Getting Started

Accessing and beginning to use your Electronic Research Notebook is easy. Follow the instructions below to get started, and refer to the Quick Start Guide if you need assistance.

To create an account

• Access the LabArchives site and select Drexel University as your institution.
• You will be automatically redirected to Drexel’s Drexel One login screen for single-sign-on.
• Sign in using your Drexel ID and password. 

Managing ERNs for your research group

Setup

• To facilitate group collaboration, Principal Investigators (PIs) can set up an account and then create lab notebooks for each of their group members, choosing the “share” option to share each notebook with the selected group member.

Access Rights

• PIs have the ability to control access to the lab notebooks within their group.
• If someone leaves the group, access rights can be changed to “guest” view.
• Group members will not be able to see each other’s notebooks (unless access is granted) but the PI will be able to view and have full access to all notebooks he/she creates.
• The PI can also export a notebook as a PDF after a group member’s departure for archiving purposes. This is recommended to ensure the PI has complete access to the notebook following group members’ departure.
• Alternately, the PI can have each group member create and maintain their own ERN, choosing the “share” option to “share” their ERN with the PI. The PI will maintain rights to each shared ERN as long as user does not remove the PI as a user on the notebook.
• Visit the LabArchives website to access information on user roles and privileges and on ownership transfer.

Professional Edition

LabArchives is a web-based application designed for researchers to organize and share their laboratory data with their colleagues, friends, students, or anyone across the world. ERN’s may be shared among any number of users; access rights are controlled by the group Administrator and can be easily modified to suit the individual needs of each researcher, educator, or contributor.

When you sign up for LabArchives, your first Notebook will be created automatically; you can then name it appropriately.  Users may create an unlimited number of Notebooks by clicking on the icon in the upper right of the screen, select Utilities=> Create New Notebook.

Organize your laboratory data

If you're like most investigators, you have hundreds or even thousands of files of valuable data that are spread across multiple computers, files, and folders. In addition, you often have several versions of the same information (some of which may be overwritten). With LabArchives, all versions of your files are securely stored and easily searched by a wide variety of criteria. You can quickly and easily view an older version of a file, or even view what was changed from one version to another (and which party made that modification).

Preserve all your data securely, including all versions of all files

LabArchives stores all of your data on a network of redundant servers; your information is far safer on LabArchives than on your local computers or even an institutional server. And far more secure than in a paper notebook. The Electronic Research Notebook service from LabArchives can be used to record, manage, and store a wide variety of data types in numerous file formats. Data types can include images, recordings, sketches, notes, formulas, annotations, comments and others. Raw data outputs from laboratory instruments can be imported easily and efficiently. Electronic Research Notebooks can also be used to capture field notes, video, and audio data in areas of study and research including social sciences and performing arts.

Share information within your laboratory

Share selected or all information among your group. Under your control, you may allow individual "read-only" or "read-write" access to specific work, or to the entire notebook.

Keep abreast of developments in your lab even when traveling or working remotely

As a lab notebook owner or administrator, you have full rights to view the entire notebook. View any data that has been produced; you can "filter" by an individual, date, or combination. View any data or files from across the globe with the click of the mouse.

Collaborate with investigators by sharing selected data

Share selected data, entire folders, or your entire notebook with a colleague anywhere in the world. This individual will see only what you want them to see; they may make comments and/or, with your permission, add data to your Notebook.

Protect your intellectual property

All data is automatically date and time stamped and stored on the LabArchives server network. This preserves every version of every data entry and provides clear evidence who completed the work and when the work was done.

Classroom Edition

Drexel University has procured an enterprise license for LabArchive's classroom edition which enables students and professors throughout the world to manage, engage, monitor, and evaluate students' lab work.

LabArchive’s classroom edition is a web-based application designed for instructors to easily assign, grade, and monitor student work. This allows early detection of student misconceptions and underperformance and facilitates communication with students. Additionally, use of an electronic research notebook introduces students to modern research tools and methodologies.

Professors universally say that LabArchives improves student success rates through enhanced communication and intuitive technology, all while eliminating the need for a paper notebook.

The LabArchives classroom edition includes all the functionality of the professional edition but allows multiple lab notebooks to be grouped together for classroom purposes and administered by professors and assistants.