Electronic lab notebooks: A solution for active-phase data management

Many universities are looking to enable researchers to store data effectively during the active phase of research. Solutions need to provide not only storage, but also features for organization and metadata, collaborative work, and version control. One option is Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) software, a platform used to collect and house experimental procedures, protocols, and data produced in scientific experiments. This presentation will discuss a recent project at one university to initiate a campus-wide rollout and support of a general-purpose ELN, LabArchives. This project is a collaboration between the several university departments: the Libraries, central IT, and the Office of the Vice President for Research. The presentation will discuss and address questions such as: How effective are ELNs for active-phase data management? How might ELNs be used within a suite of tools for active-phase data management? How can staff support adoption and use of ELNs? How can campus departments best collaborate to support use of ELNs? How can this work meet the diverse interests of stakeholders? What can rolling out an ELN teach us about how researchers manage their data day-to-day