Laboratory notebooks remain a cornerstone of scientific integrity, but undergraduate training in documentation is often inconsistent, fragmented, or treated as secondary to the “real” experiment. Without deliberate pedagogy, students enter research labs, graduate school, or industry lacking the habits needed for reproducibility and professional recordkeeping.

At Salt Lake Community College and partner institutions, we are piloting a scaffolded model for lab notebook pedagogy that progresses with students across the chemistry curriculum. In introductory courses such as Elementary Chemistry and General Chemistry I, students are introduced to structured “ELN-light” documentation, typically in guided lab packets with opportunities to insert images, videos, or digital links. These formats lower barriers for non-majors (e.g., nursing students) while introducing the concept of professional recordkeeping.

By General Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry I, students are required to use bound paper notebooks supplemented with hybrid elements. Observations must be handwritten in pen during lab to emphasize immediacy and permanence, while typed discussions, graphs, and TinyURL-linked files provide digital augmentation. This “paper-first with hybrid supports” model establishes durable habits and reduces grading burden by reinforcing ACS Style Guide conventions and authentic metadata practices.

Organic Chemistry II provides an intentional bridge to full electronic laboratory notebooks (ELNs). Here, students can work in platforms such as LabArchives, mirroring the systems common in research and industry, while still drawing on habits formed in earlier coursework.

This scaffolded pathway--paper, hybrid, then ELN--balances accessibility with rigor, ensures students develop transferable documentation skills, and provides a practical framework for departments seeking consistency across courses. By explicitly teaching recordkeeping as a core scientific practice, we aim to move beyond “lab reports” toward training that aligns undergraduate education with the expectations of modern research environments.

Alex Dainis

Helicase Media LLC

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