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| About LabArchives® | Getting Started in LabArchives® | Using LabArchives® |
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UK ERN Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
About LabArchives®
What is LabArchives®?
The University of Kentucky (UK) supports a LabArchives® Electronic Research Notebook (ERN) institutional license for the UK research community. It is a web-based application designed for scientists to create, store, share and manage their research data. A LabArchives® Notebook may be shared among any number of UK users; access rights are controlled by the Notebook Owner/Administrator and can be easily modified to suit the individual needs of each researcher or contributor. The platform is flexible and can be customized to support multiple different research workflows.
What are the benefits of an ERN system like LabArchives®?
The University of Kentucky (UK) has an interest in adopting a centrally-supported ERN system in support of improved data management practices. The LabArchives® ERN system has the following benefits:
- Access your research notebook entries anywhere
- Data are searchable
- Saves space by reducing/eliminating paper notebooks
- Unlimited data storage (up to 16GB max per individual file uploaded)
- Secure storage of research data in a central location
- Support collaboration within research groups, including external (non-UK) collaborators
- Flexibility in setting user roles and customized permissions for research notebook viewing and editing
- Able to customize templates, protocols, and processes for different research workflows
- Integrates with multiple programs, including Microsoft Office, UK Single Sign On, Google Docs, ChemDoodle, PubMed, GraphPad Prism, and SnapGene.
- If you identify other programs you would like to connect with LabArchives®, please contact LabArchives@uky.edu.
- Able to store a variety of file types, including images, video, spreadsheets, etc.
- Allows signing, file versioning, and activity tracking in support of data provenance
- Supported UK service with security and legal protections in place
What is the advantage to using LabArchives® versus other software to communicate with my team, such as Microsoft Teams, DropBox, etc.?
A few advantages are:
- Bank-level security - All LabArchives® customer data and backups are encrypted at rest with AES-256 as well as a plethora of other security measures
- Date/Time Stamping - Cannot be manipulated, LabArchives® uses the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) protocol
- Versioning - Ability to revert back to a previous version of data or documents
- Deleting - No data/image/document is ever permanently deleted
- Searching - The Search function allows you to search for information from any notebook that you own have or been granted access
- Permissions - Ability to choose the level of permission each person has to your data/images/documents
- Accessibility - Ability to add data/images/documents directly to LabArchives® with your phone or equipment that is connected to LabArchives®; download your notebook to PDF; create an offline notebook
- Monitoring - Ability to monitor all activity within your notebook
- Linking - Ability to link information from another project to current project without having to add the same information again
- Widgets – You may create a widget specific to your research or use widgets already created through LabArchives®
- Collaboration/Sharing - Easily collaborate with others outside your team
- Notebook structures – Ability to structure your data as you would in a network drive
- Commenting – Ability to comment live on a specific entry
- Compliance - LabArchives® utilizes Amazon Web Services (AWS) for all infrastructure needs as well as aligning with other compliance standards and guidelines (i.e. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), NIST, etc)
- Page Signing/Witnessing - ability to freeze a page so that no changes can be made
- Notebook Manager – Ability to clone a notebook so that you don’t have to start another project from scratch, etc.
- Attaching – The ability to attach any file type
What are the storage limitations?
University of Kentucky (UK) users may have unlimited notebooks, but LabArchives® recommends no more than 1 TB of data per notebook. Please keep in mind that as more data is added to a notebook, the upload speed slows down a bit.
The maximum file size that can be uploaded is 16 GB for an individual file.
Files Less than 250 MB
- Saved on secure cloud storage in your LabArchives® notebook
- Content fully searchable (if the document is editable in LabArchives®)
- Will get pulled in via Folder Monitor
Files Between 250 MB - 16 GB and Files Greater than 16 GB
- Searching within the content is not available; only file name is searchable
- Cannot be previewed, edited, or annotated within LabArchives®; download the file to edit
- Will NOT get pulled in via Folder Monitor
- Will NOT be exported in PDF or HTML versions of notebooks (only name of large files will be available in these offline copies)
Files Greater than 16 GB
- CANNOT be saved directly in LabArchives® notebooks
- Recommend storage on a UK secure network drive or server (such as SharePoint) and embed a link to that external drive/server location within your notebook page (see LabArchives® Linking)
- Searchability will be confined to the descriptive text written in the notebook page next to the hyperlink and text within the hyperlink. Descriptive text might include information about the server location and file names.
