The importance of research data management: The value of electronic laboratory notebooks in the management of data integrity and data availability

Abstract

Laboratory data - the data produced in the practice of the scientific method - is not consistently managed among academic labs within or external to many academic research institutions. As data on which research is based upon becomes more openly available, Data Management Plans will more often be enforced. Thus, Data integrity, Data lifecycle, Data Security, Perpetual Revision History, Permanence, and unchangeable time stamps, will be concerns that will evolve into in the management of laboratory research data. Proof of research and discovery is a major concern among researchers and there are more instances of research fraud, unintended or intentional, than most people realize. The use of a Digital Lab Notebook can help prove discoveries, protect intellectual property, and provide the tools necessary to defend or audit research activities and preserve research integrity. As the collaborative nature of scientific research continues to become more easily executed with the continual advancement of research technology, it becomes essential for researchers, funding agencies, publishers, and institutions to protect and defend the work produced in research laboratories.