Quick start
Build your first protocol
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A protocol is the ordered list of steps every sample goes through, and what each step records. Open your project, tap Protocols, then New protocol. Name it, add a step, add a value for the step to record, and tap Publish. A batch can only follow a published protocol.
In this guide you will learn how to:
- Create a protocol in a project
- Add a step
- Add a value the step records
- Publish it so batches can use it
On this page
Before you start
- You need a project. See create your first project.
- Think of one thing you do to a sample and one thing you measure while you do it, for example Inoculate and Temperature. That is enough for a first protocol.
How to build a protocol
You build a protocol in your project’s Protocols area. It is a draft until you publish it, and a batch can only follow a published protocol.
Open your project and tap Protocols.
Tap New protocol, type a name such as Growth check, and tap Create. The protocol appears in the list, marked Draft.
Tap the protocol to open it. Tap + Add step, type the step’s name, for example Inoculate, and tap Add. The step opens.
On the step, tap + Add value. Type a name, for example Temperature. Tap Type and choose Number, then type a unit such as °C. Tap Add value.
Tap the protocol’s name at the top left, with the arrow beside it, to go back to the protocol. The step now says 1 value.
Tap Publish. A Published message appears and the label under the protocol’s name changes from Draft to Published.
What each part of a step does
Every step has the same parts. Only the name is needed to add one.
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Instructions | A short note for whoever logs the step at the bench. |
| Name | What the step is called in the protocol and on the log sheet. |
| Colour | Gives the step one colour everywhere it appears. |
| Kind | What sort of step it is. The five kinds are below. |
| Time allowed | An optional Late after limit, in hours or days. |
| Values | What the step records each time it is logged. A value marked Required must be filled in before the step can be logged. The glossary lists every value type. |
What are the five step kinds?
Pick the kind that says what happens to the sample in that step.
| Kind | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Intake | The sample arrives. |
| Process | Work is done on the sample. |
| Check | The step passes or fails. |
| Store | The sample is put away. |
| Done | There is nothing more to do. |
Common questions
- How many steps and values does a protocol need?
- One step that records one value is a complete protocol. You can start there.
- What is the difference between a draft and a published protocol?
- A draft is yours to change. Once a protocol is published, batches can follow it, and a batch can only follow a published protocol.
- What can a value record besides a number?
- Text, a dropdown choice, yes or no, a slider, a rating, a checklist, a photo, a barcode, a date and time, and more. The type sheet lists them all, and the glossary names each one.
What to do next
- Create your first batchHow to create a batch in tinysamples: open the project, tap New batch, name it, check the protocol and the first sample ID, and tap Create and add samples.
- GlossaryThe words tinysamples uses, in one place: lab, project, protocol, step, value, batch, sample, entry, and the labels you see on the screens.
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