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1. Logging In

Once the user has been granted access to the website, use the credentials given to the user by your manager or administrator.

Depending on your organization, you may be redirected to an External Identity Provider (e.g. ESAS) which you will be asked to link your account to.

1 SignIn

2. Collection

A Collection represents the top entity that can contain material-sample.

2.1. Creating a Collection

  1. On the left side of the DINA Homepage, click the Collection option under the Collection submenu

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  1. In the Collection page, click the Create New button.

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  1. In the Add Collection page, add any relevant information about your Collection. After doing so, click the Save button on the top right corner of the page.

It is mandatory to name your Collection.
  1. Check that the information is correct. Note that this can be edited at any time.
    If you wish to edit, see the changes, or delete the collection, you can do so through the buttons on the top right corner of the page.

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  1. The created Collection can now be accessed through the Collection page.

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3. Controlled Vocabulary

In DINA, some users with appropriate permissions will be able to create Controlled Vocabulary objects referring to terminology or processes that are commonly used in their practice.

Here are some examples of Controlled Vocabulary objects that can be created:

Collection Methods

Method used during a Collecting Event. (see DINA Glossary - Collection Method)

Preparation Methods

A noun representing the process used in preparing the material sample. (see DINA Glossary - Preparation Method)

Preparation Types

Description of the preservation type of the material sample. (see DINA Glossary - Preparation Type)

Protocol

Predefined written procedural method in the design and implementation of experiments. (see DINA Glossary - Protocol)

3.1. Creating Collection Methods, Preparation Methods, Preparation Types, or Protocols

  1. In the DINA Homepage, you can find links for Collection Methods, Preparation Methods, Preparation Types, and Protocols under the Controlled Vocabulary submenu. Click on which option you would like to create.

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  1. After choosing, click on the Create New button on the top right corner of the page.

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  1. Fill in the Name and Description (in English and/or French) of the method/type/protocol to be added.

It is mandatory to name the object.

Also note that in creating a new Protocol, the user can also add the Protocol Type, Protocol Data, and add Protocol Attachments which are not fields in the other Controlled Vocabulary objects.

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  1. Check that the information is correct. Note that this can be edited at any time.
    If you wish to edit, see the changes, or delete the created object, you can do so through the buttons on the top right corner of the page.

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  1. The created object can now be accessed in the list page.

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4. Managed Attributes

Managed attributes are attributes that can be created and used by the users on-demand to be used used to track data that is not common enough to be captured in a regular field. (see DINA Glossary - Managed Attributes)

Managed Attributes can be created for the following components in DINA:

Collection

Main component in DINA that can be used for MaterialSample, CollectingEvent, Preparation, etc.

Object Store

Files uploaded to DINA that can be used as an attachment.

Transactions

Transactions made related to Material Samples that are tracked in DINA.

4.1. Creating Managed Attributes

  1. In the DINA Homepage, under the Controlled Vocabulary submenu, click on the Managed Attributes option.

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  1. In the Managed Atributes page, choose what object you would like to make an attribute for (Collection, Object Store, or Transactions).

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  1. In the same page, click on the Create New button.

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  1. In the Add New Managed Attribute page, fill out relevant data about the new attribute to be added. After doing so, click the Save button on the top right corner of the screen.

The Name, Target Data Component Type, and Vocabulary Element Type fields are mandatory.
  1. Check that the information is correct. Note that this can be edited at any time (except for the Name field).
    If you wish to edit or delete the created attribute, you can do so through the buttons on the top right corner of the page.

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  1. The created attribute can now be accessed in the list page of the object type it was created for (Collection, Object Store, or Transactions).

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5. Collecting Events

A Collecting Event is the act of extraction from nature at some location at a certain point in time.

5.1. Creating Material Sample(s)

  1. In the DINA Homepage, under the Collection submenu, click on the Material Samples option.

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  1. In the Material Samples page, click on the Create new button.

    If you wish to input more than one sample, click on the Create Multiple New button.

If the user has more than sample to input from a single collection, it is recommended to create multiple samples at once.
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If the user elects to create multiples samples at once, they will be taken to the following page where they will be asked how many samples will be created.They can then link the samples to a Collection and configure the naming scheme for each sample:

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  1. In the next step, the user can fill in specific information about the/each sample.

Note that none of these fields are required to be filled in and they can be edited at any time.

The user can also add (or remove) which data components they want to in the left hand side of the page by clicking on the button beside each component.

Clicking on an active data component on the left takes the user directly to the component’s data fields.
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  1. Once all relevant information has been filled out click the Save or Save All button at the right hand side of the page.

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  1. All created samples will now be accessible through the list page and can be edited.

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5.2. Linking a Material Sample to a Collecting Event

If the user has not linked a sample to a Collecting Event when creating it, they can go back to the created sample and link the event by editing it.

  1. To access the sample from the DINA Homepage, click on Material Samples from the Collection submenu

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  1. If not immediately seen in the list page, the user can search for the sample using queries in the Material Samples page.

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  1. The user will then be given results based on the search parameters they have given. Click on the sample you wish to link to an event.

