Can't you get a plug-in for that? JPK
On Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 11:35 AM, Dale Tronrud <det...@uoxray.uoregon.edu> wrote: > Unless you have written on the paper using cursive script. Many schools > in the US have stopped teaching longhand reading/writing so in a generation > or two many paper records will be undecipherable to all but historians. My > wife has some handwritten letters from ancestors written in German around > 1920 that even Germans have great trouble reading today. > > The paper is holding up quite well though. ;-) > > Dale Tronrud > > On 01/26/12 08:30, Phoebe Rice wrote: >> As the proud owner of a carefully organized, highly annotated VMS backup >> tape (reel-to-reel, of course), my main concern is that paper is the only >> format that we'll be able to count on reading a decade (or more) from now. >> >> ===================================== >> Phoebe A. Rice >> Dept. of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology >> The University of Chicago >> phone 773 834 1723 >> http://bmb.bsd.uchicago.edu/Faculty_and_Research/01_Faculty/01_Faculty_Alphabetically.php?faculty_id=123 >> http://www.rsc.org/shop/books/2008/9780854042722.asp >> >> >> ---- Original message ---- >>> Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:50:04 +0100 >>> From: CCP4 bulletin board <CCP4BB@JISCMAIL.AC.UK> (on behalf of Anastassis >>> Perrakis <a.perra...@nki.nl>) >>> Subject: Re: [ccp4bb] Introducing an ELN >>> To: CCP4BB@JISCMAIL.AC.UK >>> >>> I think that all these points are interesting and >>> valid. >>> On Jan 25, 2012, at 10:37, Chris Morris wrote: >>> >>> Tassos reports: >>> >>> 1. None of the twenty test-users was satisfied >>> with any of the two >>> >>> solutions - and each was annoyed for a different >>> reason. >>> >>> This suggests that the choice of ELN is not the >>> most difficult part of the adoption process. Maybe >>> the test users at the NKI were annoyed by the idea >>> of using an ELN at all. >>> >>> That would surely apply to some users. Some were >>> actually very keen, and thats why they signed up for >>> it. >>> >>> In my experience, the hardest part is ensuring >>> that it provides benefits to the people who have >>> to enter the data, and provides them early. The >>> fact that it will make information retrieval >>> easier in three years is not enough. >>> >>> I suggest focussing on electronic support for >>> housekeeping: booking time on an instrument, >>> finding the files the instrument created, ordering >>> oligos, recording when you use the last of a >>> reagent. Scientists work very independently in >>> most respects, but they do have certain >>> obligations that flow from sharing the lab space. >>> You can make use of these to encourage compliance >>> with the ELN. If you do, then most of the science >>> will get recorded in passing. >>> >>> I think that this was exactly one of the problems. >>> The ELNs we tested had no option for booking >>> instruments, no way to find files from instruments >>> let alone read them (it would support only TIF, >>> JPEG, Doc, XLS, PDF), and would not do stock >>> keeping: all these are thought to be out of the ELN >>> scope. And that makes an ELN inherently less useful. >>> Lack of instrument support is another issue: a >>> machine that would allow us to import real >>> chromatograms to ELN would be cool - alas, the >>> solution that was suggested to us is to save as PDF >>> or XLS and reload ...! (it took 3 weeks to come back >>> with this great plan!) >>> For the rest I have nothing much to say, I basically >>> agree. >>> A. >>> >>> I suggest also ensuring that it includes >>> electronic tools that actually help. Two examples >>> from PiMS are primer design, and automatically >>> uploading and interpreting results from the >>> Caliper GX instrument. >>> >>> It must allow round trips with spreadsheets, i.e. >>> dump ELN data as a spreadsheet, edit it, upload it >>> again. Despite their substantial disadvantages, >>> some scientists will not give them up. It should >>> also allow crossreferencing with paper note books. >>> Some will continue to use a lab notebook. When >>> they discover that the ELN serves as a searchable >>> index to it, they will warm to the ELN. >>> >>> I suggest aiming for "no paper" at your lab >>> progress meetings within say 12 months. When you >>> reach that point, everything important is in the >>> ELN. Before then, the ELN is not giving real >>> value. >>> >>> You will need someone who is keen on the >>> introduction of the ELN, to customise it, provide >>> first line user support, and act as a single point >>> of contact with the supplier. This might be a >>> scientist or an IT person. I have also seen this >>> done well by a technician, Delphine Chesnel when >>> she was at the EMBL Hamburg. If you can't find >>> such a "champion", then introduction will not be >>> successful. >>> >>> Some of the problem here is an "own goal" by the >>> community: scientists are trained to use paper >>> during their degrees, so ELNs are a controversial >>> change of practice. One person who, unusually, >>> began with an ELN told me how inconvenient it is >>> now she works in a paper-based lab. >>> >>> PepTalk 2012 had a workshop on this topic. The >>> recording and notes are here: >>> >>> http://www.structuralbiology.eu/support/forums/networks/pims/why-dont-scientists-use-limselns >>> >>> regards, >>> Chris >>> ____________________________________________ >>> Chris Morris >>> chris.mor...@stfc.ac.uk >>> Tel: +44 (0)1925 603689 Fax: +44 (0)1925 603634 >>> Mobile: 07921-717915 >>> Skype: chrishgmorris >>> http://pims.structuralbiology.eu/ >>> http://www.citeulike.org/blog/chrishmorris >>> Daresbury Lab, Daresbury, Warrington, UK, WA4 >>> 4AD >>> >>> >>> P please don't print this e-mail unless you really >>> need to >>> Anastassis (Tassos) Perrakis, Principal Investigator >>> / Staff Member >>> Department of Biochemistry (B8) >>> Netherlands Cancer Institute, >>> Dept. B8, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands >>> Tel: +31 20 512 1951 Fax: +31 20 512 1954 Mobile / >>> SMS: +31 6 28 597791 -- ******************************************* Jacob Pearson Keller Northwestern University Medical Scientist Training Program email: j-kell...@northwestern.edu *******************************************
