Lab notebook

What is a lab notebook?

Most of the work you will be doing this semester will involve virtual experiments using simulations of neural components, neurons, and neural circuits. To do experiments effectively, one needs to plan, record results, and then explain and understand the results.

For each problem set, you will record your experimental process and your answers to questions on a designated page on NeuroWiki; these pages constitute your lab notebook, and the quality and correctness of your lab notebook entries will be a large part of your grade for the course.

How do I access my lab notebook?

To access your lab notebook, click the "Lab notebook" link found on the left side of any page.

If the page does not exist yet, you will see the message "There is currently no text in this page". Click the Create button, and then the Save page button.

You will find in your lab notebook a link to a blank entry for each problem set. You must record your answers to problem sets in the appropriate entry on NeuroWiki. Hand-written answers, or alternative electronic responses (e.g., Word documents) will not be accepted.

What should I include in my lab notebook entries?

The lab notebook is more than a list of answers to questions. It should also document the rationale for the virtual experiments you are conducting, and it should provide thoughtful interpretations of results.

To receive full credit, lab notebook entries must contain the following:

• The entry should be dated.
• The purpose of the experiment should be stated. This should be one to two sentences describing the focus of the work you are about to do.
• The text of the questions should be reproduced in the entry, in bold face.
• Please number the questions as given in the problem set so you can easily check that you have answered all of them.
• Answers to each question should be provided immediately after each question (not in bold face).
• Numeric answers should have units associated with them.
• Appropriate pictures of the simulation results, plots or other analyses of data should be included.
• A discussion of the significance and implications of the results should be included. This should be two to four sentences (which can be in the form of a bullet-point list) summarizing the key points that you learned by doing the laboratory. It should not simply repeat the content of the purpose section of the notebook.
• For analysis problems, the process of analysis should be laid out clearly.
• For design problems, ideas for design and partial results should also be laid out clearly.
• The entry must be completed by the deadline.

Please note that lab notebook entries for "design and analysis" classes will be worth more than those for standard problem sets, since we expect them to be more extensive.

Lab Notebook Rubric

Content	Understanding
Total points possible equivalent to percentage of notebook completed.	Complete and correct understanding: (100% of remaining points)
No images included: (-0.5)	Small but significant gaps in conceptual understanding: (75% of remaining points)
Purpose or date missing: (-0.25)	Many errors or gaps in understanding: (50% of remaining points)
Spelling, grammar, or format preclude legibility: (up to -0.5)	Little or no understanding of the completed work: (25% of remaining points)

How do I do insert images, create tables, include equations, etc. in my lab notebook entries?

The "Help" link found on the left side of any page provides instruction and examples. Make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom - you may find exactly what you need by doing this!

Each student completes his or her own lab notebook

Lab notebooks are completed by individual students. Written responses should be your own, including explanations and interpretations of data. You are permitted to discuss answers with your teammate, and to share data collected after dividing the work between yourselves.

If we observe that entries are too similar, we will assign a grade of zero to both entries, and we may report this as an Academic Integrity violation. Please do not make us do this.

What is the final deadline for my lab notebook entry?

Ideally, lab notebook entries should be ready to look at during the class in which you are working on the problem set, as listed on the syllabus. If you run out of time in class, you will need to complete the assignment out of class. You are encouraged to meet with your teammate outside of class if necessary, or to attend office hours if you need extra help.

The final deadline for completing the lab notebook entry is 7 PM on the evening before the next class listed on the syllabus. We will ignore any changes made to your lab notebook entry after this time when evaluating it.

More concretely, the following is true unless class meets only once during a particular week:

• If a problem set is listed on the syllabus for Tuesday, the final deadline for the lab notebook entry is 7 PM Wednesday, and the final deadline for the conceptual checkoff is Thursday at the end of class.
• If a problem set is listed on the syllabus for Thursday, the final deadline for the lab notebook entry is 7 PM Monday, and the final deadline for the conceptual checkoff is Tuesday at the end of class.

It is your responsibility to ensure that the lab notebook that you fill out is the correct one for the final deadline. Doing the wrong lab is never a basis for getting an extension on the work that was due by the deadline.

How are the lab notebook and conceptual checkoff related?

You must complete the lab notebook entry before you can complete your conceptual checkoff.

Ideally, your conceptual checkoff will be completed with your lab notebook entry during the same class in which you are working on the problem set, as listed on the syllabus.

If you run out of time in class and must finish your lab notebook entry outside of class, the conceptual checkoff for a problem set will take place in class the morning after the lab notebook entry was due. Because participation in a conceptual checkoff depends on your making a sincere effort to complete the problem set, students who fail to submit a lab notebook entry that exceeds a minimum satisfactory level by the deadline will be barred from completing the conceptual checkoff.

Examples of lab notebook entries that would not meet the minimum standard include:

• Entries lacking figures where figures were explicitly requested
• Entries lacking a copy of the question text
• Entries in which many of the questions are unanswered, or answers are provided without explanation
• Entries that are disorganized and poorly written

What should I do if I had an excused absence?

If you had an excused absence (see the Attendance policy for the definition of an excused absence), please make sure that you complete your notebook as soon as possible, and that you send an email to all the instructors so that we can grade your notebook.