- Provide a reference or link to data that is stored in another location. Links and data in your notebook should be organized in a way that you or a colleague can locate the information in the future. (LabArchives® Knowledge base: Large Data Sets or Data Stored Outside of LabArchives®)
- Will NOT get pulled in via Folder Monitor
Are there version controls?
All data entered into LabArchives® is dated and timestamped with the user who completed the action recorded as well.
The timestamp is generated by the 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. No data or notebook entries may be permanently deleted from UK LabArchives® notebooks (i.e. data and entries may be edited and moved into the notebook’s “trashcan”, but they can always be restored). This ensures full data traceability and supports intellectual property rights by documenting who did what and when they did it.
LabArchives® also offers a “page signing” feature which permanently freezes a specific version of a notebook page (i.e. no further edits can be made to the page or the data on it).
How are the electronic data and notebooks in LabArchives® backed up?
Once a research notebook is created in LabArchives® at UK, it cannot be deleted. Data saved on LabArchives® will be stored using Amazon Web Services. Both primary and secondary Amazon data centers for storage are located in the US. If desired, individual research groups may create locally stored copies of their LabArchives® notebooks by exporting the notebooks in either PDF or HTML formats.
What data entry formats are supported?
Rich text data, tables, images, sketches, as well as annotations of images are supported. Any file (less than 16GB per individual file) can be uploaded, but not all files can be edited within LabArchives®.
For files that exceed the 16GB limit, you can link to files or folders from another server by adding a URL or a server address. (e.g., SharePoint)
What external software applications are directly integrated?
LabArchives® integrates with a variety of programs, including Microsoft Office, UK Single Sign-On, Google Docs, ChemDoodle, PubMed, GraphPad Prism, and SnapGene. Some integrated features require downloading a plugin from the LabArchives® website, such as Microsoft Office.
You may need to create a password token for external applications. Please see LabArchives® Using Integrations with Single Sign-on for instructions on creating a password token.
If the software you are using is not an integrated application, you can export the data in a common file format and upload the data to your LabArchives® Notebook.
What browser and operating systems are supported?
LabArchives® can be used by Windows, Mac, Android and Linux operating systems. LabArchives® provides a free mobile app for both iOS (Mac) and Android devices.
LabArchives® should be used with the following browsers:
- Chrome
- Firefox
- Safari
- Edge
NOTE: Internet Explorer is not recommended, and it is no longer supported by Microsoft.
Does LabArchives® support multiple languages?
No, but anyone can add notes or attachments in any language. Please note: you will want all users with permissions to be able to read notes or attachments; the funding agency/sponsor may have specific requirements; Quality Assurance Officers should be able to read notes or attachments; if your language is written aligned to the right; you may have formatting issues.
If a collaborator uses a language other than English, they may be able to use their browser translator to translate LabArchives® into their language if Chrome or Firefox supports that particular translator.
How will I access my notebooks if there is an outage or loss of connectivity?
The LabArchives® service is in use at multiple US academic research institutions and has a record of high availability. However, your access to LabArchives®, like other web-based services, is dependent on internet connectivity. If you are offline, or if the LabArchives® service is down, you will not be able to edit or access the most recent version of your notebooks. LabArchives® notebooks are backed up in triplicate through Amazon Web Services, so when the internet activity is restored, all notebooks and data will be restored and accessible.
If desired, individual research groups may create locally stored copies of their LabArchives® notebooks by downloading the notebooks in PDF format or creating an offline notebook. This backup strategy can be helpful, but care must be taken to keep track of multiple copies of exported versions.
How secure is my LabArchives® data?
