A completed example
This fictional example shows the level of detail to aim for. It is not a customer's work history.
Research log Project: Riverbend Plots soil moisture study Researcher: Mara Date: Tuesday, 14 October Question for today: Why do the east-row sensors read drier than the hand samples taken on the same mornings? What I did: - 9:10-10:30 Compared sensor readings with hand-sample notes for the last two weeks of September - 10:45-11:20 Checked the calibration sheet. East-row sensors were set up with the older sandy-loam curve - 13:00-14:40 Re-ran the east-row data with the clay-loam curve in the cleaning script - 15:00-15:30 Call with Dev about field access for re-sampling Findings: - With the clay-loam curve, east-row readings line up much better with the hand samples - Sensors E3 and E5 still disagree. Possible poor soil contact or a loose housing Sources and files: - Calibration sheet v2, Field folder on the shared drive - cleaning_script.py, commit "clay-loam curve for east row" - Field notebook pages 22-24 Dead ends: - Checked whether the dry readings matched hot afternoons. They did not. Open questions: - Reprocess September data for all rows, or only the east row? - Ask Dr. Okafor whether the curve change needs a methods note Not finished: - Re-sampling at E3 and E5 is not scheduled yet - Comparison plot is drafted but not checked Next session: - Book field access for Thursday morning - Write a short methods note on the calibration change
Make it yours
Your draft
The example is fictional. Edits stay in this page and disappear when you leave. Copy or download your work to keep it.
How to fill it in
- Write the date and a single question for the session before you start, so the entry has a clear purpose.
- Log each block of work with start and end times and enough detail that someone else could repeat it.
- Record findings in plain sentences and label any explanation you have not confirmed as a guess.
- List every file, dataset and source you touched, with the version or location, so you can trace results later.
- Before you stop, fill in dead ends, unfinished work and the first task for next session while it is still fresh.
Start from your actual work
On a Mac, Dayflow can help you remember the work behind the update. It drafts a timeline from screen activity. Export a date range as Markdown from Settings → Export. Review that record alongside your calendar and task tracker, then fill in the template above.
For a guided walkthrough, see exporting your work history or drafting a report with Claude Code. Check the assistant's draft before sending it.
Local AI keeps screenshot analysis on-device. Your own cloud provider or Dayflow Pro processes selected screenshots off-device. An assistant can receive the Dayflow data it retrieves in your conversation. Local storage does not make a cloud assistant conversation local. Read the data-flow guide before choosing a workflow.
Questions about this template
What should a research log include?
At minimum, the date, the question you were working on, what you did and when, what you found, and where the files and sources are. Adding dead ends, open questions and unfinished work makes the log far more useful later, because those are the details people forget first and most often need when writing up methods.
Is a research log the same as a lab notebook?
Not necessarily. Many labs, universities and companies require a specific notebook of record, bound or electronic, with signing and dating rules. A research log like this one is a working record for planning and recall. If your institution requires an official notebook, keep that as the formal record and use this log alongside it, not instead of it.
How often should I update a research log?
Write an entry for every working session, even short ones. Filling it in at the end of the session works for most people, though logging times as you go is more accurate. A brief entry every day is more useful than a detailed one written a week later from memory, when steps and reasons are easy to get wrong.
Should I write down things that did not work?
Yes. Dead ends save you from repeating the same test weeks later, and they help a supervisor or reviewer understand why you chose the method you did. Note what you tried, how you checked it and why you ruled it out. One or two lines is usually enough to be useful.
Can I fill in the time entries in a research log automatically?
Partly. Dayflow drafts a timeline from your screen activity on a Mac, which can help you recall when you worked in a script, paper or dataset. You still need to check that draft for mistakes and add offline work yourself, such as field visits, bench work, reading on paper and conversations. The findings and reasoning remain yours to write.
Use the right format for the next step
- Weekly status report for a concise progress update.
- Daily work log for a record you can come back to.
- Daily standup template for yesterday, today, and blockers.
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