Preliminary Functional Specifications of a Prototype Electronic Research Notebook for NIST

This report is a preliminary study on the feasibility and possible use of electronic research notebooks (ERNs) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The goal of this project is to determine the requirements for ERN and to assess current technologies for the design of a... See full abstract

This report is a preliminary study on the feasibility and possible use of electronic research notebooks (ERNs) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The goal of this project is to determine the requirements for ERN and to assess current technologies for the design of a prototype ERN for NIST scientists. The project involves the determination and specifications of functional requirements of the ERN. NIST scientists were interviewed to survey current notekeeping practices and identify specific needs for the ERN. The survey identified a set of basic and enhanced ERN features. Current technologies and products were also assessed in order to see how these requirements may be met. A potential system configuration is proposed where functional specifications for a basic ERN are defined.
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