eNotebook

• Context - store the data with the contextual information in one place, providing a bird's-eye view on the progress of your project
• Consolidation - any file type can be uploaded as an attachment (individual file size limit: 4 GB), integration of Microsoft Office and GraphPad Prism enables online editing, chemical structures can be drawn using chemical sketcher widget (provided by ChemDoodle) and mathematical equations can be inserted using TeX or MathML
• Accessibility - access your work, anywhere and anytime with internet connection (mobile apps available on iOS and Android devices)
• Searchability - search for keywords, tags, users and entry types to find and access what you are looking for
• Collaboration - share your findings in real-time within your workgroup and with external collaborators
• Group Management - keep the status of consumables, resources and samples up-to-date and make group-specific documentations (e.g. Standard Operating Procedures and Safety Data Sheets) readily accessible by all members
• Security - suitable for data classified as Highly Sensitive and below and full control over the access of invited users
• Versioning and Timestamps - ability to revert to any previous versions protects your work from accidental data loss and full audit trails (record of username, date and time) ensure transparency and accountability
• Retention - data is retained indefinitely
• Compliance - eNotebook greatly assists UNSW researchers to store and retain research data in compliance with UNSW policies

For new users:

For more detailed step-by-step process with screenshots, please click HERE.

1. Visit https://aushib.labarchives.com/select_institution, bookmark this link
2. Under Select Institution, select University of New South Wales. Click Go to Institution's Login
3. You will be redirected to enter your zID and zPass into a UNSW login page.
4. A prompt will be displayed to confirm information to be provided by UNSW to the service. Click Approve.
5. Under Create or Activate a new LabArchives account, review your pre-filled UNSW email address and click Create New Account to link the new LabArchives account with your zID.
6. Fill in the First Name and Last Name and click Update. 

For pilot/previous users:

For more detailed step-by-step process with screenshots, please click HERE. 

1. Visit https://aushib.labarchives.com/select_institution, bookmark this link
2. Under I want to login to my LabArchives account through my institution, select University of New South Wales.
3. You will be redirected to enter your zID and zPass into a UNSW login page.
4. On the following page, click on I have an existing LabArchives account already.
5. Log in with your previous account email and password.
6. Review your email address and click Yes to link the new LabArchives account with your zID.

Note: it is highly recommended that the default notebook is renamed to a sensible one (e.g. project title) by right-clicking the notebook name at the root directory on the left-hand side panel and clicking Rename item. 

UNSW eNotebook is integrated with UNSW ResToolKit. UNSW ResToolKit allows project teams to create and document a Research Data Management Plan (RDMP) for their project. Available through the Storage Platforms tab, users can provision an electronic notebook using ResToolKit for their project in one-click and have access granted to their project members.

Things to know:

• ResToolKit only performs the initial provision of an electronic notebook. Changes are not synced if changes are done on ResToolKit or LabArchives after provision.
• Electronic notebooks provisioned using ResToolKit will show that it is owned by the UNSW Service Account <svcIntegration@unsw.edu.au>within UNSW eNotebook.
• Project members with the role in ResToolKit will have to be granted view-only permissions within UNSW eNotebook so they can access the notebook.
• Non-UNSW project members will not be provided access to the provisioned electronic notebook.

Project member role mapping

The roles of your project members within UNSW eNotebook can be updated using its user interface after provisioning.

Training

Online training resources are available at: https://www.labarchives.com/labarchives-knowledge-base/ and you can register (please use your UNSW email address) for the weekly webinars here: https://www.labarchives.com/training-webinars/ 

Showcases and training sessions are being planned at the University. If you want to be notified of any training and other events from Research Technology Services regarding eNotebooks, or if you want to request on-demand training for your group, please contact us at rdm@unsw.edu.au.

You can also join the UNSW eNotebook User Group on Microsoft Teams to ask questions, access resources and be notified of workshops or showcases.

Recordings

• UNSW eNotebook Product Showcase (This video was recorded from the UNSW eNotebook Town Hall on 20th Feb 2019)

• UNSW eNotebook Training (This video was recorded from the UNSW eNotebook Training on 24th September 2020)

What should I do if I am leaving UNSW?

- Ensure that ownership of your notebooks is transferred to the appropriate research data owners (e.g. research supervisor or chief investigator), subject to any contractual, statutory, ethical, or funding body requirements. You are permitted to take a copy of your notebook (in HTML format) when you leave, subject to any contractual, statutory, ethical, or funding body requirements. Please refer to the UNSW data governance policy for more guidance and contact us (rdm@unsw.edu.au) if you have any questions.

If you are moving to an institution that has LabArchives site license and wish to transfer your notebooks over, please contact us (rdm@unsw.edu.au).

Do I have to wait until my chief investigator invites me in?

- If you want to take the initiative, you can start using your personal eNotebook but remember to invite your chief investigator in and transfer ownership to them. You will be given the administrator rights and with most privileges. For more information, please click HERE.

My chief investigator invited me in but I do not have access.

- Please ensure that your chief investigator used the same email address that you linked your zID to. If you are unsure on which email address you used when creating the account, please click your name at the top right corner and click User Properties.

Is there a file size or entry limits to notebooks?

- The size limit per notebook is 1TB (1000GB) or 30,000 entries. The recommended file size to maintain optimal notebook performance (ie., no freezing, lag, slowdown) is below 100GB or 20,000 entries.

Is there a file attachment file size limit?

