Managing Studies

Quick Summary: Understand study states (Draft, Pilot, Active, Disabled), transition between them properly, and manage studies throughout their complete lifecycle from creation to completion.

What You'll Learn

• Understanding the five study states (Draft, Pilot, Active, Disabled, Archived)
• Creating and configuring new studies
• Using Pilot mode for testing before going live
• Transitioning between states correctly
• When and how to pause studies
• Study settings and configuration
• Best practices for study lifecycle management
• Deleting and archiving studies
• Troubleshooting common state-related issues

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

Understanding Study States

PEBL Hub uses a state-based lifecycle system to manage studies from creation through data collection to completion. Each state has specific capabilities and restrictions designed to protect data integrity.

The Five Study States

1. Draft ✏️

Purpose: Initial setup and configuration

Characteristics:

• Study is being configured and set up
• Fully editable - you can modify everything
• No data collection
• URLs are not accessible to participants
• Does not count toward active study limit
• No automatic snapshots created

Capabilities:

• ✅ Add/remove tests
• ✅ Create/modify/delete test chains
• ✅ Change parameters
• ✅ Modify all study settings
• ✅ Test as researcher ("Try it out")
• ❌ Participants cannot access

Use when:

• Setting up new study
• Making major structural changes
• Rebuilding chains or test battery
• Preparing for future launch
• Experimenting with different configurations

Visual indicator: Blue pencil icon or "Draft" badge

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2. Pilot 🧪

Purpose: Testing and validation before going live

Characteristics:

• Study is in pilot/testing phase
• Configuration is locked (cannot be edited)
• Data collection is enabled (pilot data only)
• URLs are accessible (typically to internal testers)
• Counts toward active study limit
• Automatic snapshot created when entering this state

Capabilities:

• ❌ Cannot add/remove tests
• ❌ Cannot modify chains
• ✅ Can adjust parameters (carefully!)
• ✅ Can collect pilot data
• ✅ URLs work for participants
• ✅ Can transition to Active or Disabled

Use when:

• Testing with research assistants
• Running pilot participants
• Validating setup before real data collection
• Checking timing and flow
• Identifying issues before going live

Best practice: Pilot mode is strongly recommended before activating for real data collection. This lets you:

• Test complete workflow end-to-end
• Verify data uploads correctly
• Check participant experience
• Identify technical issues
• Make final parameter adjustments

Visual indicator: Orange test tube icon or "Pilot" badge

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3. Active ✅

Purpose: Live data collection with real participants

Characteristics:

• Study is live and collecting real research data
• Configuration is locked (cannot be edited)
• Data collection is enabled
• URLs are fully accessible
• Counts toward active study limit
• Automatic snapshot created when entering this state (if not reusing pilot snapshot)

Capabilities:

• ❌ Cannot add/remove tests
• ❌ Cannot modify chains
• ⚠️ Can adjust parameters (not recommended mid-study!)
• ✅ Collecting real data
• ✅ URLs work for all participants
• ✅ Can transition to Disabled (pause)

Use when:

• Actively recruiting real participants
• Collecting research data
• Study fully validated and tested
• IRB approval in place

Important: Only move to Active after thorough pilot testing!

Visual indicator: Green checkmark icon or "Active" badge

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4. Disabled (Paused) ⏸

Purpose: Temporarily pause data collection

Characteristics:

• Study is paused
• Configuration remains locked
• Data collection is disabled
• URLs return "study paused" message
• Does not count toward active study limit
• Existing data preserved

Capabilities:

• ❌ Cannot edit while disabled
• ❌ No data collection
• ✅ Can reactivate (resume → Active)
• ✅ Can transition to Draft (for major edits)
• ✅ View and download existing data

Use when:

• Temporarily pausing recruitment
• Need to stop data collection urgently
• Study period ended
• Reached target sample size
• Need to review pilot data before continuing

To make changes: Transition Disabled → Draft (unlocks editing)

Visual indicator: Gray pause icon or "Paused" badge

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5. Archived 📦

Purpose: Long-term storage (reserved for future use)

Status: Not yet implemented

Planned characteristics:

• Study is permanently archived
• Configuration locked
• No data collection
• Data preserved but not actively accessible
• Does not count toward any limits

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State Transition Diagram

     CREATE
        ↓
    [DRAFT] ←─────────┐
       ↓ ↓            │
       │ └──→ [PILOT] │
       │         ↓    │
       │    [ACTIVE]  │
       │         ↓    │
       └───→ [DISABLED]

Valid Transitions:

• Draft → Pilot: Test with pilot participants before going live
• Draft → Active: Skip pilot, go directly live (not recommended!)
• Pilot → Active: Pilot testing complete, begin real data collection
• Pilot → Disabled: Pause pilot testing
• Active → Disabled: Pause live data collection
• Disabled → Active: Resume data collection
• Disabled → Draft: Make major edits (unlocks configuration)

Invalid Transitions (not allowed):

• ❌ Active → Draft (must go through Disabled first)
• ❌ Pilot → Draft (must go through Disabled first)
• ❌ Active → Pilot (cannot go backwards)

Why these restrictions? To protect data integrity and prevent accidental changes during data collection.