LabArchives® utilizes Amazon Web Services for its application, database, storage, and backup servers. Amazon Web Services Compliance. Key security controls in the UK’s LabArchives® service include:
- Encryption of data in transit and at rest
- Firewalls and other security devices on all servers
- Monitoring of all network traffic for suspicious activity
- Regular testing, upgrades, and patching for vulnerabilities
- Regular third party security audits
Who can access my research data?
No one can view your research notebook without your permission and/or knowledge. To learn how to share your notebook (either full notebook or sections) with team members or collaborators follow this LabArchives® link. You can provide read-only or edit access to collaborators.
Please note: Your team member or collaborator must have a LabArchives® account in order to access the data you are sharing.
Where will my data be stored?
LabArchives® hosts all of its software and customer data at Amazon data centers located in two regions: the primary is US East (Virginia) and their failover is US West (Oregon). Data are always stored within the United States and does not travel outside of US borders.
If UK decides to cancel the LabArchives® subscription or LabArchives® goes out of business, what happens to UK researcher data?
If UK cancels the LabArchives® subscription, the UK site administrator can request all data for UK to be returned to UK.
If LabArchives® goes out of business, there is an agreement in place with an escrow company that will provide all data to UK with support and tools needed to access the data.
Getting Started in LabArchives®
How do I create an account or link my existing LabArchives® account with UK?
Visit our instructional page for step-by-step instructions.
Important Notes:
When creating your UK account, it is best practice to use your institutional email address. (LinkBlueID@uky.edu)
Did you create a free account by mistake? Email LabArchives@uky.edu to merge your free account with your UK account.
Have questions or need additional help activating your account? Please email LabArchives@uky.edu or call (859) 257-2978
What URL do I bookmark for quick access to LabArchives® once my account is created?
You should bookmark https://mynotebook.labarchives.com/. If you bookmark the Single Sign On (SSO) page, you will get an error message when trying to log in. Each time you access the page starts a new SSO session. If you bookmark that page, it reads your access as already granted and will not work.
How do I create a Notebook once my account is activated?
PIs: Once you have activated your account, make sure you own a notebook!
When you first activate/open your account, you may or may not see a notebook named "University of Kentucky" with the entry heading "UK Research Community Notebook". This is a notebook accessible by the entire UK research community.
Regardless of whether you see this enterprise notebook, you (the PI) should own AT LEAST one notebook for your research group.
Click "Notebooks" in the top left corner of the screen. This shows you all the notebooks to which you have access. AT LEAST one of these should be owned by you (the PI). To add a notebook, click the "+" sign in the top left corner and complete the information requested.
If a member of your research staff shared their notebook with you, make sure that staff member transfers the notebook ownership to you (the PI). Also, be sure they share their notebook with the email address you used to activate your account.
What research data should I store in my LabArchives® account?
Research data and information that supports figures/tables/formulas, etc., contributed to any publication, book, or grant application should be stored in your LabArchives ERN.
For example, if a journal/book publisher/grant agency asks you for data supporting a specific figure/table/formula, etc., presumedly, you would be able to share an export of your ERN, and they would be able to access that data and verify the results reported without fail.
Can I store Protected Health Information (PHI) or other sensitive data in my LabArchives® account?
LabArchives® is HIPAA compliant but has not been approved for FDA 21 CFR Part 11. We are currently seeking approval for FDA compliance.
Notebook owners and administrators are responsible for ensuring that PHI within a notebook is not shared with anyone except for individuals explicitly authorized according to the IRB and Data Use Agreements. This applies to sending exported notebook material and providing shared access to a notebook or notebook pages. (Verbiage adopted from Weill Cornell Medicine)
Protected Health Information is defined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as:
Individually identifiable health information, including demographic data, that relates to:
- the individual’s past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition,
- the provision of health care to the individual, or
- the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care to the individual
Examples of PHI include a patient’s name, date of birth, date of visit for treatment, age, address, and any other information that could directly or indirectly lead to identification.
