Jisc has supported the electronic research notebooks (ERN) community for many years by funding workshops, running case studies, and collecting detailed requirements from the sector.
You can find much of this early work on the research notebooks community website. These efforts led to the creation of the research notebooks working group, which now supports the community through the website managed by the University of Glasgow and by hosting regular online events.
Jisc also helps institutions adopt ERNs by offering a dynamic purchasing system for electronic research and laboratory notebooks. This system gives institutions a reliable and efficient way to procure the right tools for their needs.
A community shaped by shared experience
Led by Dr Samantha Pearman-Kanza and Valerie McCutcheon the research notebooks working group has become a supportive space where people share experiences and learn from each other. The group is growing into a community that brings together many different perspectives from across the sector.
‘We have been fostering discussion about research notebooks for many years and were struggling to sustain the community. I am truly delighted that Samantha, has brought additional resource and enthusiasm to re-energise sharing of best practice at a time when more organisations are exploring electronic research notebooks tools.’
Valerie McCutcheon, research information manager, University of Glasgow
With this renewed momentum, the working group continues to evolve as more people share their expertise, ideas, and practical insights about research notebooks and related processes.
‘It’s been an absolute pleasure to get involved with this community through my work on PSDI and CaSDaR. Research notebooks, process recording and the creation of better quality data have been my passion for the last decade and I have been actively looking to create a community to share experiences and help foster best practices! I have so many ideas for things we can do, so watch this space!’
Dr Samantha Pearman-Kanza, principal enterprise fellow at the University of Southampton, process recording lead for the Physical Sciences Data Infrastructure (PSDI) and the principal investigator for the Careers and Skills for Data-driven Research (CaSDaR_ Network+)
What’s working in practice: insights from leading institutions
In an upcoming webinar, the community is turning its attention to what’s working in practice. Earlier workshops looked mostly at the challenges and requirements of research notebooks.
It will share examples of successful implementation from Keele University, UCL, the Digital Research Academy, the University of Nottingham, and the University of Southampton. Each organisation will talk about the practical steps that have helped their ERN work and what they have learned along the way.
These talks are intended to give attendees a clear picture of how different organisations have approached ERN adoption and what has helped them move forward.
What the event will explore
The event will start with short talks, followed by a live question and answer session where attendees can ask about the details of each example. After that, a wider discussion will cover topics like the hardware that best supports ERN use, how to choose the right tool, and how the teaching needs differ from research needs. There will also be discussions about building a persuasive business case, considering value for money, and planning for long-term sustainability.
Looking ahead
As more organisations share their experiences, the research notebooks working group will continue to provide opportunities for the community to learn from each other and find practical ways to adopt ERN.
Jisc continues to play a key role through the electronic research and laboratory notebook dynamic purchasing system which helps institutions procure tools that meet their needs in an efficient and reliable way. With ongoing collaboration and shared learning, ERN adoption is becoming an achievable and realistic goal across the sector.
Join the ERN community webinar taking place online on the 12 March to hear first-hand how universities across the sector are adopting electronic research notebooks.
You can also subscribe to the research notebooks working group.
