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Protocol Description Popup Window

The purpose of the Protocol Description window is to provide information in sufficient detail to help other ProtoGenie users decide whether your protocol would make a good template for their intended studies.  This information can be entered or modified at any time by clicking on Description in the top menu of any composer/editor page.



The Protocol Description window contains fields for the title, description of the study, topic/field, keywords, author, protocol ID, when created, last modified, category of research, public access status, and current user. 

If this window has not been filled out, enter the following:
1.  In the field labeled "Title," enter the name of your protocol.
2.  In the field labeled "Description," enter a brief abstract of the study for which the current protocol will be used.
3.  In the field labeled "Topic/Field," enter a topic or field name to be associated with the current protocol.
4.  In the field labeled "Keywords," enter as many words separated by commas as necessary to enable effective searches by other ProtoGenie users.

The login name of the principle author of the protocol will automatically appear under "Author."  Note that under search options, you can search protocols by author's name.  There is no input field associated with "Protocol ID" because this number will be automatically assigned at the point you Save your protocol to the database. The dates "Created" and "Modified" are filled automatically by ProtoGenie.

There are two dropdown menus in the lower right-hand quadrant of the Protocol Info Panel that are particularly important to other potential users.  The first is labeled "Category of Research Method."  A category will have been selected (showing in the window) by you when you selected a protocol to use as a template or by the original author of the protocol.  Generally, you will want to leave this on the research method selected.  If for some reason it is not the method you wish to use, then you can change it here.  

The dropdown menu labeled "Public or Private" has two options, "Public" and "Private."  The default setting is "Private," meaning that no one can access the protocol without your express permission.  If you know that you would like to permit all ProtoGenie members to copy and use the current protocol as a template for their own studies, then select "Public."  This permission status can be changed at a later time should you desire.  

If you do not want this window to pop up when you open the composer again, click the check box for this option.  You can display this window anytime you wish by clicking on "Description" in the top menu of the composer/editor.  When you are finished with the Description window, click the close box and the Edit Protocol Window will be fully displayed.