both by the scientist and by an independent witness within two weeks of work being done.
This scientist should be someone who is likely to be traceable in some years time, if needed, to confirm reading and counter signing. The witness should not be likely to be named as a co-inventor in a patent application. The counter-signatory should sign and date each page of the notebook to confirm that she or he has read and understood the entry and is satisfied that the entry has been accurately and correctly written.
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