On 10 September 2025, the Jisc Digital research community group gathered for a vibrant and thought-provoking meet-up focused on Electronic Research Notebooks (ERNs) – a topic that’s rapidly gaining traction across disciplines and institutions.
With over 127 registered attendees and 65 participants joining live, the session spotlighted the real-world implementation of ERNs* at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, led by Dr. Andrew Porter, Research Integrity and Training Adviser.
🔍 Why ERNs matter
Dr. Porter opened with a compelling case for ERNs: they’re not just digital replacements for paper notebooks—they’re tools for open, reproducible, and responsible research. ERNs support structured data capture, collaboration, and compliance with funder and institutional policies. But as the session revealed, the journey to adoption is anything but straightforward.
🧠 Lessons from the lab
The CRUK Manchester Institute’s experience with eLabFTW, an open-source ELN, offered rich insights:
- Big data integration: Rather than storing terabytes of data directly in the ELN, researchers link to external datasets using structured formats like JSON.
- Reproducibility: eLabFTW supports exports in JSON, CSV, and PDF, helping researchers maintain interoperable records.
- Hardware matters: In-lab tablets are being trialled to make data entry seamless and reduce reliance on desktops or paper.
- Community building: Implementation is as much about people as it is about technology—training, support, and shared practices are key.
💬 Questions that sparked dialogue
The Q&A session was lively and wide-ranging:
- Can ERNs work for humanities researchers? Yes! Structured note-taking and data management are valuable across disciplines.
- What about AI integration? Some systems are experimenting with chatbots and voice transcription, but concerns around oversight and data integrity remain.
- Who’s responsible for implementation? The consensus: institutions must lead, but success depends on engagement at every level – from funders to individual researchers.
🌐 Resources and next steps
Participants were encouraged to explore tools like ELN Finder, join the Jisc Digital research community group, and contribute to ongoing discussions via the dedicated Research Notebooks Jiscmail list. If institutions want to explore an easy, fast and compliant route to acquiring an electronic research and laboratory notebook that suits organisational needs, Jisc can support via our Electronic research and laboratory notebook DPS.
The next meet-up is scheduled for 12 November, when the Jisc Library Hub team will be presenting (registration details to follow soon). If you have ideas or want to get involved, please get in touch!
Final thought: As Dr. Porter noted, “It takes a village to raise an ELN.” Whether you’re just starting out or deep into implementation, the community is here to support you.
*The CRUK use the term Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (ELNs) rather than ERNs but the two are interchangeable.