All practising scientists should keep detailed records of the experimental activities that they conduct, and for chemists, these records are generally referred to as “lab books”.

Your lab book is a very important piece of equipment, and it is important that you use it correctly. The purpose of the lab book is to act as a record of everything that you do in the laboratory – the plans you make, the manipulations you carry out, the data you collect, and the conclusions you come to.

As an undergraduate, carrying out scripted practical work (such as in Year 1 and Year 2), you will generally be following a printed practical script, which tells you the procedure to follow. However, the script is not a replacement for your lab book, as there is an important difference between them: the experimental script procedure shows what you should do, while your lab book is a record of what you actually did.

Each experiment you do is different, but the overall principle of the lab book is consistent: it should include enough detail to allow you, or any other competent worker, to recreate your work exactly.