Order from chaos: The poetics and pragmatics of scientific recordkeeping

is fundamental to the conduct of contemporary science, there has been little research into this topic in information studies. This article reports on a study in which, using ethnographic methods, the author studied record-keeping as it is practiced in a basic research science laboratory. The process by which the record is created to reflect both personal need and professional norms is framed as a series of acts of selection, synthesis, and standardization. The article concludes with reflections on the role of deep understanding of scientific record-keeping for other disciplines and the design of digital laboratory technologies.