ELNS IN CHEMISTRY - From Implementation to Sustainable Stewardship

Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (ELNs) are becoming central to chemistry research, but successful adoption depends on far more than selecting a software platform. ELNs affect how researchers record experiments, attach data, review work, manage knowledge and preserve the scientific record. Poorly planned implementation can create extra administrative burden, fragmented workflows and long-term risks around access, ownership and sustainability. The simple truth is that the traditional practice of capturing this information in paper lab notebooks is no longer adequate.

This whitepaper provides practical guidance for chemistry departments considering implementing or maintaining an ELN. It draws on experience from the University of Southampton School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering’s ELN implementation programme, alongside wider engagement with the ELN, research data and digital research infrastructure communities.

The whitepaper sets out key criteria for choosing an ELN, including compliance, data integrity, functionality, usability, accessibility, interoperability, scalability and total cost of ownership. It then examines implementation in practice, emphasising realistic trials, clear ownership, process mapping, sensible metadata, laboratory hardware, training and continued support. It also considers change management, including governance, stakeholder engagement, communication and embedding ELN use into everyday research culture.

Finally, the whitepaper argues that an ELN should be treated as long-term research infrastructure. Sustainability requires ongoing resourcing, maintained guidance, regular review, storage planning and a clear exit strategy to ensure research records remain accessible, interpretable and under institutional control.