UK’s IT Security Office recommends different storage guidelines depending on the classification of the data, from Confidential (protected by law), to Private (UK has contractual obligation to protect), to Public (at your own discretion).
Can I use LabArchives® as a repository to make my data sets available to the public?
UK has turned OFF all options for direct sharing of LabArchives® Notebooks with the public, including the option to generate Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) and the option to generate a public URL link directly to or within a LabArchives® notebook. Users may share their notebooks or entries with as many users as they would like.
Before data are shared in a repository, they should be prepared for reuse. This includes ensuring fields and values are properly labeled, programming scripts are annotated, and end-user documentation is created.
The UK libraries provide tools and consultative services to support data curation and will guide you on which repository to use or how to prepare your datasets. The libraries also host and maintain a local research data repository for public sharing.
How do I migrate or import data to LabArchives®?
LabArchives® article: How can I migrate or import data into LabArchives®?
- Investigate the Export options available with your current system.
- Prioritize the data that must be in LabArchives®
- Setup a notebook structure
- Add information to LabArchives®
How do I set up Folder Monitor to automatically transfer files from my computer or instrument to LabArchives®?
LabArchives® can automatically transfer folders and files directly from a hard drive (connected to your computer or instrument) into a LabArchives® notebook through Folder Monitor.
If the Folder Monitor upload rule is active, any updates and new files added to the local source folder will automatically be updated in your LabArchives® notebooks. An upload rule allows you to identify the local folder to be monitored, the criteria for the types of files to be uploaded, how to filter the files, and a destination notebook for the files.
Changes made in LabArchives® will not be transmitted to the local source folder; the flow of information only works in one direction: from the local source folder to LabArchives®.
UK LabArchives® users log in through a Single Sign-On System and will need to create a password token to use the Folder Monitor through the plugin.
Click the appropriate link for further instructions, as well as the plugin download file. (If using a UK computer, you may need to contact your college/department IT office to upload the plugin to your computer.)
Do I need to use a VPN to load my files to LabArchives®?
LabArchives® does not require a VPN connection to access. You may need to connect to VPN in order to access your network files that are stored behind the UK firewall.
Are there templates or examples to help UK researchers get started in LabArchives®?
Yes, once you create your LabArchives® account, you will have access to the “UK Research Community Notebook.” The Notebook contains example pages, notebooks, and widgets, webinar recordings from past UK LabArchives® webinars, and UK LabArchives® website information. You are welcome to copy anything in the notebook into your notebooks and modify for your use.
This Notebook is updated often as we get access to, or create more, templates and examples as well as provide webinars to the UK Research Community.
Using LabArchives
Jump to applicable content by clicking the title below:
| Managing your Notebooks | Using Mobile Devices | Editing Documents Online | Linking |
| Deleting Folders, etc. | Page Signing/Witnessing | Sharing/Access to Notebooks | Transfer Notebook |
Managing your Notebooks
How do I add members to my notebooks?
Go to your Notebook Settings:
View "Inviting Members to a Notebook"
User Management allows you to grant an individual user view or edit access to a specific set of folders or pages.
Group Management allows you to grant multiple users view or edit access to a specific set of folders or pages — rather than assigning access one user at a time.
View "Using Groups to Manage Access"
Account Manager allows you to add or remove members across multiple notebooks at once.
How do I create a notebook on behalf of another person?
The Notebook Owner may designate an individual(s) as an Account Administrator or as a Notebook Administrator. Only individuals in these roles can create notebooks on behalf of a designated Notebook Owner by selecting “Account Owned by” during setup.
- The Notebook Owner will use their Account Manager to designate an individual as an Account Administrator. An Account Administrator has access to all notebooks created by the Notebook Owner within the account, with the ability to manage access and change notebook settings.
- A Notebook Owner can assign an individual as a Notebook Administrator in the Account Manager or in a specific notebook in the Notebook Settings under “User Management.” A Notebook Administrator has administrative access to assigned notebooks, including managing users and settings.
View Understanding Notebook Roles and Permissions for more information about each role.
