MUSC’s LabArchives Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN)

LabArchives offers many advantages for investigators and teams:

• Ability to upload and store files including text, tables, images, spreadsheets, and attachments in their original format.
• Ability to create standard ELN formats, templates & widgets for your research group.
• Compatibility across multiple platforms.
• Maintain all revisions of ELN entries. Entries that are deleted are retrievable.
• All entries are automatically date & time stamped.
• Electronic searchability.
• Ability to save copies of notebooks.
• Share with collaborators.
• Increased data security.
• Facilitating compliance with the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy.
• Enable oversight by PIs.
• Eliminate issues with poor handwriting and damaged paper notebooks, preventing loss of data.
• Less use of paper.
• Studies have shown ELN's can save time, and once used, most scientists prefer them.
• ELNs have been identified as a key tool for a successful career in the science and technology industry.

MUSC has purchased a license for LabArchives Notebook with the research edition, which is free to MUSC users. The Education edition, Inventory and Scheduler are available from LabArchives for those that wish to use those tools but they would be billed independently.

There are several ways to integrate LabArchives into lab workflows:

• Provide dedicated tablets for use by researchers and staff while in the lab.
• Use voice input or optical character recognition (OCR) plugins (Check acceptability with IS).
• Utilize time-saving features like linking experiments to raw data files and results and automatic date and time stamping to prove provenance.

To access your data in LabArchives, you will need a constant internet connection. LabArchives guarantees that you will be able to access your data 99.5% of the time, and its historical record is quite good. But should you not be able to access your notebook for a short period, written or computer-entered records would need to be subsequently uploaded (the former can be as simple as a cellphone picture of notes). It is recommended that you establish a backup strategy that can include exporting and archiving notebooks (both PDF and HTML formats are options). Note that these are good backup strategies even if no outages occur.

It is important to understand that you're not required to store all research data in LabArchives. REDCap, MUSC Box, MUSC OneDrive, or an MUSC password-protected server and other storage solutions will continue to be supporting solutions for storing primary data. No HIPAA Protected Health Information (PHI) data, FERPA data or other Restricted data (for example, passwords, credit card numbers, etc.) should be stored in your LabArchives ELN.

At a minimum, you're required to document where/how data are generated, stored, accessed, and analyzed. You should use LabArchives ELN to document the Statistical Analysis Plan and store versions of the statistical scripts/code used to generate the output files, including those for publication (referencing the publication). Also included would be the standard operating procedures (SOPs), algorithms, analysis programs, or other information typically included in the materials and methods section of a manuscript. This is the information that gets you from raw data to finalized data and allows for reproducibility.

Other information that can be kept in the ELN include laboratory meeting notes, lists of supplies and chemicals needed for a research project, equipment operating manuals, calibration and preparation procedures, safety information on equipment, or Safety Data Sheets.

Having a backup and archival plan for all your digital work, including your lab notebooks on the ELN platform, is always recommended. While the LabArchives service has a record of high availability, there are some scenarios in which you could lose access to your notebooks temporarily. Also, most researchers need to retain their notebooks for a number of years, so having a process for archiving notebooks that are completed is important. The strategies below will help you create a backup and archival plan that takes a number of scenarios into account:

• Routinely place a secondary copy of all files you attach to the ELN in another location such as a department or campus server. You may find it helpful to use the same folder structure as in the ELN to avoid confusion.
• Export (PDF) or create offline copies (HTML) of notebooks on a regular basis. For notebooks that are being actively edited, establish a schedule of exporting that will keep pace with your changes.
• When lab members leave, they can take an HTML or PDF copy of the notebook with them. They can also be given view-only Guest access to the notebook for as long as the PI wishes. Since the PI must be the owner of all notebooks in their lab, notebooks cannot disappear when a member leaves!

LabArchives servers are kept in a secure, primary data center with a separate, disaster recovery data center. For more information on the security of data stored in LabArchives.

In most cases, LabArchives will satisfy all requirements for a funding agency or department. For more detailed information about the compliance, please contact LabArchives Support or your funding agency.

LabArchives is EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the UK Data Protection Act 2018 compliant. For more information, please see the Terms of Use.

Data of any file can be stored in LabArchives. Files stored on other platforms can also be linked within LabArchives.

Currently, LabArchives at MUSC is not approved for the storing of PHI and other restricted information.

LabArchives can help with:

1. Planning and budgeting for data management and sharing,
2. Creation of a Data Management & Sharing (DMS) plan, and
3. Implementation of the DMS plan.

ELNs support FAIR Principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), which are recognized by the research community, including the National Institutes of Health. Data Management and Sharing (DMS) policy.

