This is an example of how you can build a free WordPress Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) with geo-location capabilities. This ELN uses only the free versions of any plugins. The data is based on an NSF research project for testing soil samples. The study was to see which soil samples contained bacteria that could break down the chemicals paraoxon or methyl parathion.
This ELN combines a simple social network with the ability to store soil sample data and view soil sample data from other researchers. Soil sample data is displayed on a map and in a directory of the soil samples. This ELN also has a learning management system (LMS) with some explanations for how to set up this ELN. Each of these features is available from the top menu item and is described below.
Directory
The Directory displays a short summary of some soil samples that have been collected for this research study. Clicking on the soil sample description will show additional details about the soil sample.
Soil Sensing Map
The Soil Sensing Map shows a map with pins for all of the soil samples with a specified location. The filter displayed on the map allows you to filter by category.
Groups
The Groups area is part of the social network features of the site. The faculty, lab admins, and students can be part of the group that corresponds to their institution.
Members
The members section lists all active members
Help
The help section contains an overview page (this page) and an example of a learning management system (LMS) course. The course briefly covers considerations concerning how to build a WordPress ELN.
Profile
The Profile menu item is represented by the avatar of the logged in user on the top right of the top menu. Clicking the avatar will display the profile area for the logged in user.
Upgrades
As mentioned, this ELN uses only free plugins. But there are professional versions of the plugins for the GeoDirectory, some BuddyDev upgrades for the BuddyPress social network, and the Elementor design widgets that allow improvements in some of these features. For example, the pro version of GeoDirectory allows you to filter using additional attributes besides just the categories. More information is found on the respective vendor websites.