Managing Studies

Quick Summary: Create, configure, activate, deactivate, and delete studies throughout their lifecycle.

What You'll Learn

• Creating new studies
• Study states and lifecycle
• Activating and deactivating studies
• Study settings and configuration
• Deleting and archiving studies
• Best practices for study organization

Overview

Studies in PEBL Hub have a lifecycle from creation through data collection to archival. Understanding how to manage studies at each stage ensures smooth research operations and maintains data integrity.

Study Lifecycle

States

Studies can be in one of these states:

1. Inactive (Draft)

Characteristics:

• Just created or explicitly deactivated
• URLs hidden or not accessible to participants
• Can be freely edited
• Doesn't count toward active study limit
• No data collection

Use when:

• Setting up new study
• Making major changes
• Study paused temporarily
• Preparing for future launch

2. Active

Characteristics:

• Participant URLs are accessible
• Data collection underway
• Limited editing (some features locked)
• Counts toward active study limit
• Visible in Browse Data

Use when:

• Actively recruiting participants
• Data collection in progress

3. Completed

Characteristics:

• Recruitment closed
• All or most participants finished
• Data downloaded and analyzed
• May be archived

Use when:

• Reached target sample size
• Study period ended
• Ready to archive

Creating a New Study

Step 1: Navigate to Create Study

1. Go to My Research Studies
2. Click Create New Study button

Step 2: Fill in Study Information

Required Fields:

Study Name:

• Descriptive name for your records
• Examples: "Spatial Memory Pilot Fall 2025", "WM Training Study - Controls"
• Use consistent naming conventions

Optional Fields:

Description:

• Brief description of study purpose
• Helps you remember what study is about
• Visible only to you and collaborators

Expiration Date:

• When study should automatically deactivate
• Leave blank for no expiration
• Can be extended later if needed

Maximum Participants:

• Limit on number of participants
• Study auto-closes when reached
• Leave blank for unlimited

Study Code/Number (if applicable):

• IRB protocol number
• Grant number
• Internal lab tracking code

Step 3: Initial State

New studies typically start as Inactive (draft state):

• Allows you to configure everything first
• Test thoroughly before activating
• No risk of accidental participant access

Step 4: Configure Study

Before activating, set up:

1. Select tests (Individual Tests tab)
2. Configure parameters (click ⚙️ Configure for each test)
3. Create test chains if needed (Test Chains tab)
4. Set participant code method
5. Test everything yourself (click ▶ Try it out)

Activating a Study

When to Activate

Activate when you're ready to start data collection:

• All tests configured and tested
• Parameters finalized
• Instructions clear
• Recruitment plan ready
• IRB approval received (if required)

How to Activate

1. Go to My Research Studies
2. Find your study
3. Click the activation toggle switch
4. Switch changes from grey (inactive) to blue/green (active)
5. Study status changes to "Active"

What Changes When Activated

Enabled:

• Participant URLs become accessible
• Data collection begins
• Study appears prominently in your list
• Counts toward active study limit

Restricted:

• Cannot edit test chains (prevents data integrity issues)
• Cannot change some fundamental settings
• Editing parameters still allowed

Testing After Activation

Always test after activation:

1. Use "▶ Try it out" button
2. Complete test as participant would
3. Verify data uploads correctly
4. Check data appears in Browse Data

Deactivating a Study

When to Deactivate

Deactivate when:

• Need to make major changes to chains
• Pausing recruitment temporarily
• Study completed (reached target N)
• Encountered technical issues requiring fixes
• Study period ended

How to Deactivate

1. Go to My Research Studies
2. Find your study
3. Click the activation toggle switch
4. Switch changes from blue/green to grey
5. Study status changes to "Inactive"

What Happens When Deactivated

Immediate effects:

• Participant URLs stop working (show error or inactive message)
• New participants cannot access
• Study doesn't count toward active limit

Data preserved:

• Existing participant data retained
• Configuration preserved
• Analytics still available

Editing unlocked:

• Can now edit test chains
• Can modify all settings
• Can make major structural changes

Reactivating

You can reactivate at any time:

1. Make needed changes while inactive
2. Test thoroughly
3. Toggle back to active
4. Participant access restored

Important: Existing participant sessions typically resume where they left off. Chain URLs remain valid.

Study Settings

Accessing Settings

1. Go to study's Manage Study page
2. Look for Settings tab or gear icon
3. May vary by interface design

Common Settings

Basic Information

• Study Name: Change display name
• Description: Update study notes
• Study Code: IRB or grant numbers

Recruitment Settings

• Expiration Date: Extend or set deadline
• Max Participants: Adjust limit
• Participation Restriction: Allow/prevent repeat participation

Data Settings

• Data Retention: How long to keep data
• Participant ID Format: Numbering/format preferences
• Download Options: What to include in downloads

Advanced Settings

• Custom Instructions: For enter-code page (see participant-codes.md)
• Completion Codes: Format for completion verification
• Redirect URLs: Default redirect behavior

Study Organization

Naming Conventions

Use consistent naming for easier management:

Examples:

[Project]<em>[Phase]</em>[Population]<em>[Date]
→ SpatialWM</em>Pilot<em>Undergrads</em>Fall2025

[PI]<em>[Grant]</em>[Study]<em>[Version] → Smith</em>R01<em>Training</em>v2

[Department]<em>[Course]</em>[Semester]
→ PSYCH301<em>Lab3</em>Spring2025

Benefits:

• Easy to find studies
• Clear at a glance what study is
• Sorts logically in lists

Study Lists and Views

Your study list shows:

• Study Name: Your descriptive name
• Status: Active, Inactive, Completed
• Token: Unique study identifier
• Participants: Count of participants
• Created: When study was created
• Actions: Buttons for common operations

Sorting:

• By date (newest/oldest)
• By name (alphabetical)
• By status (active first)
• By participant count

Filtering:

• Show only active
• Show only inactive
• Show completed studies
• Search by name

Deleting Studies

When to Delete

Good reasons:

• Test/practice study no longer needed
• Duplicate study created by mistake
• Study abandoned before any data collected
• Need to free up storage space

Bad reasons:

• Study completed (archive instead!)
• Reached participant limit (deactivate instead)
• Need to make changes (deactivate, edit, reactivate)

Before Deleting

Critical: Always download data first!

