In November 2018, the UW-Madison Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) Service Team conducted a survey of users to understand the value of an enterprise ELN system, benefits and shortcomings of the LabArchives system, and the barriers to adoption of the ELN. The survey was completed by 147 respondents including Principle Investigators, graduate students, and individuals no longer using the ELN.
Key Findings
- LabArchives users rated it higher than non-users rated their tools in three key areas: keeping a complete research record, producing a long-term archive of research, and sharing findings with collaborators.
- A majority of users indicated they had been using LabArchives as the primary method of recording their research. Most users who were Principal Investigators (PI)s indicated their group had been using the ELN for more than two years; whereas, most non-PI users indicated they had been using it for one year or less.
- There was agreement among all respondents, both users and non-users, that campus should continue to provide an ELN service. Current users of the system favored continuing with LabArchives while non-users were generally neutral or opposed.
View the Complete Report
- Report from the 2018 UW-Madison ELN Users Survey
Final report from the 2018 survey of current and former ELN users at UW-Madison.