Any user with Collection protocol below privileges should be able to perform the following actions on a CP. Refer to the 'Roles and Privileges' page for more details on the roles and access.

Read
Create
Update
Delete
Import/Export

Edit

A user can edit the existing CP information and add the required details as needed.

Navigate to the collection protocol overview page → click on 'Edit' → Make the required changes → Click on Update

Clone CP

A Collection Protocol (CP) can be cloned in OpenSpecimen to create an exact copy within the same instance. This feature is especially useful when setting up a similar study, as it allows administrators to save time by reusing existing configurations instead of creating a new protocol from scratch.

Cloning the CP will copy below details of the CP.

Events
Specimen Requirement
CP Settings
JSON workflow

Once the CP is cloned, all required forms should be attached to the CP to the required level manually.

Delete CP

Administrators who have the privilege to delete protocols can delete a protocol from the main overview page. Click on 'Delete' to delete the collection protocol.

If participants and specimens are already registered under the protocol, the system warns and makes the user type 'DELETE ANYWAY' so that it is not deleted accidentally. This will delete the protocol with all data under it.

Close/Reopen

If a study is completed and no participant registration or specimen collection is going to happen, the users have the option to close the collection protocol.

Closing the CP you will not be able to perform certain action.

Action	Can it be Performed?

Action	Can it be Performed?
Register New Participant	No
Create Events	Yes
Add Specimen Requirements	Yes
Collect Pending Visits	Yes
Collect Unplanned Visits	No
Collect Planned Specimens	Yes
Collect Unplanned Specimens	Yes
Process Specimens	Yes
Store Specimens	Yes
Transfer Specimens	Yes
Distribute Specimens	Yes
Ship Specimens	Yes

To reopen the collection protocol, go to the overview page of the closed collection protocol and click on 'Reopen'.

Export/Import

A CP can be exported and imported from one instance of OpenSpecimen to another. E.g. QA server to production server.

Pre-requisites before importing a protocol from one server to another:

Users used as PI/coordinators exists
Sites associated to the protocol or used as default sites in events exists
User who is doing the import has sufficient access
If new dropdown values like specimen type, collection containers etc. are created to be used in the protocol, make sure those are imported as well

Navigate to the overview page of the CP which is to be exported.
Click on 'More' → ‘Export Collection Protocol (JSON)’
This will export the protocol definition to a .json file
Go to the collection protocols list page of the other instance of OpenSpecimen where the exported CP has to be imported.
Click on 'More' option and select option 'Collection Protocol'
Upload the .json file and click on 'Import'

Starring CP

From v6.3, it is possible for users to ‘star’ a protocol which they work on regularly. This is similar to a browser bookmark, where users can mark the sites they visit frequently.

Starring a collection protocol makes it appear at the top of the list, thus saving the users' effort to search for the protocols that are accessed frequently.

This starring is login-specific. Each logged-in user can have her/his own list of starred collection protocols.

From the ‘Navigation’ menu, go to the ‘Collection Protocols’ list page.
On the left-hand side, a blank ‘star’ icon is visible.
Search for the protocols that need to be accessed more frequently than the others. Click on the star(s) present in front of such protocols. They turn golden once you click on them.
Refresh the page. These will appear at the top whenever you log in using the same login ID.
Starred CPs are ordered in the descending order of starred time. More recently starred CPs will appear above the previously starred CPs.

The starred CPs can be unstarred by clicking again on the golden ‘star’ icon.