Designated individuals will see the “Account Owned by” option when creating a new notebook.
- Enter the notebook name
- Choose the Folder Layout for the new notebook.
- Under “What account should the new notebook be associated with?”, choose whether it is a personal notebook or an account where you have been designated as an Account Administrator or Notebook Administrator.
- Click “Create Notebook” to launch your new notebook.
- If you are creating the notebook on behalf of someone, they will be the owner of the notebook, and you will be listed as the Account Administrator or Notebook Administrator.
What folder layout (notebook structure) do I choose when creating a new notebook?
When creating a new notebook, options are available to use preset folder layouts, customize the structure to meet your unique needs, or reuse a structure from a prior notebook.
You will choose a Folder Layout for your new notebook. Depending on the layout you choose, your notebook may automatically be populated with folders. Folders included with each layout:
- None – Start from scratch and customize the structure to meet your needs (No folders will populate.)
- Project, Lab-Wide, or Classroom (Use a premade structure offered by LabArchives)
- Protocols
- Sample Log
- Experiment Data
- Presentations
- Manuscripts
- References
- Lab-Wide (Use a premade structure offered by LabArchives)
- ERN Policies
- General Protocols
- Templates
- Lab Meeting Notes
- Lab Safety
- Lab Management
- Classroom (Use a premade structure offered by LabArchives)
- Overview
- Precautions/Safety
- Course Materials
- Tools in the Lab
- Labs
- Scientific Method
- Reference Materials
- Calendar
- From Another Notebook (Copy the layout from an existing notebook)
Note: If a layout does not exactly match your requirements, right-click on a folder to rename the folder and/or add or remove folders within the new notebook.
Do you have an example of page organization?
Where do I find my activity feed?
The Activity Feed can be accessed from the Bell icon in the top navigation bar...
or by selecting Activity Feed through the triple-dot menu.
How am I notified of comments from my colleagues when I am not in LabArchives?
If you would like to be notified that a comment has been made on an entry that you created, edited, or commented on, or when you are mentioned in a comment, you will need to go to your “User Properties” and select to be notified in your “Notifications” settings.
My research equipment is not integrated with LabArchives. How can I get files or images to automatically upload into my notebook?
You may be able to install Folder Monitor on the equipment to automatically upload files/images to your notebook. (LabArchives® Folder Monitor [Windows][Mac])
You may need to create a password token for external applications. (LabArchives® article: Using Integrations with Single Sign On)
Can I use LabArchives to store my computer code for our research team’s analyses?
LabArchives can be used to store files of any format as long as the individual file size is less than 16GB. However, while developing and testing new coding scripts for computational analysis, the coding script files may be better stored in a different repository designed to track version control and other computational notes and requirements. Some people have used Jupyter or RStudio for writing, editing, and testing the code as it is being developed, which allows for improved documentation and linkage to datasets. And then version control can be maintained in your personal library with Github or in a web repository through Github.
Can I have two (2) pages open within a notebook?
Yes. Keep in mind that if you are inactive for a long time, you may be logged out of one of your open pages. If you have two tabs (pages) open in your browser, do not visit the LabArchives login page because it will log you out. The recommendation is to bookmark the page "mynotebook.labarchives.com" and use that address to get back to your notebook/page.
What are widgets, and how do I add them to my notebook?
Widgets are customizable, interactive HTML forms or applications. Widgets can be tailored for your specific experiment and contain interactive text boxes, buttons, check boxes, tables, drop-down menus, and more. Each Widget can be added as an entry to a page and edited by users of the notebook.
What is “Forms Center”?
In the Forms Center, Notebook owners can use the Form Builder tool to create custom forms with text input, number, single-select radio buttons, multi-select checkboxes, or dropdown select fields. Once a form is published, it can be added as an entry to notebook pages by any notebook member with edit rights. Data from form entries is aggregated in Forms Center, where it can be exported as a CSV file.
How do I download a read-only version of my notebook?
LabArchives® offers two ways to download an offline, read-only copy of your notebook.