- There is an individual file size limit of 4 GB. If you have files that are larger than this, we recommend storing them in UNSW Microsoft OneDrive or shared drives and creating links for these in your LabArchives notebook. 

Can I work on my notebook offline?

- No, there is currently no capacity to work on LabArchives notebook offline. Although LabArchives offers offline export option (HTML), you cannot edit, re-upload the offline copy and sync with your online version. 

Can I work on my notebook offline with the mobile app?

- No, LabArchives mobile app requires internet connection.

Which of the two export options (PDF or HTML) are preferred?

- We recommend the HTML export format for two reasons. First, it retains the visual representation of the notebook. Second, it downloads all attachments and hence allows file access offline. By contrast, PDF format only retains the hyperlinks for the attached files, which still require an internet connection and appropriate user privilege to access. 

How does Microsoft Office integration work in LabArchives?

- Microsoft Office integration in LabArchives works in two ways. First, MS Office Online is used to view and edit MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint files on the LabArchives webpage. Second, Word, Excel and PowerPoint files saved in LabArchives notebooks can be opened using desktop applications with MS Office Plugin. The files can then be edited and saved to your notebooks. For more information about the use of MS Office Plugin, please click HERE (for Windows) or HERE (for Mac). In UNSW, specific configurations are required as we are using Single Sign-On in Australian servers. Please click HERE to get instructions about changing the LA server URL to an Australian server and HERE to get instructions about getting your password token. When copying the Single Sign-On password token, please ensure that you do not copy the extra spaces at the beginning and the end. 

Which internet browser should I use for this platform?

- According to LabArchives, the following browsers are recommended for the use of LabArchives: Chrome, Firefox ESR, Firefox, Safari and Edge. As of February 2018, the minimum browser requirements are:  Chrome 49 , Firefox 45, Safari 10, Edge 13 and Opera 49. Internet Explorer is no longer supported by Microsoft and is not recommended.

How do I bring this into my lab? We don't allow laptops in lab?

- It will be a similar process that you follow in your lab currently with physical notebooks. If you do not allow laptops in the lab, then probably you do not allow physical notebooks. One way that this tool can help is by using the computers that are always located in your lab (e.g. a desktop that is attached to an instrument) to log in to this platform and quickly record anything that needs to be recorded there and then. Once you are out of the lab and at your desk, you can open it up again on your computer to write it up in more detail

Are we allowed to use this for teaching labs as well as research labs?

- UNSW acquired enterprise license for both the research and teaching edition of LabArchives. The teaching edition of LabArchives allows the instructor to create a notebook with content and batch distribute to the students enrolled in the course. You can grade in the eNotebook and you can add students in batches. For more information, please visit LabArchives' webpage (https://www.labarchives.com/labarchives-knowledge-base/9-01-1-how-to-set-up-your-course-notebook/) and contact them directly at support@labarchives.com

Can I handwrite into the eNotebook?

- There is an entry type called "Sketch", which allows you to use your mouse cursor to emulate handwriting. You can use also use a stylus on a mobile device. Or, you can handwrite on a piece of paper, take a photo and upload onto the eNotebook.

What happens when UNSW stops paying for the subscription or switches to a replacement platform?

- Our agreement with the vendor is that all the data that is stored in the platform will be made available to us in a standard format in such cases.

Can access management be configured via a csv upload? (or similar batch mode)

- Not by a csv upload but if you have a csv file with each email per row, you can simply copy them and paste them into the input when you right-click a folder, page or entire notebook and click 'share'. 

Where is the data stored?

- Data saved in the UNSW eNotebook is stored in Sydney, Australia

How much does it cost?

- UNSW eNotebook is free-of-charge for all UNSW staff, HDRs and students

Can notes in OneNote be transferred to UNSW eNotebook and vice versa? 

- There is no one-click integration that seamlessly transfer the notes from one to the other. However, you can choose to export the entire notebook from the eNotebook platform as a PDF copy or an HTML copy and can import that into the OneNote.

What is the hierarchy of folders, pages, entries etc? And the access management that applies to them?

- Within a notebook, you can have folders and within folders, sub-folders. The number of levels of hierarchy is unlimited. However, at the bottom of the hierarchy, there is a page. On this page, you can add different types of entries including rich text and attachments. You can share at notebook, folder, page and entry level.

How do I transfer physical notes into LabArchives?

- You can scan your physical notes and upload the image files into the UNSW eNotebook platform. To discuss further, please contact us at rdm@unsw.edu.au

If using iOS or Android apps does the notebook allow access to camera and or microphone?

- Yes it does with your approval

Can I share with people outside of UNSW?

- You can share with people outside of UNSW. You can simply add their email address and they will be granted access into your notebook. As a participant of your notebook, they will share the benefits of enterprise version of LabArchives. However, they will not be able to create a new notebook in our site's LabArchives or be given ownership rights from a pre-existing notebook.

Can I publicly share my data using the eNotebook?

- You can publish your notebook or page within UNSW eNotebook which will grant it a permanent Digital Object Identifier (DOI) by right-clicking your notebook or page -> Share -> Publish Data. Only once you publish your data it be publicly viewed online through the DOI. 

UNSW eNotebook (LabArchives) uses DataCite to assign DOI's so you can search your published materials with metadata through DataCite Commons.

Note: the "Frequently Asked Questions" section is growing. If you have any questions, please contact us at rdm@unsw.edu.au