After creating your account, configuring your eLabNext environment to meet your lab's current and future needs is essential. This guide provides tips, tricks, and best practices for organizing your digital lab workspace efficiently.
To get started with eLabNext, you can download the full eLabNext Quick Start guide from the bottom of this article and onboard your lab today! This guide will help you set up your new group on eLabNext and familiarize you with the system. If you are part of a larger organization that is considering eLabNext, please refer to your internal eLabNext implementation project lead for further information about specific requirements set by your organization. Our user guide documentation is linked where appropriate, so you can click on the links for specific instructions on configuration.
Setting up a Group
A group in eLabJournal is a secure environment for sharing information among members. Whether it's a small team with a single Principal Investigator (PI), a large research division, department, or institute with multiple group leaders, or even an individual scientist, the configuration of your group is key. Consider what information needs to be accessible and to whom. eLabJournal offers features like centralized sample storage, supplies ordering, shared standard protocol templates, and equipment planning. It's advisable to set up the system considering the end-users—scientists or group leaders—for an intuitive organization.
Collaboration features allow for interactions outside your group, such as creating Project Groups for data exchange with external researchers or sharing sample information within the organization without revealing storage locations.
Setting up a Project
Defining what a project means in your specific lab context is important for effectively setting up eLabJournal. The platform accommodates different organizational structures, from user-based projects where each lab member has their own project space to project-based organizations where multiple members work within shared projects. This flexibility supports both individual work and collaborative efforts, with the option to mix and match setups or adopt a unique organization strategy that suits your lab's needs.
Project Groups and Naming Conventions
For larger groups, establishing Project Groups can help organize projects by different group leaders or by general topics, adding an extra layer of organization. Standardizing the naming of projects, studies, and experiments is also recommended to streamline the organization and retrieval of information.
Institute-shared Devices and Storage Locations
Sharing storage locations and devices across groups within an institute can be managed by setting up identical storage locations in eLabJournal for each group, reflecting only the relevant sections or compartments. Efforts are underway to enhance the sharing capabilities within the platform.
Searching and Permissions
eLabJournal's text-based search engine facilitates finding projects, studies, and experiments, emphasizing the importance of including relevant keywords in your documentation. The platform also allows for permission-based roles, enabling clear and straightforward permission management for viewing, updating, or removing items, although some highly specific permissions (e.g., excluding certain drawers in a freezer) are not supported currently.
This comprehensive approach to setting up and utilizing eLabJournal is designed to optimize your digital lab workspace, making research management more efficient and collaborative.