View "Creating an Offline Notebook"
The "Create Offline Notebook" option will create an HTML version of your notebook.
View "Downloading a Notebook to PDF"
The Notebook to PDF option will create a .pdf of your notebook.
I am leaving UK, what should I do with my UK electronic research notebook? Can I maintain access to my notebook after I leave?
As stated in the University of Kentucky Data Retention and Ownership Policy, “the original data may be transferred to the new institution unless University administration objects to the transfer” and “Before any Research Data is removed from a University Research facility, the PI should complete the Departing Investigator Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)".
If a transfer of notebook ownership is requested by a UK faculty Principal Investigator (PI), consultation with the faculty member’s departmental leadership is advised regarding ownership and obtaining a copy of the notebook. If the UK person leaving is not a PI, discussion with the PI and any collaborators of the study about obtaining a copy of research records, and restrictions for future use of the data in research as a part of the person’s employment outside of UK, is advised.
Before leaving UK, notebook ownership should be transferred to a designated UK team leader to ensure that the data and research documentation stay at UK. Transferring ownership may be done at any time.
Using Mobile Devices
Can I use LabArchives on the browser of my mobile device?
You can access your LabArchives account and notebooks on a mobile device by using the web browser. Advantages of accessing LabArchives on your mobile device are mobile device features such as image or video capture and voice-to-text.
Can I add an image from my mobile device directly to a page in my notebook?
Yes, you can take a picture on your device and/or attach an image from your library. Name the image and select the image size.
What is the LabArchives Inbox, and how do I use it?
The LabArchives® Inbox can be used to send files to your account via email or through 3rd party applications such as GraphPad Prism.
For example, if you are out in the field and don't have access to your LabArchives® account, you can send notes and attachments to your LabArchives® Inbox using the email account you used to create your LabArchives profile and add them to your notebook at a later time.
Editing Documents, etc. Online
I am only able to view my older Microsoft Office files in LabArchives. How do I enable online editing of these files?
For Microsoft Office files, the older filename extensions (.doc, .xls, .ppt) can be viewed in LabArchives, but they cannot be edited using Microsoft Office Online. To edit these files using the Office Online editor, versions will need to be saved in Microsoft 2007 or later (.docx, .xlsx., .pptx).
Sometimes macros and file security settings can also prevent an individual from editing via Office Online.
Do my documents, spreadsheets, or presentations save automatically?
When editing documents, spreadsheets, or presentations using the Microsoft Plugin, under the File menu you will need to choose "LabArchives," then choose “Save as” to save your changes to LabArchives. If you edit your documents, spreadsheets, or presentations using the online Office editor in LabArchives, your changes save automatically.
If another person is editing a document, spreadsheet, or presentation online in LabArchives simultaneously to me, how do I know which version will be saved in the notebook?
If I don’t have the license for a particular integrated software on the computer I am using, can I still edit information on the item that was created using that software?
You will need to talk to the UK team that manages that software for UK, your department, or the software company about obtaining a license. (ex. GraphPad Prism – OSPIE@uky.edu)
Linking
How do I link an entry within my notebook, pages, external websites, or local files?
The linking tool allows you to link an entry in your notebook to other entries, pages, external websites, or local files. These links can be used to refer to other data or to link to a specific version of a protocol when trying to ensure the reproducibility of your experiments
How can I work with large data sets or data stored outside of LabArchives?
Data may be stored outside of LabArchives if the file size is larger than 16GB. If data is stored outside of LabArchives, it is very important to provide a reference or link to the data that is stored in another location. Ultimately, links and data in your LabArchives notebook should be organized in a way that you or a colleague can locate the information in the future.
View "How can I work with large data sets or data stored outside of LabArchives?"
Deleting Folders, Pages, Data
Can I recover a deleted notebook, page, or entry?
Notebook members who have edit access to notebook data may be able to delete notebook folders, pages, or entries. Deletions are never permanent and are included in the revision history, which also includes the ability to undelete and recover the item.
If I add something by mistake and need to delete it, how do I note why it was added/deleted for future reference?
