Electronic research notebooks (ERNs) meet the demands of modern science by creating a digital, organized, and secure recordkeeping environment for scientists to efficiently function in an increasingly interdisciplinary and collaborative community.
For hundreds of years, the paper notebook has played a key role in how scientific research has been conducted and served as the official record for measurements and observations. As the production and dissemination of scientific data has moved to digital formats and workflows, ERNs can help to streamline the data recording, access, and sharing throughout the research lifecycle.
Electronic Research Notebooks offer the opportunity for scientists to make the output of scientific research more accessible and improve reproducibility and productivity in their work.
Additionally, a 2013 memo from the Office of Science and Technology Policy and federal funding agencies are now holding scientists conducting research in academia accountable for providing infrastructure to support research data management.
Other practical reasons for using an ERN platform include:
