Signals Notebook: Creating and Managing Parallel Experiment Templates

Parallel Experiment Templates in Signals Notebook provide a standardized structure for creating parallel experiments, which allow researchers to manage multiple related sub-experiments within a single parent experiment. This article explains how to create, configure, and manage parallel experiment templates, including adding fields, establishing parent-child relationships between fields, and setting up mandatory information items.

Solution:

Understanding Parallel Experiment Templates

Signals Notebook includes a default parallel experiment template (DEFAULT_PARALLEL_EXPERIMENT) that:

• Is shared by default with Administrators and All Users groups
• Cannot be renamed or deleted
• Can only be edited by users with system administrator roles
• Is used automatically when users create parallel experiments without selecting a specific template

Creating a New Parallel Experiment Template

1. Navigate to System Objects > Parallel Experiment > Templates (under Parallel Experiment Settings > Parallel Experiment)
2. Click the "Create Template" button
3. Enter a name and description for the template
4. Click the "Create Template" button to generate the new template

Note: By default, a Subexperiment Summary information item is automatically added to newly created templates. This summary table will contain all added/enumerated subexperiments.

Adding Content to Templates

Add information items using the "Add Content" dropdown list, which includes:

• Subexperiment
• Subexperiment Layout
• Subexperiment Summary
• Sample Summary
• Text
• Chemical Drawing
• Enumerator
• External Enumerator File
• MS Office information items
• Materials Table
• Table
• Image
• Spotfire File
• Tasks to do
• File Upload (supports formats including xls, xlsx, pdf, ppt, pptx, doc, docx, png, jpg, jpeg, gif, tiff, BMP, CDX, CDXML)

Making Information Items Mandatory

1. Add the information item to your template
2. Click the "mark as mandatory" icon next to the item
3. A plus sign will replace the X sign, indicating the item is now mandatory
4. Users without the "Trash Mandatory Entities" privilege cannot delete these items

Managing Template Properties and Sharing

• Properties Tab: View information about the template name, description, creator, and modification history
• History Button: View all actions performed on the template and its fields
• Sharing Button: Share the template with individual users or groups with Read, Write, or Full Control privileges
  • Note: Only users with whom you've shared the template can use it in Signals Notebook
  • The default template automatically includes All Users with Read privileges that cannot be edited

Adding and Configuring Fields

1. Click the "Fields" tab to view the Parallel Experiment Fields window
2. Default fields include Name and Description (editable but not deletable)
3. Click "Add New Field" to create additional fields
4. Configure each field with:
   • Field Label: Enter a name for the field
   • Attribute: Select the field type (text, number, list, etc.)
   • Multi Select: Allow selection of multiple values from a list (if applicable)
   • Read Only: Make the field non-editable if checked
   • Required: Make the field mandatory if checked
     • Choose whether it's required during creation or completion
     • Required fields must be filled before signing transitions like Close, Sign and Close, Sign and Add Reviewers, and Sign and Add Two Stage Reviewers

Configuring the Name Field

The Name field can be configured as:

• Text type: Users must manually enter experiment names
• Number sequence: Experiment names are generated automatically based on the selected sequence format

Creating Parent-Child Field Relationships

1. Add a field and select a parent list as the attribute type (this parent list should be created under Attributes first)
2. Add another field and select the child field associated with the parent
3. In the "Specify Parent List" field, select the parent list
4. Configure additional options as needed (Multi Select, Required, etc.)
5. A tree icon will appear next to child fields in the Fields page

Important Notes

• Changes to template attributes only affect newly created experiments, not existing ones
• Subexperiments are not added separately to the template but are added under the subexperiment summary table
• To navigate to a particular subexperiment, click on its corresponding name in the summary table
• Parent-child relationships affect how users select values:
  • When a parent value is selected, only associated child values are displayed
  • If no parent value is selected, all child values (including orphans) are displayed
  • Selecting an incorrect parent value after selecting a child value will clear the child value

Best Practices for Template Management

1. Standardization: Design templates that capture all necessary information for your parallel experiment workflows
2. Subexperiment Design: Consider how subexperiments will be structured and what information they should contain
3. Required Fields: Use the Required option judiciously to ensure critical information is captured
4. Mandatory Items: Mark critical information items as mandatory to prevent accidental deletion
5. Documentation: Document the purpose and usage of each template for user reference
6. User Training: Provide training on template selection and usage to ensure proper implementation

By properly configuring parallel experiment templates, organizations can standardize their complex experimental processes, ensure data completeness, and improve overall workflow efficiency in Signals Notebook.