The NIH Data Management & Sharing (DMS) Policy, effective January 25, 2023, applies to all research, funded or conducted in whole or in part by NIH, that results in the generation of scientific data. This includes all NIH-supported research regardless of funding level, including: extramural grants, extramural contracts, intramural research projects, and other funding agreements.

Scientific Data is defined as data commonly accepted in the scientific community as of sufficient quality to validate and replicate research findings, regardless of whether the data are used to support scholarly publications.

• Scientific data includes any data needed to validate and replicate research findings.
• Scientific data does not include laboratory notebooks, preliminary analyses, completed case report forms, drafts of scientific papers, plans for future research, peer reviews, communications with colleagues, or physical objects such as laboratory specimens.

Learn more about NIH Data Management & Sharing. 

The maximum individual file size is 16 GB. Files larger than 16 GB may be stored elsewhere and you can link to them in your LabArchives notebook. A notebook should be less than 1 TB or 30,000 entries. Keep in mind, you can create an unlimited number of notebooks. Any file above 250 MB is stored on LabArchives’ Amazon Web Services S3 storage.

Yes, data may be shared via a DOI with permission. Researchers must get permission from an MUSC LabArchives Site Administrator to use a DOI. It is considered best practice for research data and information that is going to be publicly accessible to be placed in a designated notebook, separate from a main notebook that will be kept private, and to freeze the pages by signing.

A DOI does not need to be used to comply with the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. NIH has repositories for data – this is the first place to go. If data does not fit in their repository, or in other repositories or place, consider using a notebook link.

No, not at present. See FAQ below. PHI may be stored in other appropriate software such as REDCap, MUSC Box, MUSC OneDrive, or an MUSC password-protected server. Location of where data is stored can be saved in LabArchives to maintain a record of the location of this other data.

The following types of data should not be stored in LabArchives:

1. Patient Health Information considered identifiers under HIPAA or FERPA guidelines. This includes dates associated with test measures, such as those derived from a laboratory report. https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/special-topics/de-identification/index.html#dates
2. Data MUSC considers Restricted Information (see MUSC’s Information Classification Labeling & Handling Policy).
3. Data subject to Data Use Agreements (DUA) if there is a provision in the DUA that would not allow the use of LabArchives (for example, a prohibition on cloud storage of the data).
4. Other data that may have special requirements. PIs should abide by MUSC, government and funding agency directives on how to handle specific types of data that may have special storage requirements.

Not being able to store certain types of data in LabArchives does not necessarily preclude use of an ELN. Data usually can be stored elsewhere with information in the ELN noting its location.

Yes, if you are a researcher working in an MUSC basic, fundamental wet laboratory. LabArchives ELNs must be used by these labs for all current projects with NIH grant funding beginning from January 25, 2023 or later, and all future projects regardless of funding. If you are unsure of your lab’s status, please contact the MUSC Office of the Vice President of Research.

Training is mandatory for Masters, PhD and post-doctoral students in these labs. One hour in-person and virtual training sessions will be held as MUSC introduces LabArchives in 2024.

You may create a copy of your notebook (PDF or HTML) for your own use. This will be a static copy. If you are the owner of a notebook you must transfer ownership of the notebook to someone at MUSC prior to leaving. Should you need to maintain access to your notebook at MUSC request that the new owner remove you from the notebook as an MUSC researcher and add you back onto the notebook with new access rights via your new institutional e-mail account.

All faculty, students and staff with a valid MUSC e-mail may create a LabArchives Account. It is MUSC policy that ownership of the notebook is assigned to the PI of the lab or project. If someone else initially creates and sets up the notebook, they should then transfer ownership to the lab PI. The person who created the notebook can then be converted to administrator.

All current institutional policies that apply to paper notebooks and data generated at MUSC apply to ELNs. The data remains the sole and exclusive property of MUSC. 

You can:

• check out the available video training resources and user guides.
• submit a Support Contact form: https://www.labarchives.com/online-support/
• email support@labarchives.com 24 hours/5 days a week with regional staff in the US, UK, and AU
• call a LabArchives team member at 800-653-5016 (Mon-Fri, 8 am-8pm Eastern time)
• email an MUSC LabArchives Site Administrator

MUSC has only purchased a site license for LabArchives Research Edition. We do not have LabArchives Education Edition, Inventory or Scheduler.

MUSC has chosen LabArchives as its electronic laboratory notebook software and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. If, however, that should change, the LabArchives Site Administrators at MUSC would reach out to researchers to facilitate the change. Researchers are able to retain all information entered in their LabArchives notebooks.

As the owner of the lab notebook, you have full administrative control, including what is shared and with whom and what they are allowed to view and edit within your notebook. You can maintain both private and collaborative information within your LabArchives account.

