Proposed Requirements for a Blockchain-Based Electronic Laboratory Notebook
TL;DR
Blockchain should supplement rather than replace conventional ELN infrastructure, and a hybrid architecture is proposed comprising an ELN application layer, an encrypted off-chain repository, a blockchain integrity layer, an identity and key-management service and an interoperability layer.
Abstract
Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (ELNs) is used to support experimental documentation, data management in a collaborative landscape while adhering to regulatory requirements in a centrally controlled system. The use of blockchain technology could provide cryptographically verifiable data, evidence and subsequent alterations. However, the use of blockchain in ELN has not been clearly defined. This study aimed to identify requirements for a blockchain-based ELN. A preliminary scoping review on ELN requirements via PubMed search was conducted for publications indexed on or before 30 June 2026. Forty-one records were identified; of which, 11 were included. The identified requirements were grouped into three categories: system and compliance, data capture and data usage. These findings were integrated with blockchain-specific considerations. A hybrid architecture is proposed comprising an ELN application layer, an encrypted off-chain repository, a blockchain integrity layer, an identity and key-management service and an interoperability layer. Twenty-eight requirement domains are presented, including source data capture, cryptographic hashing, digital signatures, trusted timestamps, role-based access, disaster recovery and governance. Blockchain should supplement rather than replace conventional ELN infrastructure.