Scientific Lab Notebook and Experiment Protocol Sheet for Word

The section numbers (1., 2., 6.1 …) are not typed. A multilevel list is linked to the Heading 1 and Heading 2 styles, so any paragraph you set to Heading 1 gets the next number and the table of contents picks it up.

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<w:pStyle w:val="Heading1"/>

Links list level 1 to the Heading 1 style (level 2 to Heading 2).

<w:lvlText w:val="%1."/>

Level 1 shows its counter and a period: 1., 2., 3.

<w:lvlText w:val="%1.%2"/>

Level 2 shows the parent number, a period and its own counter: 6.1, 6.2.

<w:ind w:left="440" w:hanging="440"/>

Hanging indent so wrapped heading text lines up after the number.

In the sample: 1. Objective, 2. Safety, 3. Reagents … (9 headings)

How it is used: To add a section, type the heading, then pick Heading 1 (Ctrl+Alt+1) or Heading 2 (Ctrl+Alt+2) on the Home tab. Numbers after it update by themselves.

How to change it: Home > Multilevel List > Define New Multilevel List to change the format (for example "Section 1"). Keep "Link level to style" set to Heading 1 and Heading 2.

The footer counts pages with two fields: PAGE is the current page and NUMPAGES is the total. Both recalculate when the document is printed, saved as PDF or scrolled in Print Layout.

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PAGE

The number of the page the field sits on.

NUMPAGES

The total number of pages in the document.

In the sample: Page 1 of 3 on the first page

How it is used: Nothing to do: add or delete pages and the numbers follow.

How to change it: Double-click the footer to edit the text around the fields. Insert > Page Number > Format Page Numbers sets the starting number.

Each table caption uses a SEQ field that counts tables in order. Insert a new captioned table in the middle and every later caption renumbers.

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SEQ Table

A counter named "Table". Every SEQ Table field adds 1.

\* ARABIC

Show the counter as 1, 2, 3.

In the sample: 1 caption(s): Table 1

How it is used: Captions are what a "see Table 2" cross-reference points to (References > Cross-reference).

How to change it: References > Insert Caption adds a new one. If numbers look stale, press Ctrl+A then F9 to update all fields.

Some cells are Word formula fields, not typed numbers. Word tables address cells like a spreadsheet: columns A, B, C from the left and rows 1, 2, 3 from the top. A field such as { =B2*C2 } multiplies two cells, and { =SUM(ABOVE) } adds every number above it in the column.

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=B2*C2

Multiply the cells in column B and column C of row 2.

=SUM(ABOVE)

Add the numbers above, up to the first empty or text cell.

\# "#,##0.00"

Number format: thousands separator and two decimals.

In the sample: 6 formula fields. Last result: 0.703

How it is used: Type the new counts, then select the whole table and press F9 to recalculate. Word does not recalculate table formulas on its own the way Excel does. To refresh them on every print, turn on File > Options > Display > Update fields before printing.

How to change it: Right-click a result > Edit Field > Formula to change the formula or number format. Press Alt+F9 to show every field code at once.

Names, numbers and other details people change every time are plain text content controls. Click one and type: the text replaces the sample, keeps the formatting, and the field still shows its name when selected.

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<w:alias w:val="…"/>

The title shown on the control’s tab when you click it.

<w:tag w:val="…"/>

A machine-readable name, useful for mail merge or code.

<w:text/>

Plain text: one line, one format, so pasted text cannot break the layout.

<w:showingPlcHdr/>

Present when the field shows gray placeholder text instead of a value.

In the sample: Experiment title = Protein concentration by Bradford assay

How it is used: 14 in this template: Lab header, Protocol ID header, Experiment title, Protocol ID, Version, Researcher, Notebook page, Lot Bradford, Lot BSA, Lot PBS, Result S1, Result S2, Sig researcher, Sig witness. Use Developer > Design Mode to see every control at once, or the Selection Pane to jump between them.

How to change it: Developer > Properties changes the title, tag and placeholder. To show the Developer tab: File > Options > Customize Ribbon > Developer.

Dates are date picker content controls: click the arrow to pick from a calendar, or type a date in any format and Word shows it as "November 2, 2026".

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w:fullDate

The stored date, independent of how it is shown.

<w:dateFormat w:val="MMMM d, yyyy"/>

Display format: full month name, day, four-digit year.

<w:lid w:val="en-US"/>

Language used for month names.

<w:storeMappedDataAs w:val="dateTime"/>

Stores a real date value if the control is mapped to data.

In the sample: Experiment date = November 5, 2026

How it is used: 3 in this template: Experiment date, Signed date. Pick the date from the calendar so every date in the document has the same format.

How to change it: Developer > Properties > Display the date like this, for example d MMMM yyyy or yyyy-MM-dd.

Fields with a fixed set of answers are dropdown list content controls, so everyone uses the same words (useful when you search or count documents later).

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<w:dropDownList>

A list the reader must pick from (no free typing).

<w:listItem w:displayText="…" w:value="…"/>

One choice: the text shown and the value stored.

In the sample: Experiment status = Complete (Planned / In progress / Complete / Repeated / Failed)

How it is used: 1 in this template: Experiment status. Click the field and choose from the list.

How to change it: Developer > Properties > Add, Modify or Remove choices. Use a Combo Box instead if people need to type their own answer.

Checklist boxes are checkbox content controls: click to tick or untick. They print as ☒ and ☐.

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<w14:checked w14:val="…"/>

1 when ticked, 0 when not.

<w14:checkedState w14:val="2612"/>

Symbol for ticked: U+2612 ☒.

<w14:uncheckedState w14:val="2610"/>

Symbol for unticked: U+2610 ☐.

In the sample: 5 of 6 ticked in the sample

How it is used: 6 in this template: PPE coat, PPE goggles, PPE gloves, PPE hood, SDS read, Waste plan. Click the box. Checkboxes need Word 2010 or later; very old versions show a static symbol.

How to change it: Developer > Properties > Checked symbol > Change, for example to ✓ (Wingdings 2).

Notes and warnings use a paragraph style named Callout: tinted background, amber bar on the left, indented on both sides. Because it is a style, every callout matches and you can restyle them all at once.

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<w:shd w:fill="EEF2F8"/>

Light blue-gray background.

<w:left w:val="single" w:sz="24" w:color="F2A93B"/>

Amber bar, 3 pt wide, on the left edge.

<w:ind w:left="180" w:right="180"/>

Indented 1/8 inch on each side.

In the sample: Used for the notes, tips and warnings in the body.

How it is used: Put the cursor in a paragraph and pick Callout in the Styles gallery.

How to change it: Right-click Callout in the Styles gallery > Modify > Format > Border or Shading. All callouts change together.

Header rows are marked to repeat at the top of each page when a table breaks, and rows are set not to split across pages, so a long table stays readable when printed.

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<w:tblHeader/>

Repeat this row at the top of each page.

<w:cantSplit/>

Keep each row on one page.

In the sample: 4 of 7 tables repeat their header row

How it is used: Add rows with Tab in the last cell; the header keeps repeating.

How to change it: Click in the header row > Table Layout > Repeat Header Rows. Short tables are also set to keep with the next paragraph so they do not split.

Instructions for whoever fills in the template use a Guidance style (gray italics). Delete them before you send the document; with a style, Find and Replace can remove them all at once.

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<w:i/>

Italic.

<w:color w:val="6B7280"/>

Gray text.

In the sample: One note under the title block.

How it is used: Home > Replace > More > Format > Style > Guidance finds every note.

How to change it: Right-click Guidance in the Styles gallery > Modify.