Logbooks

A logbook is a formal record used to document activities, observations, measurements, and events over time. Logbooks serve as a chronological account for accountability, analysis, and regulatory compliance, and they can be physical books or digital records maintained in specialized software. Entries typically include the date and time, the author, the location, and a description of the activity or observation, along with results, readings, or decisions.

Logbooks are used across many domains. Maritime and naval contexts rely on voyage and navigational logbooks to record course, speed, weather, cargo, crew changes, and incidents. In aviation, flight logs document flights, durations, routes, fuel, and maintenance notes. Scientific and industrial settings use lab notebooks, field logs, maintenance logs, and incident logs to capture experiments, field observations, equipment status, and corrective actions. Healthcare, regulatory, and IT environments also employ care logs, change logs, and compliance records to document procedures and audits.

Typical features include structured entries with timestamps, identifying information for authors or operators, and references to related records. Logs may include geographic coordinates, sensor readings, measurements, and observed conditions. Digital logbooks provide search functions, audit trails, version history, and access controls, while physical logbooks rely on page numbering, signatures, and tamper-evident seals. Data integrity and privacy considerations, backups, and long-term preservation are common concerns.

Historically, logbooks date to ancient seafaring and were formalized in naval and merchant maritime traditions. The development of air travel and industrial operations expanded their use to multiple domains. The digital era introduced electronic logbooks that automatically capture data from sensors, enable central repositories, and facilitate analytics, while preserving the need for manual entries and approvals. Logbooks remain a basic tool for accountability, traceability, research integrity, and operational planning.