PSDI Webinar: Pathfinder 2 Process Recording - Slides

In the Physical Sciences Data Infrastructure (PSDI) Our first round pathfinders are exploratory pieces of work looking at an application area where PSDI could develop tools to enhance the research infrastructure. This slide deck is from the Pathfinder 2: Process Recording webinar presented by Dr. Samantha Kanza which was run on 27th July 2023. https://www.psdi.ac.uk/event/webinar-psdi-pf2/

Abstract: Process recording is fundamental to ensuring the preservation of the scientific record and enabling reproducibility. The Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) was originally created to serve as a direct replacement for the paper lab notebook, to ensure the digital capture and retention of the scientific record. What seemed like an obvious simple software-based solution has been anything but, and there are now over 80 active ELNs on the market and a wide range of different approaches have been taken to digitizing scientific research across academia and industry.

This talk will discuss the shift in software offerings and attitudes to process recording software and report on the results of a recent survey on ELN and Notebook Usage in our physical sciences community. We will also discuss the current work that is being undertaken in this pathfinder to produce a comprehensive resource on process recording tools to aid researchers in identifying the best solution(s) for them. It will also cover research being undertaken around the different aspects of process recording, and community recommendations for making improvements in these areas, such as metadata, semantics, data standards and the use of hybrid/voice technologies.

The recording of this webinar can be found on YouTube: https://youtu.be/r2Hre41xJSk