How can you effectively record and store laboratory data for quality control?

2 Use consistent naming and labeling conventions

The next step to record and store laboratory data is to use consistent naming and labeling conventions for your files, folders, variables, and metadata. Naming and labeling conventions help you organize, identify, and access your data easily and efficiently. They also help you avoid confusion, duplication, and errors when sharing and collaborating with others. You should follow some general rules for naming and labeling conventions, such as using descriptive and meaningful names, avoiding spaces and special characters, using lowercase letters and underscores, and adding dates and versions.

3 Document your data collection and analysis methods

The third step to record and store laboratory data is to document your data collection and analysis methods in detail. Documentation is crucial for quality control, as it provides the context, rationale, and procedures of your experiments. It also enables you to track, verify, and reproduce your results, as well as to communicate and explain them to others. You should document your data collection and analysis methods in a clear, concise, and consistent way, using standard formats and templates, such as lab notebooks, protocols, reports, and code comments.

4 Backup and archive your data regularly

The fourth step to record and store laboratory data is to backup and archive your data regularly. Backup and archive are two different but related processes that help you protect and preserve your data from loss, damage, or corruption. Backup is the process of creating copies of your data and storing them in a separate location, such as an external hard drive, a cloud service, or a server. Archive is the process of moving your data that are no longer in use or needed to a long-term storage system, such as a tape library, a disk array, or a digital repository.

5 Follow ethical and legal guidelines

The final step to record and store laboratory data is to follow ethical and legal guidelines that apply to your data. Ethical and legal guidelines are the rules and principles that govern the collection, use, and sharing of your data, such as privacy, confidentiality, consent, ownership, and copyright. They ensure that your data are collected and stored in a responsible, respectful, and lawful way, respecting the rights and interests of your participants, collaborators, funders, and stakeholders. You should familiarize yourself with the ethical and legal guidelines that apply to your data and comply with them throughout your data lifecycle.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?