Description
Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (ELNs) are vital for digitalizing Research Data Management (RDM) by acquiring data with comprehensive metadata. However, their acceptance and implementation face challenges, especially in labs where ease of use is crucial. Balancing user-friendliness with generating FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data is a significant issue.
NOMAD is a robust interoperability tool, excelling in raw file processing and data analysis. Although NOMAD’s ELN functionality supports structured data generation, it isn't ideal for usage in lab settings yet.
Third-party ELN integrations show progress, with schemas for Labfolder, eLabFTW, OpenBIS, and Chemotion. Best practices for structured data from ELN entries are established only for Labfolder. Using Large Language Models (LLMs) to structure ELN entries is promising but requires more development.
This session will discuss the current status of ELNs and NOMAD, key challenges, and next steps for ELN usage. We'll explore best practices and strategies to improve ease of use and acceptance in labs while ensuring data integrity and FAIR compliance.