How to solve a problem like Electronic Research Notebooks: a community ERN discussion

Dr Samantha Pearman-Kanza, Senior Enterprise Fellow – University of Southampton

Abstract: With the ever increasing realisation that a majority of scientific research data that is published is not “FAIR” (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) there has been a strong push in recent years to implement digital tools such as Electronic Research Notebooks (ERNs) to combat this. However, implementing ERNs is no mean feat, it is a sociotechnical challenge with a range of barriers and considerations that need to be taken into account if this is to be achieved successfully. This session will start with a presentation by Dr Samantha Pearman-Kanza on these barriers and challenges, and progress into a discussion session to understand the wider community challenges.

Bio: I am a Senior Enterprise Fellow at the University of Southampton. I am the Principal Investigator for the Careers and Skills for Data-driven Research Network, and the Pathfinder Lead on Process Recording for the Physical Sciences Data Infrastructure (PSDI) Initiative – www.psdi.ac.uk. My research encompasses all aspects of research data management and process recording across the entire research lifecycle, from the use of digital tools for scientists (including electronic lab notebooks), automatic metadata extraction, creating and enabling FAIR data and processes, semantic web technologies, ethical considerations of data and AI, and the role of voice and IoT technologies in the lab of the future.

Dr James R.T. Bird, Technical Specialist, University of Manchester

Bio: James joined the University of Manchester’s Research Lifecycle Programme (RLP) as a Technical Specialist in December 2023, where he has been tasked with centrally implementing at least one electronic research notebook (ERN) with integrated inventories, where appropriate, to fit the needs of researchers across the breadth of the University. After being awarded his Doctorate in the Science and Technology of Fusion Energy in April 2024, also at the University, he’s keen to enhance the available research data management software. Previously, James has been a teaching assistant, a nanomaterials research scientist (in industry), and a chemist. ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5299-8816

Nick Lynch, Data lead Curlew Research

Recent experiences of starting an ERN/ELN journey with an Academic Institute & Biotechs/pharma using examples of ERN/ELN adoption to show some important steps during the key selection process

Bio: Nick has >25 years experience in Life Science Informatics and was at AstraZeneca leading teams in R&D Informatics, working especially on global integration & data projects within pre-clinical & early clinical research, externalisation & data exchange for the AZ research activities. Now running Curlew Research supporting biopharma and life science orgs with their data strategy, ML/AI and informatics challenges. With all our projects, feel the business change is a key element as important as the technology, data and process.

Dr James A J Wilson, Head of Research Data Services, Advanced Research Computing, University College London

Abstract: In 2020, UCL decided that the time was right to take the plunge and invest in an institutional Electronic Research Notebook. Now, in 2025, we offer our researchers a fully featured ERN free at the point of use and increasingly widely adopted. This is the story of why that decision was made when it was, what we were looking for, and how things have been going since.

Bio: Since April 2016, James has been Head of Research Data Management Services at UCL, based in UCL’s Centre for Advanced Research Computing (ARC). James’s role involves the development and support of the institutional research data services. He leads a team of fifteen research data stewards with expertise in various fields and technologies who collaborate with research teams and academic departments across the university to help ensure data is well managed and as FAIR as possible.

Dr Cerys Willoughby, University of Southampton

Abstract: Templates are commonly used in electronic research notebooks, and ELNs in particular, to enable consistency in experiment recording. Although there are some positive benefits to using templates, there can also be some unexpected effects. In this presentation I’ll talk about the findings from some research looking at how relatively subtle changes in the interfaces chemists use to record their experiments can have some big effects, why we should worry about this, and some strategies to help.

Bio: Dr. Cerys Willoughby is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Southampton. Cerys has been collaborating with the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Southampton for nearly 20 years after working as a usability expert for IBM. She has had involvement in various projects focusing on how technology can be used to support researchers in the physical sciences. Her research interests include record-keeping and process recording in science, digital notebooks and ELNs, data management and curation, metadata capture, researcher behaviour, and storytelling in science. 

There are hundreds of Electronic Research Notebook tools, ranging from large scale ones that support complex domain specific operations and thousands of users, to small generic tools that provide simple notetaking capabilities. Choosing which tools to implement and how to implement them is extremely tricky. This session will discuss what tools the community are using, and how well they work within their institutions. 

The notion of using Electronic Research Notebooks is becoming more and more important as the amount of data we produce increases, and yet we are sorely lacking in a community to share knowledge about how to achieve this. We are looking to re-establish the JISC ERN community to provide a space for everyone involved in this work to provide this space. This session will discuss how such a community could best serve both the individuals and organisations working in this area.