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since 11 July 2001.

Book: Use graph-lined, sewn composition notebooks (10" x 7 ") so that you make a permanent record of your experiments and results. (Avoid glued books.)

Pen: Use a permanent black pen with a fine point, such as a Pilot Precise Rolling Ball V5 (my favorite), Tombow Roll Pen, Jr©, or Uni-ball Vision Micro. These are dark black, permanent, and xerox very well. A pencil or water soluble felt tipped pen are not acceptable. Ball point pens have ink which will dissolve under organic solvents.

1. The Lab Schedule should be mounted on the inside of the front cover, the Handout Table of Contents on the facing page , label it "i."
2. For your table of contents, leave the next two pages blank (pages ii and iii).
3. Title the inside of the back cover "MY GRADESLIPS" and the facing page "NEW WORDSTEMS."  Mount sequential grade slips inside back cover.
   
4. Then number every right hand page at the top right with odd numbers: 1, 3, 5, etc.
5. Date each page in the upper left hand corner. List new wordstems on the last page.
6. Draw guide lines at lines 1, 3, 6 and 9 along the edge of your closed book.
7. Title each page IN CAPITALS with a specific focused title between lines 1 & 3.
8. Begin the entries below line 9. Enter all data directly into the lab book.
9. Use a fresh page for each experiment . Neatness is of secondary importance, but leave adequate space for ease of future use. Do not tear out any pages.
10. Cross reference pages of related material on line 6 (three spaces below the title). Give the nature of the cross reference: protocol, data, graph, illustration, conclusion, etc.
11. Permanently mount ALL handouts with clear contact paper . Keep intact if at all possible. Mount sequential grade slips inside back cover.
12. Use any excuse for an illustration, since it displays information or data in a manner comprehensible at a glance. (See Notebook Illustrations .) Prevent ink from bleeding through by placing illustrations on the R page, and handouts on the L (or vice versa).
13. For dissections, illustrate: 1) cuts made, 2) spatial & functional relations of organs.
14. For microscopic specimens, illustrate characteristic views to fill at least half a page. Clearly resolve all details observed with labels for all features mentioned in the protocol and/or in Lab. The illustration title goes above, magnification of the view at the lower right. The legend is below, indicating the source, treatment and staining procedure used. Do not hesitate to draw a second illustration to expand on the first.
15. For each new piece of apparatus : illustrate, label and explain all functional features.
16. Color may be added after illustrating with black pen. Use of appropriate color in illustrations can make them more meaningful as well as attractive.
17. Title your graphs precisely, cross reference, label coordinates, note significant phases, especially according to time. Give conditions under which experiment was performed. Show all effects observed, especially according to time or changing conditions.
18. Indent protocols or recipes, leaving space above and below for clarity. Note in detail any changes made in the protocol, difficulties encountered, or future cautions.
19. Draw conclusions, noting the value of the exercise, and, if appropriate, making suggestions for improvement of the experiment. Include in your conclusions not only the "processed" data, but points which could be examined more closely in future experiments and questions which may have arisen as a result of the experiment.