On this page you will find information about the electronic lab notebook (ELN) RSpace.

Research Data@NTNU | Norsk versjon: Elektronisk labjournal - RSpace

What is RSpace?

RSpace - rspace.ntnu.no - is an electronic lab notebook (ELN) available to employees and students at NTNU. An ELN is a computer software program that replaces paper notebooks traditionally used in laboratory research environments. RSpace is browser-based and compatible with PC/Mac, mobile phones and tablets. RSpace is being implemented at NTNU as part of Project Research Data.

Establishing LabGroups in RSpace

All users of RSpace at NTNU must be part of a LabGroup. A LabGroup reflects the traditional structure in academic environments of a supervisor (Principal Investigator – PI) and their research team. The PI administers the LabGroup and has reading rights to the work of all group members. Lab supervisors can request to establish a LabGroup by filling out this form (in NTNU Hjelp):

Request to establish a LabGroup

Read more about LabGroups in "Guide to Groups in RSpace for NTNU Users" (.pdf)

What data can RSpace be used for?

RSpace can only be used for open (green) and internal (yellow) data. It cannot be used for confidential (red) or strictly confidential (black) data. Read more on how to correctly classify research data.

RSpace is meant for documenting experiments performed in a laboratory, and will contain mostly protocols, observations and notes. That said, it is often necessary to annotate lab notes with some experimental data, such as simple read-outs from experiments such as tables, images, or plots. However, RSpace is not intended as a storage solution for large amounts of research data.

Users cannot permanently delete their own content, as anything deleted can always be restored. If you have uploaded information that should not be stored in RSpace and needs to be permanently removed, please contact a system administrator via NTNU Hjelp as soon as possible. You must also report any security or privacy discrepancies to the Section for Digital Security.

Projects involving humans or material-derived from humans

If your experiments involve humans, or material derived from humans like cells or tissues, there is a risk that your lab notebook contains personal data, including special categories of personal data like health data.

RSpace should not be used for confidential (red) data, which includes health data and other special categories of personal data. In some cases, it will still be necessary to enter small amounts of pseudonymized personal data (including health data) into RSpace to properly document experiments. This may only be done if these guidelines are followed:

• No directly or indirectly identifiable personal data are stored in RSpace. The risk of indirect identification of individuals increases with the amount of data, so remember the principle of data minimization. Indirectly identifiable personal data refers to information that can contribute to identifying an individual when combined with other data, or if linked to publicly available sources.
• The Principal Investigator (PI) must be able to argue that it is necessary to have pseudonymised personal data in RSpace to be able to document experiments in a research project.
• The re-identification key must be stored outside RSpace, with proper security measures and access control.
• The risk of re-identification (based on what is recorded in RSpace) must be impossible in practice.
• Each project must complete a risk assessment before using RSpace, using this simple assessment table (.xlsx) (to be kept on record).

The Principal Investigator (PI) is responsible for:

1. assessing the risk of using RSpace for each project beforehand.
2. deciding in which projects RSpace is to be used, based on the risk assessment.
3. ensuring all LabGroup members understand and follow these guidelines.

RSpace in teaching

RSpace can also be used for laboratory-based teaching through a dedicated educational server at rspace.stud.ntnu.no. This server is strictly for teaching purposes. It operates independently from the research server, meaning no data is shared between the two - anything uploaded to one will not be available on the other.

If you are a course coordinator or teacher and want to use the educational server, you must submit this request form via NTNU Hjelp.

Students and teachers can log in directly with their NTNU username and password; however, use is expected to take place within a course setting. This means that all users must belong to a LabGroup led by a course coordinator/teacher (PI). For privacy reasons, user accounts will be deleted about 6 months after a course ends, unless the user is enrolled in another active RSpace course or is a teacher (PI). Users who do not belong to a LabGroup will be deleted.

Training

The NTNU University library regularly runs courses providing a more general overview and workshops giving hands-on, practical experience. See the library's course catalogue for dates and to register. Please contact a system administrator via NTNU Hjelp if none of the dates suits your LabGroup. See recordings from previous courses in Panopto.

New users are encouraged to read the Getting started guide from RSpace, and check out RSpace's YouTube channel and RSpace’s documentation for helpful information. When logged in to RSpace, you can also click on the question mark in the bottom right-hand corner to search for learning materials.

User Support

For technical questions, please start by checking RSpace’s documentation – it’s comprehensive and often contains the answers you need.

You are welcome to join the RSpace User Forum on Microsoft Teams, where NTNU users can ask questions, and share experiences or best practices. In Teams → “Join or create team” → “Join team” → “Join team with code”. Use code: r8ux1f8

If you need further help, contact a system administrator. This includes help with establishing a LabGroup, adding new users to a LabGroup and disabling or reenabling a user.

FAQ

Why can't I use the Community Edition of RSpace?

NTNU’s agreement with RSpace only applies to data stored on NTNU’s institutional server, located in Norway. This setup ensures secure access via single sign-on and two-factor authentication, along with other protections. The Community Edition does not offer the same safeguards and is not approved for storing research data or other information that should not be openly available.

Can I use a different ELN?

NTNU has entered into a data processor agreement with RSpace to ensure that the data and user information uploaded to NTNU's Institutional RSpace server are kept secure. NTNU has no such agreement with any other ELN providers. By using another ELN, you run the risk that your research data and personal information will fall into the wrong hands.

How much does a license cost?

No costs will be charged directly to research groups. RSpace will be either partially or fully subsidized centrally.

Can SINTEF users access Rspace?

Access to NTNU’s institutional RSpace server requires an NTNU account. SINTEF employees affiliated with NTNU who have an NTNU e-mail address, can use RSpace if they collaborate with an NTNU research group that is using RSpace.

Do I need to be part of a LabGroup to have access to RSpace?

Yes. Organizing users into LabGroups makes it easier to share content within labs and ensures continuity, as PIs can still access records from former members.

Who can see my lab notebook entries?

The PI and any Senior Lab Admins in your LabGroup have read access to all your work. -Unless you’re a PI yourself, as PI status restricts your content from other users. Only entries you've manually shared in the LabGroup’s shared folder are visible to all members.

How do I add members to my LabGroup?

If you are a PI, you can invite any existing RSpace user to your LabGroup. If the person you want to add does not have an RSpace account, the PI can request one for them by contacting a system administrator.

What should I do if I lose access to my account?

If you haven’t logged into your RSpace account for six months or more, it may be disabled by the system administrators due to inactivity. Your LabGroup’s PI will still have access to your work. If you need to regain access, please contact a system administrator.

What should we do when a LabGroup member leaves NTNU? 

As PI, don’t remove departing members from your LabGroup, or you’ll lose access to their work. Their account will be disabled after 6 months of inactivity, but this won’t affect your ability to view past data. We recommend meeting with the member before they leave NTNU, to discuss future access to their work. See RSpace’s official guide Long-term Data Management for more details.

What integrations can I use?

Currently, only Dataverse and protocols.io are enabled. You can activate them by following the instructions on RSpace’s Apps Introduction. If you’d like additional integrations to support your workflow, contact a system administrator. Note: Integrations with external file storage systems that are not supported by NTNU will not be made available (e.g. Google Drive, Dropbox).

How long will my lab notebook entries be kept?

Lab notebooks have lasting value, because they support the reproducibility of experiments and can serve as evidence in patent applications or legal disputes. For this reason, any content uploaded to RSpace will be retained for at least five years. After that period, the PI of the user’s main LabGroup decides whether the material should be deleted or kept longer.