WSLabWorkspace

Reference Guide

WSLabWorkspace User Manual

One login for the lab's notebook, inventory, calculators and documents

Developed by Dr. Withsakorn Sangsuwan, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University.

1. Getting Started

The home page shows one box per tool. Click a box to open the tool; the WSLabWorkspace logo at the top left always brings you back here, and the name next to it shows which tool you are in.

  • No login needed: ReactionCalculator, SolutionCalculator, and Safety & Hazard Guideline.
  • Login needed: WSLabNotes, ChemInventory, and References & Resources. If you are not logged in, you are asked to log in first and then taken to the tool.

Account

  • Sign up as a Student (optionally choosing an advisor) or an Advisor, then open the confirmation link sent by email. You can log in as soon as your email is confirmed.
  • Forgot password? on the login page sends a reset link to your email.
  • The account menu (your initials, top right) has Edit profile (username, personal details, password; the email cannot be changed), this manual, and Log out. Students also find their numbering prefix, advisor change request, and Recycle Bin here.

2. WSLabNotes: Digital Lab Notebook

Students record their experiments as worksheets; advisors review them. There are three worksheet types:

  • Reaction Worksheet: method, results, and a reagent/solvent stoichiometry table.
  • General Worksheet: the same, without the stoichiometry table.
  • Note: a title, a date and one text box.

Projects and folders

  • Create a Project first with + Create in the top bar. Projects can be split into folders (one level only).
  • Each project and folder in the left-hand list has a ⋮ menu to add worksheets or folders, rename, export, share, or delete.
  • Move a worksheet by dragging it onto a folder, or with Move in its ⋮ menu.

Writing a worksheet

  • Choose Location (project or folder) and a name. New worksheets get a suggested number such as wi-001; set the prefix and next number in the account menu.
  • Stoichiometry: mark one reagent as limiting; with automatic calculation on, mmol, mass and volume are filled in from its amount, each equivalent, and each solvent's concentration. The magnifying-glass button looks a chemical up on PubChem. The unit menus in the column headers (mmol/mol/µmol, mg/g/µg, mL/L/µL, M/mM/µM) change how a whole column is shown. Each worksheet remembers its choice and uses it on its view and print pages too (new worksheets start in mmol, mg, mL and M); the values themselves are always stored in mmol, mg, mL and M. Shown values are rounded to 2 decimals (small values keep 2 significant figures). Total volume under the solvents table adds up all reagent and solvent volumes.
  • Method / Results support bold, lists, tables, pasted images, Add images (including the phone camera) and Draw for hand sketches.
  • Add a worksheet image (e.g. a reaction scheme) and, after the first save, attachments (PDF, Office files, images...).

Finding and using worksheets

  • The Notebook opens on Recently updated. Use Search (press /), Filters, and View (Table, Cards, or List; recent or by project).
  • A worksheet's ⋮ menu offers Print, Duplicate, Move, Status, and Delete. To print several at once, choose Export from a project or folder menu and save as PDF from the browser.

Working with others

  • Shared projects: the owner can share a project with other students (Share project in its menu). Members can do everything except delete the project or change its members; History shows who changed what. If someone saves while you are editing, your save is stopped so nothing is overwritten.
  • Group worksheets: once your advisor approves your group access, View → Group worksheets shows your group's work, read-only. You can print or duplicate it into your own project.
  • Advisor change request (account menu): your current advisor releases you, then the new advisor accepts.

Recycle Bin

Deleted worksheets, folders and projects go to the Recycle Bin (account menu) for 30 days. Click Undo right after deleting, or Restore from the bin later. Delete forever cannot be undone.

3. Advisors and Admin

  • Advisors use the Research Group page to approve students' group access, answer advisor change requests, archive or delete their students, and read, search and print every student's worksheets (read-only).
  • The admin uses the Administration page to assign advisors to new students, archive, restore or delete accounts, and review research groups. Deleting an account is permanent (no Recycle Bin).
  • A red number in the top bar shows items waiting for your approval.

4. ChemInventory

  • Search the lab's chemicals by name, CAS number, formula or Chemical ID, filter by status, and see where each bottle is stored.
  • Scan reads a bottle's QR code or barcode with the camera (or type the ID) and opens that chemical.
  • Anyone logged in can view. Adding, editing and deleting chemicals are done in the separate ChemInventory app: click Admin login to open it.

5. ReactionCalculator

The WSLabNotes stoichiometry table on its own, without creating a worksheet. It adds a Theoretical yield card, plus Print table, Copy table (paste into Excel or a document) and Clear. Your rows are kept in this browser until you clear them.

6. SolutionCalculator

Step-by-step preparation for common lab solutions. Choose a tab:

  • Molar solution and % solution: how much solid or liquid to weigh or measure.
  • Dilution and Serial dilution: volumes of stock and diluent.
  • Concentrated reagents: diluting commercial acids and bases (e.g. 37% HCl).
  • Unit conversion: concentration units (M, mg/mL, ppm, %...), amounts and masses, volumes and temperature; it asks for MW or density only when needed.

Your inputs are kept in this browser. Always check results before use.

7. Safety & Hazard Guideline and References & Resources

Two document libraries. Search by title, author, source or tag, filter by category, and open a file or link.

  • Safety & Hazard Guideline: safety manuals, SOPs and emergency procedures. Anyone can read them; only advisors and the admin add or change them.
  • References & Resources: papers, books and methods, as files, links or DOIs. Anyone logged in can read and add; the uploader, advisors and the admin can edit or delete.

8. Good to Know

  • Only students create and edit worksheets; advisors and group members see them read-only.
  • Attachments can be added only after a worksheet's first save. Each upload is limited to 25 MB.
  • Project export uses the browser's print dialog and does not include attachment files.
  • Calculator inputs are saved only in the browser you used, not in your account.