Before removing the item, click the pencil icon and add information about why it is being removed, then delete. If someone looks at it later, that description will be attached to the deleted item.
You could also add a rich text entry to the page referring to the deleted item in the revisions.
Page Signing/Witnessing
Does LabArchives offer electronic signatures?
Yes, and once signed, those pages are no longer editable.
LabArchives also offers a “witness” feature, which means that the page must be reviewed by a specified member of the research team before the version is officially considered signed and frozen as the final version. The witness feature helps to ensure that there is additional review and oversight of the page’s contents before it is signed and frozen.
How do I certify that a person has read a page?
You will set the user's rights to sign a page.
Example: A PI has created a Policy folder within his/her notebook and given access to their team members. To have a record that everyone has read the policies, they can create a copy of the policy for each team member and set user rights for that person to sign the page once it has been read.
View "Signing and Witnessing a Notebook Page"
If you do not want to copy a page for each user to sign, you can add a Rich Text Entry to the page and ask each person to add their name and date they read the page to the Rich Text Entry. This will show a revision to the Rich Text Entry in the page revision history showing the person and date/time they added their name.
Sharing/Access to my Notebooks
How do I share a notebook, folder, page, or single entry?
Within the notebook, you can "right-click" on the notebook name or a chosen notebook folder, then click Share.
Limiting Access to a Section of a Notebook (ex., Page, Single Entry)
For a single page, while on the page, click the Page Tools on the upper right-hand side of your page, then click Share page.
If you only want to share a specific entry, you can access the share function by hovering over the entry to view the entry toolbar and selecting the share icon.
Sharing options:
- “Invite People” allows you to share with a single person/outside collaborator.
- “Groups or People With Access” allows you to choose/edit a person’s level of accessibility.
- “URL to Share” allows you to share the URL with anyone who has access to the notebook. (UK does not allow the URL to be publicly accessible to anyone on the internet.)
- “Publish Data” (DOI Management) is not allowed at UK.
Can I create notebooks/folders/page entries and only allow certain people access?
Yes. Under the Notebook Navigator, you can "right-click" on the notebook, folder, or page name, then click Share. Or, for a single page, while on the page, click the Page Tools on the upper right-hand side of your page, then click Share page.
If you only want to share a specific entry, you can access the share function by hovering over the entry to view the entry toolbar and selecting the share icon.
No matter what you are sharing, the Share dialog box will pop up, giving you a variety of options:
Note: DOI Management cannot be used at UK.
- Inviting people will allow you to share with a single person/outside collaborator.
- Groups or People with access to choose/edit a person’s level of accessibility.
- URL to Share will give you a URL to share with anyone who has access to the notebook.
Can I share my LabArchives notebooks or folders with non-UK external collaborators?
UK researchers may share a notebook or part of a notebook with an unlimited number of non-UK collaborators. Notebook ownership cannot be transferred to a non-UK collaborator, but a non-UK collaborator may be given a “guest” role with read-only privileges for as long as needed or read-edit privileges for 60 days. Additionally, UK’s institutional LabArchives license provides UK notebook owners with the option to grant a limited number of non-UK collaborators a “user” role, which will remain active for as long as is needed by the notebook owner.
Note: For a non-UK collaborator to access the data shared with them, they must have a LabArchives account.
When I give a person Guest access to my notebook, how long can they see my data?
If you give the guest edit access, they will be able to edit anything in the notebook, folder, or page for which you have given them access for 60 days. After 60 days, they will have view access only. If you do not want them to have access at all, you will need to remove their access under Notebook Settings or change the permissions by right-clicking the notebook, folder, or page, clicking Share, then changing their access under the tab “Groups or People with Access."
I don’t see a notebook shared with me in my Notebook Navigator. What should I do?
Check with your colleague to ensure they are using the email address associated with your LabArchives account, found in your “User Properties” under “Email”.
It is best practice to use your linkblueid@uky.edu email address in your LabArchives profile information.
