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Projects

Scientific research is not only about data collection and analysis. It also involves management and bureaucracy, such as defining objectives, timelines, budgets, and responsibilities. In Xolmis, these aspects are formalized in Projects, which allow you to organize research activities, track goals, manage funding, and monitor progress.

Open the Projects module in the main menu: Management → Projects.

Adding and editing a project

When creating or editing a project, the following fields are available:

Field Required Description
Title Yes Full title of the project
Short title Yes Abbreviated title used when the full title is too long
Protocol nr. Official protocol or identification number of the project
Start date First day of the project
End date Last day of the project
Website Project website address
E-mail Contact e-mail address of the project or responsible person
Contact person Person responsible for answering inquiries
Status Status of project: Planned, Active, Paused, Finished, Cancelled
Main goal Description of the main goal of the project
Risks Risks or challenges that need to be considered
Abstract Project abstract or summary
Notes Any other information about the project

Project members

Projects usually involve multiple researchers and institutions. You can register members with their roles and affiliations:

Field Required Description
Researcher Yes Person participating in the project, selected from the Researchers table
Project manager Indicates if the researcher is the project manager
Institution Institution to which the researcher is affiliated

Goals

Goals represent the expected outcomes of the project. They help track progress and evaluate success.

Field Required Description
Description Yes Goal description
Status Yes Status of the goal: Pending, Reached, Canceled

Chronogram

The chronogram defines the activities and timeline of the project. Each activity can be linked to a goal, making it easier to monitor progress.

Field Required Description
Description Yes Activity description
Status Yes Status of the activity: To do, In progress, Finished, Canceled, Delayed, Needs review, Blocked
Start date Date when the activity started or will start
Target date Expected completion date
End date Date when the activity was finished
Goal Goal to which the activity is linked

Budget

The budget section allows you to record funding sources and allocations. This helps track how resources are planned and distributed.

Field Required Description
Funding source Yes Entity or person funding the project
Rubric Yes Budget category or rubric
Item Specific item within the rubric
Amount Amount of funding for this rubric/item

Expenses

Expenses represent the actual costs incurred during the project. They are linked to rubrics defined in the budget, ensuring consistency between planned and executed spending.

Field Required Description
Rubric Yes Budget rubric to which the expense is linked
Item description Description of the expense
Date Date of the expense
Amount Amount of the expense

Best practices

  • Define clear goals: Goals should be specific, measurable, and linked to activities.
  • Keep the chronogram updated: Regularly update activity statuses to monitor progress.
  • Track funding and expenses: Ensure that expenses are linked to rubrics to maintain financial transparency.
  • Assign responsibilities: Identify project managers and contact persons to streamline communication.
  • Document risks: Recording risks helps anticipate problems and plan mitigation strategies.
  • Use notes and abstracts: Provide summaries and contextual information for easier understanding by collaborators.

Relation to other modules

Projects are interconnected with other parts of Xolmis:

  • Researchers: Members are selected from the Researchers table.
  • Institutions: Affiliations are linked to registered institutions.
  • Permits: Projects often require permits, which can be managed in the Permits module.
  • Captures and Specimens: Data collected in the field can be associated with specific projects.
  • Reports: Project data can be summarized and exported for funding agencies or institutional review.

By managing projects in Xolmis, you ensure that research activities are organized, traceable, and compliant with administrative requirements.