Checklist:

1. [ ] Download all participant data
2. [ ] Export study configuration
3. [ ] Save parameter settings
4. [ ] Document any special notes
5. [ ] Verify data saved to secure backup
6. [ ] Confirm no longer need participant access

How to Delete

1. Go to My Research Studies
2. Find study to delete
3. Click Delete button (often in dropdown menu)
4. WARNING appears: "This will permanently delete..."
5. Type study name to confirm (if required)
6. Click Delete Permanently

What Gets Deleted

Removed permanently:

• Study configuration
• All participant data
• Test parameters
• Chain configurations
• URLs and short URLs
• Analytics data

Cannot be recovered: Deletion is permanent!

Alternative: Archiving

If your platform supports archiving:

• Marks study as archived
• Removed from active list
• Data preserved but not actively accessible
• Can be restored if needed later

Snapshot System

Some studies may support "snapshots" - saved versions of study configuration.

What Are Snapshots?

Purpose: Version control for study configuration

Captured:

• Test parameters at specific time
• Chain configuration
• Study settings
• Date/time of snapshot

Use cases:

• Document configuration used for publication
• Restore previous version if changes cause issues
• Track parameter changes over time
• Ensure reproducibility

When Snapshots Created

Automatic:

• When study activated (captures launch configuration)
• Major configuration changes (if enabled)
• At scheduled intervals

Manual:

• Click "Create Snapshot" button
• Before making experimental changes
• After finalizing parameters

Viewing Snapshot History

1. Go to study settings
2. Look for Snapshot History or Versions
3. See list of snapshots with dates

Restoring a Snapshot

1. View snapshot history
2. Find version to restore
3. Click Restore or Revert to This Version
4. Study must be inactive to restore
5. Current configuration backed up automatically

Use when:

• Accidental changes made
• New parameters not working well
• Need to return to published configuration

Best Practices

1. Plan Before Creating

Before clicking "Create Study":

• Know your tests and parameters
• Have IRB approval (if required)
• Plan participant recruitment
• Choose participant code method
• Estimate sample size and timeline

2. Test Thoroughly While Inactive

Complete testing checklist:

• [ ] Run each test yourself
• [ ] Verify data uploads
• [ ] Check parameter values
• [ ] Test on different browsers
• [ ] Try with pilot participant
• [ ] Confirm instructions clear

3. Document Everything

Keep records of:

• When study activated
• Parameter values used
• Any changes made mid-study
• Issues encountered
• Recruitment progress
• Data quality checks

4. Monitor Actively

During data collection:

• Check analytics daily or weekly
• Watch for technical issues
• Monitor completion rates
• Respond to participant questions
• Download data regularly as backup

5. Don't Change Parameters Mid-Study

Why problematic:

• Different participants get different versions
• Hard to interpret data
• Violates study protocol
• Confounds results

If you must change:

• Document exactly when changed
• Note which participants got which version
• Consider analyzing as separate groups
• Update IRB if required

Better approach:

• Test parameters thoroughly before activating
• Create new study for modified version
• Run as separate data collection

6. Archive Systematically

After study completes:

1. Download all data
2. Export configuration
3. Create snapshot if available
4. Deactivate (or archive if available)
5. Document completion date
6. Store data securely per IRB requirements

7. Clean Up Old Studies

Quarterly or annually:

• Review all inactive studies
• Delete true test/practice studies
• Archive completed studies
• Free up storage space
• Keep list manageable

Study Limits by Tier

Different subscription tiers have different limits:

Tier	Active Studies	Total Storage
Free	1	500 MB
Student	5	2 GB
Researcher	15	10 GB
Research Plus	50	25 GB
Institutional	200+	100+ GB

Managing limits:

• Deactivate completed studies (don't count toward limit)
• Delete practice/test studies
• Archive old studies
• Upgrade tier if needed

Troubleshooting

Can't Activate Study

Possible causes:

• Reached active study limit for your tier
• Missing required configuration
• Study already active

Solutions:

• Deactivate an old study
• Complete study setup
• Check current status

Can't Edit Chain

Cause: Study is active (intentional restriction)

Solution: Deactivate study, make changes, reactivate

Why restricted: Prevents changes that could compromise data integrity or participant experience mid-study

Study Disappeared

Possible causes:

• Filtered view (showing only active)
• Accidentally deleted
• Moved to archived section

Solutions:

• Check filters and sort options
• Look in "Inactive" or "Archived" section
• Contact administrator if truly missing

Changes Not Saving

Solutions:

• Check internet connection
• Verify you have edit permissions
• Try different browser
• Check for error messages

Related Topics

• Getting Started - Creating your first study
• Collaboration - Sharing studies with team members
• Study Analytics - Monitoring study progress
• Managing Data - Downloading and working with data

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Need more help? Contact your platform administrator or refer to other help topics for specific features.

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Related Topics

• Getting Started
• Collaboration
• Study Analytics
• Managing Data