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)

Transitioning Between States

Recommended Workflow

The recommended workflow for a research study:

CREATE → Draft → Pilot → Active → Disabled

Step-by-step:

1. Create study (starts in Draft)
2. Configure fully while in Draft
3. Test yourself using "Try it out"
4. Transition to Pilot when ready to test with others
5. Run pilot participants (research assistants, colleagues)
6. Review pilot data and make final adjustments
7. Transition to Active when ready for real data collection
8. Collect data from research participants
9. Transition to Disabled when complete or need to pause

How to Change Study State

Using the State Selector

1. Go to My Research Studies
2. Find your study
3. Look for the State dropdown or button
4. Select desired new state
5. Confirm the transition

Visual feedback:

• State badge updates with new color and icon
• Confirmation message appears
• Snapshot created if transitioning to Pilot or Active

Direct Transition Buttons

Some interfaces may show direct transition buttons:

• "Start Pilot" (Draft → Pilot)
• "Go Live" (Pilot → Active or Draft → Active)
• "Pause Study" (Active → Disabled or Pilot → Disabled)
• "Resume" (Disabled → Active)
• "Edit Study" (Disabled → Draft)

Transitioning to Pilot

When to pilot:

• Before any real data collection
• After major configuration changes
• When testing new test batteries
• Before publishing study URLs

Checklist before piloting:

• [ ] All tests added and configured
• [ ] Parameters set correctly
• [ ] Test chains created (if using chains)
• [ ] Tested yourself with "Try it out"
• [ ] Instructions reviewed
• [ ] Completion codes/redirects configured

How to pilot:

1. In Draft state, click "Start Pilot" or select Pilot from state dropdown
2. Snapshot is automatically created (saves current configuration)
3. Study transitions to Pilot state
4. URLs now work for participants
5. Share URL with pilot testers (research assistants, colleagues)
6. Run 2-5 pilot participants
7. Review data quality
8. Make parameter adjustments if needed
9. When satisfied, transition to Active

What happens:

• ✅ Snapshot created automatically
• ✅ URLs become accessible
• ✅ Can collect pilot data
• ❌ Cannot modify chains or tests
• ⚠️ Can adjust parameters (use carefully!)

Transitioning to Active

When to activate:

• After successful pilot testing
• All tests validated and working
• Parameters finalized
• Ready for real participants
• IRB approval in place (if required)

Checklist before activating:

• [ ] Pilot testing complete
• [ ] Pilot data reviewed
• [ ] Parameters finalized
• [ ] No errors or technical issues
• [ ] Instructions clear
• [ ] Completion codes tested
• [ ] Recruitment plan ready
• [ ] IRB approval received

How to activate:

1. From Pilot or Draft, click "Go Live" or select Active from state dropdown
2. Snapshot may be created (if configuration changed since Pilot)
3. Study transitions to Active state
4. Begin recruiting real participants

What happens:

• ✅ URLs fully accessible to all participants
• ✅ Collecting real research data
• ✅ Snapshot created (if needed)
• ❌ Cannot modify chains or tests
• ⚠️ Can adjust parameters (strongly discouraged!)
• ✅ Counts toward active study limit

Important: Never change parameters mid-study! Different participants would get different versions, confounding your results.

Testing After Transitioning

Always test after any state transition:

1. Use "▶ Try it out" button
2. Complete entire workflow as participant would
3. Verify data uploads correctly
4. Check data appears in Browse Data
5. Test completion codes/redirect URLs

Pausing a Study (Transitioning to Disabled)

When to Pause

Transition to Disabled state when:

• Need to pause recruitment temporarily
• Study completed (reached target N)
• Encountered technical issues requiring investigation
• Study period ended
• Need to review data before continuing
• Awaiting IRB modification approval

How to Pause

1. Go to My Research Studies
2. Find your study (currently Active or Pilot)
3. Click "Pause Study" or select Disabled from state dropdown
4. Confirm the transition
5. Study state changes to "Disabled" (Paused)

