From Paper to Digital: The Human and Technical Challenges in Implementing Electronic Lab Notebooks for FAIR Data
In our pursuit of advancing research and supporting academic excellence, we are dedicated to integrating research data management (RDM) services that are not only effective but also automated and sustainable. As the demand for robust research data infrastructure grows, engaging with experts, stakeholders, and the broader community becomes crucial to understanding and addressing the evolving needs of data management.
Join us for an insightful virtual workshop where Dr. Samantha Pearman Kanza will present “From Paper to Digital: The Human and Technical Challenges in Implementing Electronic Lab Notebooks for FAIR Data”. This session will explore the complex sociotechnical challenges of implementing Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELNs), revealing how successful adoption goes beyond technology to truly enhance data management, foster collaboration, and uphold research integrity.
This event will be held on September 1st, 2025, 2-3 pm CEST. The RDM Webinar Series is organized and hosted by the Research Data Management team at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. To participate please register before the event (Registration).
About this talk
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 within the labs (namely Electronic Lab Notebooks) to combat this. However, implementing an Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) 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. Furthermore, we need to understand that implementing an ELN is not the end of the journey; digital tools and digitally produced data are arguably no more FAIR than the original paper based lab book if they are not utilised to their full extent. Join me to hear about the many challenges and considerations for implementing ELNs.
About the speakers
Dr Samantha Pearman-Kanza is a Senior Enterprise Fellow at the University of Southampton. She is the Principal Investigator for the Careers and Skills for Data-driven Research Network (CaSDaR), and the Pathfinder Lead on Process Recording for the Physical Sciences Data Infrastructure (PSDI) Initiative. She sits on the Advisory Boards for the Future Labs Live Conference in Basel, London Labs Live in the UK, the Machines Learning Chemistry Project at the University of Nottingham, and the Knowledger Project at the University of North Florida, in addition to being a member of the UK electronic information Group (UKeiG) STRIX Committee. She is a regular columnist for the Lab Horizons Magazine under the name CompSci Cat, discussing important issues around process recording and FAIR data. Her key research areas are ELNs, process recording, FAIR data, data stewardship and research data management, and semantic web technologies.
Registration
To join this event, please register in advance. You will then receive Zoom access information via e-mail. Registration Link.
About this Event
Our online webinar series, organized by the CMS, is designed to tackle pressing issues in the development of research data management and infrastructure. Each session features a 30-minute presentation on a key topic, followed by an engaging discussion where participants can contribute their insights and questions. Join us for a dynamic exchange of ideas and explore innovative solutions in research data management.
Research Data Management at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Research Data Management (RDM) encompasses a range of aspects, from technical solutions and documentation to the requirements of funding bodies. For more information, please refer to this link.
Contact
Fadwa Alshawaf, Team Lead Research Data Management
Email: fadwa.alshawaf@hu-berlin.de