What is an ELN?

Electronic lab notebook

Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (ELN) What is an ELN? An ELN is a simple and direct replacement for that paper notebook that all scientists have used for so long. An ELN is a place to tell your story –• Here’s what I did today,• Here’s how I did it• Here are the resources I used• Here are my […]


iPad Mobile Laboratory Notebook Case Study

iCERF mobile Case Study

“If we’re planning a trip out to the range… we can check the documents out, carry them with us all day on the iPad, edit them all day… and then upload them back to our notebooks when we get back to the office with an internet connection.” With the Apple iPad mobile device & iCERF, […]


Collaboration and Digital Data Case Study

document describing why the team at a government research facility chose CERF ELN as the best ELN for their laboratory

“We use the ELN software for collaboration… when one person ran an analysis, the second person downstream can actually look at the results… and just continue on in that notebook page. It is a seamless transition.” Laboratories pursuing research in domains including energy & algae biofuels find collaboration is a key factor in their pursuits. […]


5 Ways to Protect IP in Research Collaborations

Collaboration today is distributed across disciplines, org charts, and enterprises in an internet-enabled environment. These partnerships deliver tremendous benefits through innovative idea generation, shared technologies, lower costs, greater speed and agility, and a range of talents and expertise not always practical to maintain within a single organization. The successful creation, capture, and exploitation of resulting […]


iPads in the Lab

irisnote iPad app

How will iPads affect data collection in the lab? Imagine working in a lab, recording experiment observations on a lightweight, portable notebook that captures all of your time/date information automatically, takes pictures, seamlessly incorporates equipment data files, and lets you look up references all in the same place. If you imagined a paper notebook, you’ll […]


How Scientific Misconduct Cases Could Be Avoided With ELN

Scientific fraud

We all want to believe that the results of experiments that scientists report are proven facts, backed by a wealth of statistical data and peer review. That is what research is all about, right? Unfortunately, several instances of scientific misconduct have been uncovered in recent years, highlighting another true fact: scientists are not infallible. Yet […]


SharePoint or ELN: Using the right tool for the job

Manage data electronically

Written by Isabel Fasciano What is the difference between Microsoft SharePoint and an Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN)? While both are designed to store and share data, thus fostering business communication and collaboration, an ELN has the added advantage of being uniquely designed to satisfy the needs of the scientific community’s workflows, information viewing, and built-in compliance […]


Are You New to ELNs?

Electronic lab notebook

Are you just getting in to the world of electronic laboratory notebooks? Most ELN makers jump right into the details of their features without much of an introduction. Features are important because you want to know the ELN you choose will meet your needs. But all those terms won’t mean much to the newcomer. Our newest page What is an ELN? is […]


Why Researchers Want an ELN

Better productivity given as the top reason scientists want an ELN

Better productivity, particularly better organization, is the number one reason given by clients for wanting an ELN in their laboratories, according to our 2011 client survey report1. In that case they are in the right spot, as electronic lab notebooks are reported to improve efficiency by 25% or more2. Other major driving factors for implementing […]