The Protocols module allows you to document your lab's procedures, in Labguru we use them as templates for new experiments.

The protocols page shares its design and functionality with the experiment page but doesn't contain a results section. The protocol can document all relevant information such as the procedure steps, reagents, samples, calculations, and plate design. When the protocol is used in an experiment the whole content is copied to the new page, but the original protocol is not changed.

1. Go to "Protocols" under the "e-Notebook" tab

2. Click on either "Add From Protocols Directory" or manually create a "New protocol".

There are 2 ways in which protocols can be used:

1. Enter the protocol you want to work on and click on the Start experiment button.

2. The Create new experiment from protocol window will open. Select the location to save the new experiment.

3. Click Add Experiment.

The new experiment will contain a copy of the protocol and this will allow us to use the templates from it. For example, if you have designed a form in the protocol, you can populate it in the experiment, if you added sample information you can choose the actual stocks you used for the specific experiment, in the steps element you can mark steps as completed and start the timer, etc.

We can create an experiment that contains multiple protocols by adding a protocol as a new section.

1. To do this, click on the Add section link between two existing sections in the experiment.

2. Then, from the options given, click on Load from protocol and select the desired protocol from the drop-down list.

* You can search for the protocol in the list by typing any part of the protocol title.

For more information on managing sections see the Managing Your Sections in Experiments and Protocols article.