sciNote
![]() | |
Developer(s) | sciNote LLC |
---|---|
Initial release | 2016 |
Written in | Ruby on Rails 4.2.3 |
Operating system | Cross-platform |
Type | Electronic lab notebook (ELN) |
License | Open source, Mozilla Public Licence 2.0 |
Website |
scinote |
sciNote is a free open source electronic lab notebook (ELN). It enables scientists to store, organize and manage their research data. sciNote’s modular design enables interoperability[1] with various lab instruments and existing software. After a successful Kickstarter campaign[2] in December 2015, sciNote has been released in February 2016 by sciNote LLC.
Usage
sciNote can either be used as a cloud software or installed locally. It is suitable for both individual users and teams within academic institutions and industry. sciNote organizes research work in projects which contain experiments, protocols, results and reports. Results and other ELN records are shared among project collaborators. All actions in sciNote are timestamped, displaying who did what and when. A global search function is implemented that enables users to search throughout sciNote and within the content of the attached files. Users can upload various file types such as .txt, .xls, .jpeg, .pdf, OpenDocument, etc. into sciNote.
Main Functionalities
Data sharing Users can choose who they want to share their scientific data with.
Workflow view Users can connect their experiments into workflows to keep track of their work and trace the origin of any experiment at all times.
Data traceability Detailed data about the activity of users working on the project is recorded. Users can also access data that has previously been archived.
Tags and comments Users can tag their experiments to emphasize what is important and comment on anything within sciNote.
Experiment templates Once users create an experiment workflow within a certain project, they can clone it or reuse it as a template for similar experiments.
Automatic reports Users can select the data they want to include in their report, rearrange the content if needed and generate a PDF report.
Global search sciNote has a powerful keyword search function that searches through all projects, including content of the attached files.
Modularity Add-ons that address the needs of different research areas are being developed by sciNote team and the open source developer community.
Technical Specifications
sciNote is released under open source Mozilla Public License (MPL) version 2.0 and hosted on Amazon Cloud on European servers. It is also possible to set up sciNote locally on institutional servers. sciNote has a responsive web design and can be used on stationary or mobile devices.
sciNote ELN custom Add-on modules are developed by sciNote team and the open source developer community. The required programming language is Ruby on Rails 4.2.3. It makes use of a Docker technology which makes it easy to run sciNote inside Docker containers. The source code is available in the GitHub Repository.[3] sciNote front-end is made in JavaScript frameworks Bootstrap 3 and jQuery and it uses the PostgreSQL 9.4 database service.
History
The software has been developed by BioSistemika LLC, a BIO–IT company, specialised in agile, on-demand software development for companies working in the field of life sciences, and Gilson Inc, one of the major chemistry and life sciences laboratory equipment manufacturers. The companies formed a joint venture sciNote LLC in 2015 (Middleton, Wisconsin, USA).[4][5] The project was first introduced and successfully funded through Kickstarter in December 2015 and was officially released three months later.
References
- ↑ "Looking towards the laboratories of the future | Scientific Computing World". Scientific Computing World. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
- ↑ "sciNote - Open Source Scientific Notebook". Kickstarter. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
- ↑ "biosistemika/scinote-web". GitHub. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
- ↑ "sciNote Announces Partnership with Gilson to Create a Digital Lab of the Future". Bio-IT World. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
- ↑ "Gilson announces Cloud Connected Liquid Handling Solutions". The Scientist. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
External links
- sciNote website
- sciNote Source Code on GitHub
- The 9 Best Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN) Review for Your Research
- Online tools for researchers