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  1. In the chosen sample’s read-only page, click on the Edit button.

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  1. Activate the Collecting Event component by clicking on the button corresponding to it.

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  1. The user can now choose to create a new Collecting Event or attach the sample to an already existing event.

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  1. Once done, click on the Save button on the right hand corner of the page. This will successfully link a Material Sample to the intended Collecting Event and will be reflected in the sample’s and the event’s read-only pages.

5 2 Save

6. Split Configuration

Split Configurations enable you to configure how Material Sample Splits are automatically named and under what conditions they can be used. For more information about Split Confiigurations, please refer to DINA Concepts and Glossary - Split Configuration.

6.1. Creating a Split Configuration

  1. In the DINA Homepage, click on Split Configurations under the Configuration submenu.

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  1. In the Split Configurations page, click on the Create new button on the top right corner of the page.

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  1. In the Add Split Configuration page, enter all configurations the user wants to in regards to splitting the material samples.

When creating Split Configurations, remember to choose options for the following required fields:
Split Configuration Name
Material Sample Type
Strategy
Generation Options
  1. Once the user has set the configuration’s name, material sample type, and sample generation configurations, click the Save button on the top right corner of the page. This will make the configuration accessible when doing a Material Sample Split.

    Also note that the configuration can be edited at any time.

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6.2. Using Split Configuration for a Material Sample

To use a Split Configuration, the user must access the material sample they wish to split.

  1. From the DINA Homepage, click on the Material Samples option under the Collection submenu.

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  1. Search for and click on the material sample the user wants to use the Split Configuration on. If the sample has not been created yet, please refer to the Creating Material Sample(s) Section of the guide.

  1. Once the user is in the sample’s read-only page, click on the Split▾ drop-down button and select which Split Configuration the user wants to use. After doing so, click on Split button below it.

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  1. Check that all information is to the user’s desired split. Once the user has done so, click on the Split button on the top right corner of the page.

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  1. Now all that’s left to do is edit the Material Samples generated through the split. This step is similar to the creation of material samples as in the Creating Material Sample(s) Section - Step 3 and onwards.

  1. Once everything has been done, click on the Save All button at the top right corner of the page.

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This process makes child samples with the intended sample type configured by the user. This process can be repeated for the child samples resulting to their own child samples as long as there is a Split Configuration with the appropriate Material Sample Type.

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7. Storing an Object

In DINA, users are able to upload files which can be linked to samples and collections. This can be done through the Object Store. Examples of files that may be uploaded are pictures related to samples, sequencing files, .txt files, word documents, etc.

There are 2 pathways to store an object to DINA and link it to a Material Sample.

7.1. Upload through the DINA Homepage

  1. In the DINA Homepage, click on Upload Files under the Object Store submenu

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  1. In the Upload Files page, "drag and drop" the object from your Desktop to the designated area or click the area to search for the object through a dialog box.

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  1. Once the object has been chosen, click the Save button that will appear on the bottom right corner of the designated area.

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  1. The user will now be able to input data regarding the file in the Add Metadata page. Once done, click the Save button at the top right corner of the page. The user should now be able to access the uploaded file.

  1. Head back to the DINA Homepage and click on Material Samples under the Collection submenu.

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  1. In the Material Samples List page, search for and click the sample the user would like to link the object to.

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  1. In the sample’s read-only page, click on the Edit button.

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  1. Scroll to the Material Sample Attachments at the very bottom of the sample’s Edit Page or click on the Material Sample Attachments link on the left side of the page. Once there, click on the Add Attachments button in the Material Sample Attachments section.

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  1. In the Attachments page, click on the Attach Existing Objects option and choose the object(s) the user would like to link to the sample and click the Attach Selected button on the right hand side of the page.

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  1. The attachment(s) should now be seen in the Material Sample Attachments section of the sample’s Edit Page. Once the user has confirmed that everything is correct, click the Save button on the top right corner of the page.

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7.2. Upload on Material Sample or Collecting Event Directly

  1. In the DINA Homepage, click on Material Samples under the Collection submenu.

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  1. In the Material Samples List Page, click on the sample the user would like to link an object to.

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  1. Once in the sample’s read-only page, click on the Edit button on the top right corner of the page.

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  1. Scroll to the Material Sample Attachments at the very bottom of the sample’s Edit Page or click on the Material Sample Attachments link on the left side of the page. Once there, click on the Add Attachments button in the Material Sample Attachments section.

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The Steps 5-7 will be very similar to uploading an object as in Upload through the DINA Homepage Section - Steps 2-4
  1. In the Attachments page, either click on the designated area to search for the object using a dialog box or "drag and drop" a file from your Desktop to the designated area. The user can add however many files they wish.

  1. Once you have added all the files to be linked, click on the Save button that will appear on the bottom right corner of the designatede area.

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  1. Fill the relevant data for the uploaded file(s) and click the Save All button on top of the page.

  1. The attachment(s) should now be seen in the Material Sample Attachments section of the sample’s Edit Page. Once the user has confirmed that everything is correct, click the Save button on the top right corner of the page.

7 LastSave