What Happens When Paused

Immediate effects:

• Participant URLs stop working (show "study paused" message)
• New participants cannot access study
• Study does not count toward active limit
• Configuration remains locked

Data preserved:

• All existing participant data retained
• All configuration preserved
• Analytics still available
• Snapshot history preserved

Editing still restricted:

• ❌ Cannot edit chains while Disabled
• ❌ Cannot modify tests while Disabled
• ❌ Cannot change structure while Disabled

To make changes: Must transition Disabled → Draft first (see below)

Resuming from Disabled

Option 1: Resume Data Collection (Disabled → Active)

When to resume:

• Pause period ended
• Issue resolved
• Ready to continue recruitment

How to resume:

1. Find paused study
2. Click "Resume" or select Active from state dropdown
3. Study returns to Active state
4. Participant URLs work again
5. Data collection continues

What happens:

• ✅ URLs accessible again
• ✅ Data collection resumes
• ✅ Existing participants can continue
• ✅ New participants can join
• ❌ Configuration still locked

Option 2: Make Major Edits (Disabled → Draft)

When to edit:

• Need to modify test chains
• Need to add/remove tests
• Need to restructure study

How to edit:

1. Find paused study
2. Click "Edit Study" or select Draft from state dropdown
3. Study transitions to Draft state
4. All editing capabilities unlocked
5. Make needed changes
6. Test thoroughly
7. Re-pilot if changes are significant
8. Transition back through Pilot → Active

What happens:

• ✅ Full editing access restored
• ✅ Can modify everything
• ❌ URLs no longer work
• ❌ No data collection
• ⚠️ Counts as significant change - consider re-piloting!

Important: If you made substantial changes, you should re-pilot (Draft → Pilot → Active) to validate the modifications before resuming real data collection.

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]_[Phase]_[Population]_[Date]
→ SpatialWM_Pilot_Undergrads_Fall2025

[PI]_[Grant]_[Study]_[Version]
→ Smith_R01_Training_v2

[Department]_[Course]_[Semester]
→ PSYCH301_Lab3_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. Always Use the Pilot State

Why pilot first?:

• Catch configuration errors before real data collection
• Test complete participant workflow
• Verify data uploads correctly
• Check timing and instructions
• Identify technical issues early

Pilot workflow:

1. Configure study in Draft
2. Test yourself with "Try it out"
3. Transition to Pilot
4. Run 2-5 pilot participants (research assistants, colleagues)
5. Review pilot data
6. Make final parameter adjustments
7. Transition to Active

Who should pilot?:

• Research assistants
• Lab colleagues
• Your advisors/collaborators
• Yourself (multiple times)
• Not real research participants

2. Plan Before Creating

Before clicking "Create Study":

• Know your tests and parameters
• Have IRB approval (if required)
• Plan participant recruitment strategy
• Choose participant code method
• Estimate sample size and timeline
• Prepare completion codes/redirect URLs

3. Test Thoroughly in Draft

Complete testing checklist:

• [ ] Run each test yourself
• [ ] Verify data uploads correctly
• [ ] Check parameter values
• [ ] Test on different browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
• [ ] Verify chains work correctly
• [ ] Test completion codes and redirects
• [ ] Confirm instructions are clear
• [ ] Check mobile compatibility (if allowing mobile)

4. Never Skip States

Don't do this:

• ❌ Draft → Active (skipping Pilot)
• ❌ Disabled → Active without retesting
• ❌ Making major changes in Disabled then resuming

Do this instead:

• ✅ Draft → Pilot → Active (proper validation)
• ✅ Disabled → Draft → Pilot → Active (if major changes)
• ✅ Disabled → Active (only if no changes, just resuming)

5. Don't Change Parameters Mid-Study

Why problematic:

• Different participants get different test versions
• Hard to interpret data
• Violates study protocol
• Confounds results
• May violate IRB approval

If you must change:

• Pause study (Active → Disabled)
• Document exactly when changed
• Note which participants got which version
• Consider analyzing as separate groups
• Update IRB protocol if required
• Consider whether to start new study instead

Better approach:

• Test parameters thoroughly in Pilot
• Create new study for modified version
• Run as separate, independent data collection

6. Document Everything

Keep records of:

• When each state transition occurred
• Parameter values used
• Any changes made (with timestamps)
• Issues encountered and resolutions
• Recruitment progress and sources
• Data quality checks
• Snapshot IDs for published configurations

Use snapshots:

