Open Research tools

There are many different notebook options available, either commercially or free. Some are oriented toward laboratory work (ELNs), and some are computational based. Each application has different features and will have different advantages depending on your needs.

There are a number of different applications already in use across the University. Check with your school or institute support staff if there are any preferred applications in use or already available to you.

Choosing an Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN)

You should make an informed decision about which application you choose.  Make sure you understand where your data will be stored when you use the software and how easily your data can be extracted for use in another application if needed.

Harvard University maintains an Electronic Lab Notebook Matrix which may help you compare the features of the different ELNs.

Harvard University Electronic Lab Notebook Matrix