Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELNs)

ELN ≈ Digital Protocol Editors

  • Documenting daily lab routine
  • Lab methods & protocols
  • Lab inventory (biologicals, chemicals, instruments)
  • Local sharing & collaboration
  • Backup (locally)

✅ ELNs help to digitalize research documentation

Are ELNs FAIR?

FAIR indicator* ELN
Findable
F1. (Meta)data are assigned a globally unique and persistent identifier.
F2. Data are described with rich metadata (defined by R1 below).
F3. Metadata clearly and explicitly include the identifier of the data they describe.
F4. (Meta)data are registered or indexed in a searchable resource.
Accessible
A1. (Meta)data are retrievable by their identifier using a standardised communications protocol
A1.1 The protocol is open, free, and universally implementable
A1.2 The protocol allows for an authentication and authorisation procedure, where necessary
A2. Metadata are accessible, even when the data are no longer available
Interoperable
I1. (Meta)data use a formal, accessible, shared, and broadly applicable language for knowledge representation.
I2. (Meta)data use vocabularies that follow FAIR principles.
I3. (Meta)data include qualified references to other (meta)data.
Reusable
R1. (Meta)data are richly described with a plurality of accurate and relevant attributes
R1.1. (Meta)data are released with a clear and accessible data usage license
R1.2. (Meta)data are associated with detailed provenance
R1.3. (Meta)data meet domain-relevant community standards

*FAIR classified by https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/

Findable

FAIR indicator* elabFTW
F1. (Meta)data are assigned a globally unique and persistent identifier. 🟠 / 🔴
F2. Data are described with rich metadata (defined by R1 below). 🔴
F3. Metadata clearly and explicitly include the identifier of the data they describe. 🟠 / 🔴
F4. (Meta)data are registered or indexed in a searchable resource. 🔴

*FAIR classified by https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/

Accessible

FAIR indicator* elabFTW
A1. (Meta)data are retrievable by their identifier using a standardised communications protocol 🔴
A1.1 The protocol is open, free, and universally implementable 🟢 / 🟠
A1.2 The protocol allows for an authentication and authorisation procedure, where necessary ❓
A2. Metadata are accessible, even when the data are no longer available ❓

*FAIR classified by https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/

Interoperable

FAIR indicator* elabFTW
I1. (Meta)data use a formal, accessible, shared, and broadly applicable language for knowledge representation. 🔴
I2. (Meta)data use vocabularies that follow FAIR principles. 🔴
I3. (Meta)data include qualified references to other (meta)data. 🔴

*FAIR classified by https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/

Reusable

FAIR indicator* elabFTW
R1. (Meta)data are richly described with a plurality of accurate and relevant attributes 🔴
R1.1. (Meta)data are released with a clear and accessible data usage license 🔴
R1.2. (Meta)data are associated with detailed provenance 🔴
R1.3. (Meta)data meet domain-relevant community standards 🔴

*FAIR classified by https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/

Contributors

Slides presented here include contributions by

# Are ELNs FAIR? - Version control / Track changes - Transparent contributions - Use of IDs / PIDs - External sharing / access - (Long term) data storage - Analyses - is code reproducible - Metadata - standards - schemata ---