Test methods are used in studies to define the types of observation, treatment, intervention or measurement that is to be conducted. These include examples such as dosing, tissue collections, body condition scores, gait analysis or necropsy.
Important: As System Administrator, it is important to ensure that when creating Test Methods, they are uniquely defined. This is to ensure that when analysing study results, it will be possible to identify any differences that particular Test Methods produce in the outcomes and detect any unexpected data variations.
We provide a sample list for you to start with and adapt to your needs. Test methods are organised in 2 categories:
- Animal
- Other
Note: When naming a Test Method, you can use general but unique titles. When a researcher selects a Test Method, they are able to give the Test Method an additional title that enables them to provide more study specific information. For example, if you create a Test Method called Inject cell line, the researcher can specify the exact cell line, from the vendor catalogue, that will be injected for their study.
When to use Animal Test Methods
When creating a Test Method in the Animal category, you can specify the body part to which the observation, treatment or procedure pertains and the species. Therefore, it is recommended that test methods that pertain to specific body parts and / or species should be created under the Animal category.
When to use Other Test Methods
When creating a Test Method in the Other category, you can provide a freeform text description that describes the observation, treatment or procedure SOP. The freeform text can also be used to describe the composition of compounds and provide hyperlinks to catalogue information online.
Configure Animal Test Methods
To create a new Test Method, where you wish to reference a body part to which the Test Method relates, select the Animal tab and click on the Add Test Method button.
The form below will popup.
The Title should be unique and should describe the observation, measurement, procedure or intervention.
The Body part field is freeform and enables you to specify the relevant part of the animals anatomy to which the Test Method pertains. This information is used to guide researchers and technicians to address the particular body part to take a tissue sample from, inject the cell line or dose etc.
The Species field enables you to create a database of Test Methods per animal species, so you can differentiate those that are specific to mice versus rats, etc.
The User interface options enable you to select whether your method should display weight, area or free text data capture values.
Configure Other Test Methods
Other Test Methods enable you to create a database of both common and study specific observations, measurements, procedures, treatments and interventions – from Mouse Grimace Scores and Body Condition Scores to Oral or Intravenous injections of compounds or cell lines.
A range of pre-loaded examples are provided for you to modify and remove, as is appropriate for your organisation.
To add a new Other Test Method, click on the Other Test Method tab and click on the Add Test Method button. This will display the form below.
The Title should be unique and should describe the observation, measurement, procedure or intervention.
The Description provides an opportunity to provide a short explanation of the SOP and hyperlinks to relevant online sources and documents that may provide access to a more complete SOP.
The User interface options enable you to select whether your method should display weight, area or free text data capture values.
Note: When you delete a Test Method, any data collected in studies for that test method remains on the study record and is not effected. It means that this test method cannot be used for future studies.
You cannot delete a Test Method that is currently in use in a study.
Important: When you delete a Test method, it cannot be recovered.