New accounts with Single Sign On:

1. Go to https://mynotebook.labarchives.com/ and select Medical University of South Carolina from the "Sign in through your institution" dropdown list.
2. You'll be redirected to the MUSC Single Sign On (SSO) page. Login with your MUSC credentials.
3. Within "Create or Activate a New LabArchives account" enter your email address and click "Create New Account".
4. When asked “Do you want to create a new LabArchives account and link with your login credentials?” click “Yes”
5. You'll be brought into LabArchives and you may need to update some details on User Properties

1. Go to https://mynotebook.labarchives.com/ and select Medical University of South Carolina from the "Sign in through your institution" dropdown list.
2. You'll be redirected to the MUSC single sign-on page. Login with your MUSC credentials.

Please contact the MUSC IT Service Desk to reset your password.

No, this is not available with Single Sign-on.

It is MUSC policy that the PI should be the owner of all notebooks for their respective labs. If another person creates and sets up the notebook, they should then transfer ownership to the PI, and they can become administrator.

Owner = can edit, clone, and delete the entire notebook. An owner can control who has access to the data. There can only be one designated person for this role. At MUSC this person must be the Principal Investigator.

Administrator = has the same rights as the owner, but they cannot delete or clone a notebook. Usually a Lab Manager, Data Steward, or supervisor.

User = can be given edit or view only rights. A User cannot share a notebook.

Guest = can be given edit rights for 60 days. After 60 days, Guest access will become read only. Additional information is available here. 

Notebook access should be restricted as necessary and updated regularly. Researchers should only have access to the notebooks or data that they absolutely need to perform the work.

LabArchives is cloud based and you can access your data through most updated browsers for Mac and PC. Users generally have the best experience accessing LabArchives from an updated version of Google Chrome, Edge, Safari, or FireFox (but not Internet Explorer). Learn more about Browser and Operating System Compatibility.

You can organize your notebook through a system of folders and subfolders. Many researchers organize their notebooks through project, date, user, or grant. In some cases, researchers will make specific notebooks for equipment in the lab. Generally, a consistent naming convention or page structure can make it easier to find a specific piece of data.

Most simply, it is data that explains your data. Meta data is as important as the data itself and is critical to being able to find, understand and use your data. It can be thought of as the who, what, where, when, why and how of your data. MIT and UNC have sites that give more information below.

MIT Meta Data Guidance

UNC Meta Data Guidance

Data in LabArchives is stored in entries on a page. You can add pages to your notebook by clicking “New Page” in the Notebook Navigator and you can create new entries using the add entry toolbar. Add Data to your Notebook.

You can drag and drop up to 50 files at once directly onto a page of your notebook. 

The Notebook Owner or Administrator can setup custom permissions of “Can View”, “Can Edit”, and “No Access” for any part of the notebook. User roles and rights like signing and witnessing can be adjusted in User Management. You can also create Custom Groups to manage access for multiple individuals at once. Learn more about sharing data in LabArchives.

You can create a PDF of your notebook or download it as an Offline HTML document. The Offline HTML option is considered to be the high-fidelity version of your notebook and it will contain your attachments. The PDF is designed to be a snapshot of your notebook and it will contain links to download your attachments. Learn more about signing, witnessing, and downloading in LabArchives.

Widgets are customized HTML forms that can be made using the Widget Manager. To learn more about Widgets, click here or contact LabArchives support for widget training.

• Use a LabArchives Chemical Sketcher Widget for drawing chemical structures & reactions.
• Hand draw and upload a photo or scan of the drawing.

Every edit made to your notebook is recorded in the revisions history. You can manage recent changes to your notebook using the Activity Feed or the Notebook Dashboard.

You can receive notifications withing LabArchives for actions such as comments or page signing. To view your notifications, click the triple bar menu on the top right and select “Activity Feed”. You can also turn on email notifications in User Properties.

The advanced search feature at the top of the page allows you to search through any notebook in your account and the filters make it easy to find any piece of data that you are looking for. You can search using keywords, tags that you have created, or by the contents of your ELN files.

You can sign pages to permanently indicate a final version. If you turn on page witnessing, another user can approve or reject the signature. Page signing and witnessing must be turned on in Notebook Settings.

Yes, all data entered into LabArchives is date and time stamped with the user who completed the action recorded as well. The timestamp is generated by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standard time. Each action (e.g., addition, deletion or revision) has a unique timestamp, and previous versions can be viewed. 

Yes. Select 'PubMed References' on the Add Entry toolbar (under 'More' if not visible). Enter a search term and click 'Search'. The matching references will appear. Check the box for each article you would like to reference and click 'Add to entry'.