• Snapshots automatically created when entering Pilot or Active
• Record snapshot ID in publications for reproducibility
• Use snapshot history to track configuration changes over time

7. Monitor Actively

During data collection:

• Check participant completion rate daily or weekly
• Watch for technical issues or error patterns
• Monitor data quality
• Respond promptly to participant questions
• Download data regularly as backup
• Check analytics for dropout patterns

8. Pause, Don't Delete

When study completes:

• Transition to Disabled (not delete!)
• Download all data first
• Keep configuration available
• Preserve snapshot history
• Maintain for future reference

Only delete when:

• True test/practice study
• Duplicate created by accident
• Absolutely no data collected
• Need to free storage urgently

9. Archive Systematically

After study completes:

1. Transition to Disabled
2. Download all data (multiple backups!)
3. Export configuration if needed
4. Document final snapshot ID
5. Document completion date
6. Store data securely per IRB requirements
7. Note any deviations from protocol

10. Clean Up Old Studies

Quarterly or annually:

• Review all Disabled studies
• Delete true test/practice studies
• Keep completed research studies
• Free up storage space
• Maintain organized study list
• Archive important configurations

11. Use Meaningful Names

Good study names:

• Include project or grant
• Include phase (Pilot, Main, Replication)
• Include population if relevant
• Include date or version

Examples:

• WM_Training_Pilot_Fall2025
• AttentionStudy_Undergrads_v2
• R01_CogAging_Wave1_2026

Why important:

• Easy to find studies months later
• Clear what each study is for
• Sorts logically in lists
• Easier collaboration

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 Transition to Pilot or Active

Error: "Cannot transition from [state] to [state]"

Possible causes:

• Invalid state transition (e.g., Active → Draft)
• Reached active study limit for your tier
• Missing required configuration
• Study already in target state

Solutions:

• Check valid transition diagram (see State Transition Diagram above)
• Use intermediate states (e.g., Active → Disabled → Draft)
• Pause/deactivate an old study to free up active slot
• Complete study setup (add tests, configure parameters)
• Verify current state in study list

Valid transitions reminder:

• Draft → Pilot or Active
• Pilot → Active or Disabled
• Active → Disabled only
• Disabled → Active or Draft
• To go Active → Draft: must first go Active → Disabled → Draft

Can't Edit Study

Error: "Study configuration is locked" or Edit buttons disabled

Cause: Study is in Pilot, Active, or Disabled state (intentional protection)

Solution:

1. Check current state
2. If Pilot or Active: transition to Disabled first
3. If Disabled: transition to Draft
4. Make changes in Draft state
5. Re-pilot and reactivate

Why restricted: Prevents accidental changes that could compromise:

• Data integrity
• Participant experience
• Study protocol compliance
• Snapshot consistency

Can't Edit Chains Specifically

Cause: Study not in Draft state

Solution:

• Transition to Draft state (may need to go through Disabled first)
• Make chain modifications
• Test thoroughly
• Consider re-piloting if changes are major

Participant URLs Not Working

Possible causes:

• Study in Draft state (URLs disabled)
• Study in Disabled state (URLs show "paused" message)
• Study deleted
• URL typed incorrectly

Solutions:

• Check study state - must be Pilot or Active for URLs to work
• Transition to Pilot or Active state
• Verify complete URL (including token and any parameters)
• Check for typos in URL
• Try generating new short URL

Study State Changed Unexpectedly

Possible causes:

• Collaborator changed state
• Automatic expiration reached
• Participant limit reached
• Platform administrator action

Solutions:

• Check snapshot history for who made changes
• Review study settings (expiration date, max participants)
• Contact collaborators
• Check notification emails

Study Disappeared from List

Possible causes:

• Filtered view (showing specific states only)
• Study in unexpected state
• Accidentally deleted
• Different account/institution

Solutions:

• Check state filter dropdown (show all states)
• Search by study name
• Check sort order
• Look in "Archived" section if available
• Verify logged into correct account
• Contact administrator if truly missing

"Snapshot Creation Failed" Error

Possible causes:

• Database connection issue
• Storage quota exceeded
• Corruption in configuration

Solutions:

• Try again (may be temporary issue)
• Check storage quota
• Verify study configuration is valid
• Contact administrator if persists

Changes Not Saving

Possible causes:

• Not in editable state (Draft)
• Internet connection lost
• Session expired
• Insufficient permissions

Solutions:

• Verify study is in Draft state
• Check internet connection
• Refresh page and log in again
• Verify you have edit permissions (owner or editor role)
• Try different browser
• Check browser console for errors

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 Snapshots
• Managing Data