Standard Operating Procedure for Use and Maintenance of Laboratory Notebooks and Project Binders SOP Number: ADM-05-03 Date Revised: 05-06-14


US Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Pesticide Programs
Office of Pesticide Programs
Microbiology Laboratory
Environmental Science Center, Ft. Meade, MD
Standard Operating Procedure for
Use and Maintenance of Laboratory Notebooks and Project
Binders
SOP Number: ADM-05-03
Date Revised: 05-06-14

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SOP No. ADM-05-03
Date Revised 05-06-14
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SOP Number
ADM-05-03
Title
Use and Maintenance of Laboratory Notebooks and Project Binders
Scope
For data recorded on standardized test forms and in laboratory
notebooks.
Application
To provide guidance on the use and maintenance of laboratory
notebooks and project binders for laboratory activities.


Approval Date
SOP Developer:

Print Name:
SOP Reviewer

Print Name:
Quality Assurance Unit

Print Name:
Branch Chief

Print Name:


Date SOP issued:

Controlled copy number:

Date SOP withdrawn:

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SOP No. ADM-05-03
Date Revised 05-06-14
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents	Page Number
1.
DEFINITIONS
3
2.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
3
3.
PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING
3
4.
INSTRUMENT CALIBRATION
3
5.
SAMPLE HANDLING AND STORAGE
3
6.
QUALITY CONTROL
3
7.
INTERFERENCES
3
8. NON-CONFORMING DATA
3
9.
DATA MANAGEMENT
3
10.
CAUTIONS
3
11.
SPECIAL APPARATUS AND MATERIALS
3
12.
PROCEDURE AND ANALYSIS
4
13.
DATA ANALYSIS/CALCULATIONS
7
14.
FORMS AND DATA SHEETS
7
15.
REFERENCES
7

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1. Definitions
1.	Laboratory notebook = a bound collection of serially numbered pages
used to record the planning and progress of a scientific investigation.
2.	Project binder = a loose-leaf collection of dated hand-written and/or
computer-generated documents and forms, tables, notes and data.
3.	Other abbreviations/definitions are provided in the text.
2. Health and
Safety
Not applicable.
3. Personnel
Qualifications
and Training
Refer to SOP ADM-04, OPP Microbiology Laboratory Training.
4. Instrument
Calibration
Not applicable.
5. Sample Handling
and Storage
Not applicable.
6. Quality Control
1.	The OPP Microbiology Laboratory conforms to 40 CFR Part 160, Good
Laboratory Practice Standards (GLP). Appropriate quality control
measures are integrated into each SOP.
2.	For quality control purposes, the required information is documented in
the laboratory notebook or on the appropriate record form(s) (see section
14).
7. Interferences
Adequate cross-referencing between a notebook and binder or between two
analysts' notebooks or binders is important. Lack of cross-referencing could
make interpretation of the information difficult.
8. Non-conforming
Data
Any instances of non-compliance with this SOP will be corrected upon
discovery.
9. Data
Management
Active notebooks and binders should be kept by the analyst in a secure
location. After completion of a project, retired notebooks and project binders
are subject to review by the Quality Assurance Unit (QAU), and archived in
secure file cabinets in the file room D217. Only authorized personnel have
access to the secured files. Archived data is subject to OPP's official
retention schedule contained in SOP ADM-03, Records and Archives.
10. Cautions
None
11. Special
Apparatus and
Materials
None

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12. Procedure and
Analysis

12.1 Purpose
a.	The laboratory notebook and/or project binder is a permanent record
of a researcher's activities. The pages are used to preserve
experimental data and observations as well as to document the
purpose, design, and conclusions of a study.
i.	The main purpose of maintaining a laboratory notebook
and/or project binder is to preserve experimental plans, study
design or protocol, procedures that were followed,
observations, conclusions, and recommendations. The
information that is documented must be done in a way that
another scientist can replicate the study based on the
information presented in the notebook or binder.
ii.	Quality control activities and practices related to equipment
maintenance and calibration are recorded on the appropriate
forms and maintained in log books as required under other
laboratory Standard Operating Procedures. It is not
necessary to also record the data in the laboratory notebook
though the activities should be referred to and cross-
referenced in the laboratory notebook or binder data sheets.
iii.	A laboratory notebook or project binder may cover more
than study.
b.	Laboratory notebooks, project binders, their contents, and any
associated documentation are the property of the OPP Microbiology
Laboratory Branch. They should be kept in a secure location while
the project is ongoing. As projects are completed, the materials are
archived. A log of all notebooks and binders is maintained on
G:\DATA\SHARED\MLB\ANTIMICROBIAL TESTING
PROGRAMXLAB Notebooks (see section 14). It is the
responsibility of each analyst to populate this notebook log once the
notebook is provided to the QAO for final review. The notebook
log is reviewed by the QAU or designee on a regular basis to ensure
that it accurately reflects the status of notebooks and binders.
12.2 Format
a. Title Page or Cover Sheet: On the title page or cover sheet record
your name, the laboratory name (OPP Microbiology Laboratory,
Branch, Environmental Science Center, Ft. Meade, MD), the date
the notebook was started and ended, the number of the notebook in
the sequential series, and the project title, study protocol or research
protocol, for which the notebook is used. A notebook can be used

