Laboratory journal

Pharmaceutical research and development aims to produce effective and safe pharmaceuticals. Accurate documentation and description of the conduct of experimental activities are required to ensure the quality of the data used in further development and research and ultimately form the basis for the authorisation of new drugs.

For you to learn how to document, you will continuously practise keeping laboratory journals during your education. At the beginning of the programme, you will receive a book (laboratory journal) that you should fill in every time you carry out laboratory work (unless you receive other specific instructions).

In the laboratory journal, the pages must be numbered in numerical order. Before starting an experiment, name the experiment and write it as a heading on the next blank page of the lab journal. Also, enter the date of the experiment. Enter the name and page reference of the experiment in the table of contents on the first page.

Begin by listing the chemicals and equipment used as well as the instructions for conducting the experiment. This can be taken from a lab manual, other written/oral instructions or scientific publications.

Describe how the risk analysis is done and note the most important measures taken to minimise risk during the lab.

The execution should be described as the experiment is carried out, but not in too much detail. Include only what is necessary to understand how to repeat the experiment and important steps and observations (colour change, gas evolution, odour, dissolution, time aspects, etc) that affect the result. Also, report deviations, i.e. what is not carried out according to instructions and plans – remember that it is more central to learn to clearly report deviations than to try to hide the fact that you have made a mistake!

As you carry out the lab, continuously write down everything necessary to understand how the task is carried out. For example, when weighing a substance: Which substance? What mass? Which equipment? Use an ink pen to show that someone has not manipulated the raw data afterwards. This is an important principle for building trust in raw data in research and development work.

It is essential to record all data directly in the lab journal, no loose notes should be used! This reduces the risk of errors and confusion. If you make a mistake in the journal, cross out the incorrect information and write the correct one clearly next to it.