The Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN) subgroup draws on and connects diverse stakeholders interested in digital record-keeping methods. This subgroup collects information about the tools available and the Harvard-affiliated institutions using them and makes that information accessible and usable to inform researchers’ decision-making and tool selection.
2023 Goals
- Improve connections to the research community, inviting input from a wider audience, to better understand ELN requirements, and the reasons for the slow uptake of ELNs
- Encourage researcher uptake and utility of digital record-keeping tools by disseminating information about the tools, resources, and practices supported by Harvard University and Harvard Medical School
- Re-establish and grow a community of practice among Harvard-affiliated institutions by developing a network of relevant experts and stakeholders, to share information and practices related to ELN deployments and use cases
- Improve connections with the broader Harvard University community and Harvard University Information Technology (HUIT) to share ELN related information and practices
Accomplishments
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2022
- Archive the existing ELN matrix and related pages (completed)
- Develop and disseminate updated information about digital record-keeping tools, resources, and practices supported by Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard-affiliated institutions (completed)
- Encourage researcher uptake and utility of digital record-keeping tools supported by Harvard University and Harvard Medical School (completed)
- Establish a community of practice among Harvard-affiliated institutions by developing a network of relevant experts and stakeholders, to share information and practices related to ELN deployments and use case (completed)
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2021
- Establish a partnership with an external organization to ensure regular maintenance of the ELN matrix and related pages (completed)
- Encourage researcher uptake and utility of digital record-keeping tools by disseminating information about the tools, resources, and practices supported by Harvard University and Harvard Medical School (completed)
- Establish a community of practice among Harvard-affiliated institutions by developing a network of relevant experts and stakeholders, to share information and practices related to ELN deployments and use cases (completed)
- Explore and evaluate new opportunities for the adoption and/or technical support of specific digital record-keeping tools, to support institutional decision-making (completed)
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2020
- ELN Matrix operations: clarification of ELN definition and ELN Matrix purpose (completed)
- Track and present information about Harvard affiliates ELN pilots and rollouts (completed)
- Identify primary ELN contacts at each institution within our community to enhance communication and referrals (completed)
- Collect information on community institutional ELN experiences to support and advise Research Workflow Infrastructure (RWI) identification of relevant tools and pilots for the HMS Quad (completed)
- Disseminate information about HMS Quad pilots and rollouts to ensure researcher uptake and utility
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2019
- ELN Matrix operations: support and updates; ELN consultation (completed)
- Support university initiative: Harvard University RSpace (completed)
- Explore Harvard Library Open Science Framework (OSF) (completed)
- Pursue Evernote License to improve Security for existing Evernote ELN users
- Support for local ELN initiatives (completed)
- Exploration of computational notebooks (completed)