This study looks at the incidence and extent of use of electronic lab notebooks by college and university faculty in the USA.  In addition, the study looks at how faculty receive training on how to use such systems, pinpointing the percentage that have been trained through their departments, their university research offices, academic library services, the company providing the application, or other sources.  The report also looks at the length of time it takes various parties to get up to speed on use of electronic lab notebooks, and at the percentage of users who try to use such applications but quit.  The study also presents detailed data on the degree of clarity that survey participants have about how to share data with their electronic lab notebooks, and when data sharing is appropriate, and when it is discouraged or prohibited.  

The digitization of science, and the emergence of open science, has made the use of electronic lab notebooks, and the training of faculty on such systems, a highly significant and increasingly important scientific and information services question – and this report helps faculty and those servicing faculty in this key area.