Number 1, most important rule: Do what is sustainable. Consistency is always better than best practices.
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Table of contents
Give a general name first such as a project or common traceable thing
Then give specifics
Don’t forget dates – even every fifth entry or even annual dates are helpful
Color codes are helpful (make sure you have enough colors!)
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HPLC
Always include gradient either in the chromatogram as separate graph. With time you can refer to same method or name
Generally good idea to include UV profile
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Semiprep separation
Multiple chromatograms (within reason)
Did the collection shift over time?
Did the final collection not show certain peaks?
Vial weights for only one set of vials
Connect fraction to notebook number/vial
Run a blank as the last run and be sure to collect. You never know what has accumulated on the column.
Suggestion: Give the mass the day you run the vial and prepare the concentration – was it 20, 25, 50 mg/mL? You will have that right here
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Semiprep Separation
Alternative views
Either multiple runs overlayed
Zoom in of certain regions
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Molecular Biology
When receiving primers or plasmids it is important to track every step of the process – did you rehydrate? What concentration? What water? Into what container? Where are aliquots being stored?
In this example you can see these primers were for checking a synthetic biology target and you can see every step with a two sentence entry from September to October