A logbook (or log book) is a record used to record states, events, or conditions applicable to complex machines or the personnel who operate them. Logbooks are commonly associated with the operation of aircraft, nuclear plants, particle accelerators, and ships (among other applications). The term logbook originated with the
ship's log—a maritime record of important events in the management, operation, and navigation of a ship.
Format
Logbooks come in many varieties, but they are sometimes standardized in form and/or content within certain organizations or industries. In some applications like
flight training or trucking
hours of service
Hours of Service (HOS) regulations are issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and govern the working hours of anyone operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in the United States. These regulations apply to truck dr ...
, they contain specific information used to satisfy legal requirements.
Electronic logbooks
Prior to the advent of
mobile computing
Mobile computing is human–computer interaction in which a computer is expected to be transported during normal usage, which allows for the transmission of data, voice, and video. Mobile computing involves mobile communication, mobile hardware ...
, logbooks were almost exclusively printed and bound in
hard copy form. While physical logbooks offer advantages in frontline applications with many users (like
aircraft maintenance logs), the proliferation of
cloud computing
Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage ( cloud storage) and computing power, without direct active management by the user. Large clouds often have functions distributed over mu ...
and mobile devices has enabled the development of electronic logbooks. They may be as complex as software packages, or as simple as editable
spreadsheets, but electronic logbooks offer several advantages—like virtually unlimited capacity and digital
backups
In information technology, a backup, or data backup is a copy of computer data taken and stored elsewhere so that it may be used to restore the original after a data loss event. The verb form, referring to the process of doing so, is "back up", ...
.
Applications
Maritime logbooks
To record key navigation, engine watch, port calls and other operational activities on board vessels of all sizes, marine logbooks must meet the specific reporting requirements of
IMO,
SOLAS and flag states. When maritime logbooks are of the electronic variety, manually-inserted information is normally combined with data recorded from the vessel's instruments such as time and position. Typical marine logbooks are:
* Deck logbook – Records navigational events related to the voyage and operations on board
*
Dynamic positioning logbook – Manual recording of operations related to Dynamic Positioning (DP) operations
* Engine logbook – Records engine events related to the engine and machinery operation
* Oil record book – Records events related to oil and dirty water as required by IMO's MARPOL convention
* Operational log – Records events related to vessel operation, i.e. performance, cargo handling and maritime operations. The Operational Log will typically need some customisation to owner's requirement and trade.
*
Radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tr ...
logbook – Records events relevant to radio traffic as required by
IMO and the flag states
Shift logbooks
On any industrial site, there is a continuous stream of operational, maintenance and safety events occurring at all levels and areas within the process. An electronic shift logbook is used at power plants and in process industry where several shift teams cooperate in maintaining production. Typically the electronic shift logbook is used to record state at the production plant, but it can also contain simple planning functions that notify personnel about upcoming maintenance activities. Compared to the paper logbook the electronic shift logbook enhance the value of the gathered information through:
* Search functions
* Defined plant hierarchy for registration of logbook entries
* Classification according to certain entry types
* Statistics about most problematic areas
* Management reports
Additionally, access to the information storage can be controlled through user authentication and authorizations mechanisms.
Other applications
It has since been applied to a variety of other uses, including:
*
Aircraft pilots must maintain a
pilot logbook to record their time spent flying and in a simulator. In addition, aircraft operators must maintain an aircraft technical logbook (or "techlog") recording the aircraft's flights, maintenance and defects.
* In a
project, a logbook is a recording which is compiled while it is being done may be called a
project diary
A project diary, history, journal or log is a record of a project which is compiled while it is being done.
This record might be used as legal evidence if there is a dispute about the outcome of the project such as a cost overrun
A cost ov ...
.
In the
PRINCE2 project management framework, daily logs are used to record issues, actions or events not caught by other types of registers or logs within the framework. Examples of other logs or registers in PRINCE2 include the lessons log, risk register, issue register, quality register or backlog.
* In
skydiving, a logbook serves as a parachutist's personal history in the sport and also serves as an identifying document. It also provides
drop zones proof to back one's skydiving licenses, ratings and currency.
* In
scuba diving
Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for " Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chr ...
, the
dive log
A dive log is a record of the diving history of an underwater diver. The log may either be in a book, locally hosted software, or web based. The log serves purposes both related to safety and personal records. Information in a log may contain t ...
documents the experience of a diver by logging a diver's dives.
* In the
fishing industry
The fishing industry includes any industry or activity concerned with taking, culturing, processing, preserving, storing, transporting, marketing or selling fish or fish products. It is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization as including ...
, a logbook is used to record catch data as part of the
fisheries regulations. It is then submitted to the fishing authorities of the vessel's flag state.
* For
amateur radio
Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency commu ...
, the logbook is where the hams register their contacts and other radio operations. There are several programs to help radio operators in the management of their logbook.
* For
commercial vehicles: In Canada, the United States, New Zealand and other countries, a logbook is used to register driver and operator work time for commercial heavy vehicles. In the United States
hours of service
Hours of Service (HOS) regulations are issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and govern the working hours of anyone operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in the United States. These regulations apply to truck dr ...
are recorded in a logbook. In New Zealand it is referred to as
work-time.
* In the United Kingdom, a
vehicle registration certificate (V5C) and service history is often referred to as a "logbook".
* A
race car log book is a document certifying that a car is prepared to a given set of rules and is safe for competitions.
*
Lab notebooks and
electronic lab notebooks are used in research and scientific settings.
See also
*
Inventor's notebook
*
Service book (disambiguation)
*
Timesheet
References
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Records management