(Archived) Research groups, unsharing notebooks

[reubengann 1]

I am a grad student in a research group, and am considering moving the group over to Endnote instead of keeping lab books. The way we usually record scientific research is by writing (with a pen) everything in our notebooks. When we graduate or leave, the notebook is left behind with the research group, so that the principle investigator (PI) and future students have a record of what was done. It's a major hassle, as if you want a copy for yourself, you have to photocopy the whole thing, and of course it isn't searchable.

One way to do this is to use Evernote, and convey the notebook to the PI at the end of your tenure. One big disadvantage of this, though, in that if we did that the PI would have to upload a massive amount of data at one time. Another is that if someone leaves unexpectedly, you may not be able to get them to send the data.

The other (much better) way to go would be to have a notebook shared between you and the PI while you are working in the lab, and to unshare the notebook when you leave, but keep it so that each person retains a copy of the folder. Then you would have everything you did, and so would the research group. Is there any way to do this?