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for one or several studies.
b.	Table of Contents: Table of contents is optional. For ease of use
and retrieval of unique studies, each analyst must separate studies
using binder tabs. If a table of contents is generated, reserve several
pages following the title page for recording a running table of
contents. Record the Study Protocol or Research Protocol title and
project identification number followed by the pages used to
document the study.
c.	Experimental descriptions: Separate experiments using clearlv
stated descriptions and/or dates. List the experiments in the Table
of Contents.
d.	Page numbering: Serially number each page. Page numbering is
optional in project binders; however, every page should have at a
minimum the date and initials of analysts conducting the work.
Date and initial all study information and data generated at the end
of each day of data collection.
NOTE: Pages in laboratory notebooks and/or proiect binders should
not be skipped or discarded.
12.3 General
Guidelines
The following are general guidelines documenting work associated with
planning, protocols, lab work, recording study data, observations, and any
additional information required to recreate the day's work.
a.	Document the daily plan of the experiment before initiating lab
work. Date and initial each daily entry. Include a short description
of the purpose of the investigation. If the plan is in the form of a
research protocol, it should be affixed in the notebook. Document
all changes.
b.	Plan how to document the experiment in the notebook or binder
prior to making any entries. Leave room for tables, observations,
graphs, spreadsheets, and statistical analysis. Writing should be
legible, grammatically correct, and factually complete. Do not use
the notebook for scratch work or personal information.
c.	The laboratory notebook and/or project binder should be available
in the lab while conducting a study or research.
d.	Control the location of and access to the laboratory notebook and/or
project binder. Secure them in a closed or locked cabinet or file
drawer when not in use.
e.	All entries should be made in permanent ink and should be
complete. Anyone assisting should initial and date entries.

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Documentation should indicate who did what step or portion of the
experiment and when.
f.	Make notes and observations clear, concise, yet detailed, and
complete. Unusual or unique observations that could lead to further
experimentation should be entered into the notebook.
g.	Provide full detail of all experimental procedures and conditions.
Any SOPs or portions of SOPs that are being used should be
referenced and any deviations should be documented.
h.	Graphs, drawings, or printouts should be carefully affixed in the
notebook using as permanent a method as possible (glue, staples).
Reference should be made to any affixed material on the bound
page and analysts should sign and date over the interface.
i.	Document the program name and version number used for graphing
programs, spreadsheets, or statistical software.
j. Use clear and descriptive heading for each section
k. Peer-review the contents of the laboratory notebook and/or project
binder during the course of a study. Date and sign each portion that
is reviewed.
1. Define all abbreviations, code names, or product codes.
Abbreviations need only be defined the first time used.
m. Draw a line through all errors followed by a date, initials, and a
brief explanation for the correction (codes may be used for common
error types such as EE for entry error and EEO for entry error
omission). Do not erase or use white out; the original entry should
be visible.
n. To correct a large section, block out with one diagonal line from
corner to corner followed by a date, signature, and short explanation
for the strike out. The original uncorrected section should still be
visible.
o. For more than one page, indicate the continuation at the bottom of
the first and any subsequent pages, along with you initials and date.
p. If a long term experiment is interrupted by other daily entries,
indicate that the experiment is continued on the appropriate page
number, along with your initials and date.
q. If a page is skipped, cross out the whole page, and sign and date the
line.

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r. Do not write near the binding as this area may not photocopy well.
s. Laboratory notebooks and project binders should be numbered
sequentially. Cross-reference multiple notebooks, when necessary.
13. Data Analysis/
Calculations
None
14. Forms and Data
Sheets
1. Test sheets. Test sheets are stored separately from the SOP under the
following file name:
Notebook Log ADM-05-03 Fl.docx
15. References
1.	Writing the Laboratory Notebook, H.M. Kanare, American Chemical
Society, 1985.
2.	US EPA Good Laboratory Practice Standards, Title 40 Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 160.

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