Transfer my Notebooks
How do I transfer ownership of my Notebook to another UK researcher?
Miscellaneous
My research is in the Social Sciences/Humanities field, I don't do research in a lab. Why would I use LabArchives® for my research?
The name “LabArchives®” can throw people off. The system is actually an electronic research notebook. You would use it in the same way that you record research now.
LabArchives® integrates several external software applications to help manage your data as well as a Folder Monitor that will help you upload your data into the system easily and efficiently. This system can also be accessed from anywhere as it is cloud-based, so you can be at UK, in the field, or at home and still add or pull information to or from your notebook when you need it readily available. It makes it easy for your colleagues to access the research data as well, with your permission, when working on a project together.
Hannah Gunderman, Ph.D, from Carnegie Mellon University, created a Notebook Structure Template for UK that can be copied into your notebook to help researchers from the Social Sciences/Humanities get started. We have a “UK Research Community Notebook” that we are actively adding templates for page structures, folder, and notebook structures that researchers may copy and use to get started. Everyone with a UK LabArchives® account automatically has access to this notebook. You will find the template in the notebook under Folder or Notebook Structure Examples-General Humanities Research Notebook Structure.” (You will need to create a UK LabArchives® account to access these folders.)
LabArchives® has a blog that describes “Using an ELN for Humanities” featuring Dr. Gunderman's research.
July 29, 2020 LabArchives® held a Virtual User Group webinar in which they had guest speakers describe how they use LabArchives® for their research. Dr. Gunderman was one of the speakers. You can find her presentation starting at 25:21 in the session.
How is LabArchives® different from REDCap?
REDCap is a secure web application for building and managing online surveys and databases. While REDCap can be used to collect virtually any type of data in any environment (including compliance with 21 CFR Part 11, FISMA, HIPAA, and GDPR), it is specifically geared to support online and offline data capture for research studies and operations. (Excerpt from https://www.project-redcap.org/)
LabArchives® is a cloud-based Electronic Research Notebook that enables researchers to record, store, organize, and publish their research data. The sophisticated software platform allows researchers to document research, experiments, and procedures in one digital place, making your research easily searchable and reusable.
In summary, RedCap is a data capture and data management tool which should be used in conjunction with LabArchives®. LabArchives® contains the documentation and data collected from different systems into one consolidated location. LabArchives® can be used to document and explain the data, methods, procedures, and version control the information about the data that was collected in RedCap, as well as any other information about the study, in a collaborative workspace.
Where do I add LabArchives® information in my protocol or grant application?
E-IRB Human Subject protocol application
Within the Research Description section, you may add LabArchives® storage information in the Confidentiality and/or Safety Precautions subsections.
Grant application
For NIH grants:
- Data Sharing Plan within the Resource Sharing Plan
For NSF grants:
- Data Management Plan
- Resources (sometimes called Facilities and Equipment)
- GLP (if addressing a concern)
Grant verbiage:
Please see under “Rigor and Reproducibility Resources” in the PDO Facilities Description Library.
Does the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) allow electronic research notebooks when applying for a patent?
The USPTO does not have a policy or stance on the use of electronic research notebooks. Due to the “First Inventor to File Provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act of 2011” a notebook of any kind is no longer needed to file a patent application. It is recommended to keep a notebook, whether physical or electronic, in case you are asked to verify your data or to rebut an obvious finding. You will need to have a printed copy of your notebook to show your raw data, versioning, date/timestamps, and the reproducibility of your project. The options to download your notebook to PDF and creating an offline notebook will allow you to print a copy from LabArchives.
Note: For individual file attachments larger than 250 MB, these will not be included in your offline export. The storage for these files is handled outside of LabArchives. You can always download each file individually, or contact LabArchives Support for additional help.
Recommended readings:
Should You Throw Away Your Lab Notebook? - Finnegan IP Law Bulletin
Don’t Throw Away Lab Notebooks: Record-Keeping Under AIA - Finnegan IP Law Article
Examination Guidelines for Implementing the First Inventor To File Provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act - Federal Register