Electronic Research Notebook

At Rush University, you can access LabArchives, a secure electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) for researchers, managers and associated personnel. It provides a free, secure way to organize, store and share research data and documents.

Getting started

Create a new account

Go to the LabArchives home page.
Select “Sign up for free.”
If you have a site code, click “Sign up with a site code.”
You’ll then receive an email with an activation link. Click the link.

Link to an existing LabArchives ELN account

Go to the LabArchives home page.
Select “I have a LabArchives account already.”
Enter the email address associated with your existing account.
Click “Yes” to link pre-existing account to new account.

Log on using mobile apps

Download the LabArchives mobile app from the Google Play Store or the iOS App Store.
Click “Sign in with institution” and select “Rush University Medical Center”.
A single sign-on access point will direct you to your ELN.

Using your notebook

Using your LabArchives notebook is simple and easy. Once you’ve got your account set up, here’s how to get started using it.

Organizing your notebook

Organizing your lab notebook is simple and intuitive. Follow these steps:

To create a new folder or page, click “New” in the “Notebook Navigator.”
To move folders and pages, click and drag folders with your mouse within the notebook.
You can also create subfolders to better organize your lab information.

Add data to your notebook

You can add data to pages in your notebook by using various entry types. To create an entry, do the following:

Select from the “Add Entry” toolbar at the top right of each page.
Click the “New” option allows you to choose the right form for your data entry.
Select “insert” to place an entry between two pre-existing entries.

Rich text

Rich text entries are the most common entry type in LabArchives. It is most flexible in formatting color and sizing. You can also embed images and links in it.

Attachments

If you want to add an attachment, it’s easy to do. Follow these steps:

Select “Attachment” from the “Add Entry” toolbar.
Drag and drop the image.
Edit Microsoft documents and presentations with Microsoft software beforehand.
Use Image Annotator to annotate such images as jpegs, gifs and pngs.

Widgets

With widgets, you can create forms, templates and even custom programs that operate within your notebook. Adding a widget is simple. Follow these steps:

Select “Widget” from the add entry toolbar.
Then choose the widget you want to use in your Lab notebook.

Sharing data

Collaboration and communication are key to good research. LabArchives’ ELN makes sharing your data with individuals in your lab or with collaborators simple and easy.

Please note: Research data management is a complex subject, and data sharing may be subject to restrictions under federal guidelines or Rush’s own policy. Please review the Research Data - Access, Ownership and Retention policy before sharing data to be sure you’re compliant.

Sharing a notebook, folder, page or a single entry

To share a notebook, folder, or page right, just click on the name of the item and click “Share.”

On the “Invite People” tab, type in the email address of the user with whom you want to share your data.
Then grant them “To Edit” or “To View” access to your data, depending on your preference.
Click “Send.”

User management

To manage users in your notebook, follow these simple steps:

Click the triple dot menu on the top right.
Select “Notebook Settings” to manage all users’ access.
Go to the “User Management” tab.

Add a new user

To add a new user, follow these simple steps:

Select “New User.”
Type in their email address.
Click “Add User.”
Click the trash icon to delete a user.