EthOS Test Sites

Researchers often ask how they, or their students, can create practice or mock applications.  

Anyone with access to the main EthOS system can create as many applications as they like, and even share these with colleagues. As long as an application is not signed by a PI it will not be submitted to, or seen by, the REB.  

However, another option is the EthOS Applicant Test Site which provides a ‘safe space’ to explore the various application forms (especially the Main REB form), for learning purposes only.  

An Ethics Office/REB Member Test Site is also available and is fully integrated with the applicant test site. This allows for full end-to-end testing or for similar practice opportunities by Ethics Office staff or REB Members only.  

Important: any ‘submitted’ practice applications are not reviewed, managed, or administered in any way by the Ethics Office.  

Difference Between Test and Live Sites

The EthOS Test Sites are a close replica ‘snapshot’ of the EthOS Live Sites but do not support:  

  • Single sign-on using your existing U of G/UofGH credentials
  • Email notifications and alerts (these have been turned off to avoid confusion)  
  • Duplication of a form between sites – do not use the test site to draft an actual application expecting it to be transferable to the live site  
  • Access to your existing protocols (legacy or EthOS-generated)

Researchers should note that the protocols and features in the EthOS Test Sites will always differ from the ones in the live site. However, this does not reduce a test site’s usefulness and it provides a valuable and flexible environment for experimentation and skill development.  

Available Forms and Functionality

When you first access the EthOS Test Site, you will have a blank dashboard – just like when you accessed the EthOS Live Site for the first time. All forms and standard features will be available, such as:  

  • Completeness check
  • Generate PDF
  • Uploading documents
  • Comments among collaborators
  • Sharing form and managing permissions (with the exception of an email notification)
  • Adding roles (with the exception of an email notification)
  • Signature requests (with the exception of an email notification)
  • Being able to ‘submit’ after a PI signature step (which sends the application to the Ethics Office/REB Member Test Site)  
  • All administration and review functions in the Ethics Office/EthOS REB Member Test Site  
  • Access to help and FAQs under the Help Menu  

Note: See Test Site Guidelines and Tips for important details on how certain practice scenarios and the use of EthOS features are best applied in the EthOS Test Site.  

Please also be aware that in the case of upgrades and/or enhancement patches, the EthOS Test Sites may also have a feature or content that has not yet been released in the Live Sites.  

How Do I Request Access?

To request access to either EthOS Test Site, email RAIMSsupport@uoguelph.ca. Please state if you require access to the Applicant Test Site or the Ethics Office/REB Member Test Site, keeping in mind that:  

  • Internal U of G or external researchers may request access  
  • Access requests may be reviewed by or shared with the Ethics Office  
  • Only REB members can request access to the Ethics Office/REB Member Test Site  

The RAIMS Support Team will create and assign your test email account and share a randomized password with you. You can change this password if you wish in your user settings.  

The link to the requested EthOS Test Site will be sent to you with your access details by RAIMS Support.  

Test Site Guidelines and Tips

For user materials and guidance while working in the EthOS Test Site, follow any of the Live Site user resources available under the Help menu or on the EthOS Hub. (Please expect that there may be some minor differences in functionality and screen shots.)  

There are also a number of considerations when working in any test environment. The guidelines below will help you make the most of your practice opportunity and EthOS Test Site experience.  

I want to..   Guideline 
Avoid confusing the test version with the ‘real’ EthOS 

Logging in and working in the test site can look and feel very similar to the live site, and it is very easy to confuse the two.  

  • Notice the words Test Site on the log-on screen
  • Bookmark the URL with a clear name (e.g., TEST SITE_EthOS)
  • Look for ‘guelphtest’ in the URL
  • Use ‘Practice Only’ or ‘Test’ in your projects or form titles
Check to see if a colleague or faculty member has a test account 

You can look up existing users via any Collaborator Email or Search User field.  

  • From your project dashboard, create or open any application
  • Click on the Share action tile and search in the Collaborator Email field, or
  • When adding a study team member on a Personnel page or form area, use the Search User field

Important: if the user’s email starts with ‘test_’, it is not an active account.

Active accounts will always be in the form of firstinitiallastname@email.com.  

Share my practice application with others 

As per standard functionality, you can share a form with (or assign a role to) others at any time.

However, for this user to access the shared content, they must also have an active test account. (See above for how to tell if an active test account exists).

Ideally, users should coordinate the account creation step first before sharing forms with one another.  

For a reminder on how to share forms, consult the Sharing Forms Training Video.  

Request test accounts for all my students

The RAIMSsupport@uoguelph.ca team can work with any faculty member to provide you and your students test accounts.

Please see the tip below to ensure that you can access your students’ practice applications.

See my students’ practice applications

For practice course-based applications, ask your students to share the application with you. This is the only way you will be able to review and provide any desired feedback.

One suggestion is to ask the students to assign you the role of a Principal Investigator for their application. This provides fulsome access and would also allow them to practice the request signature step and for you to ‘sign’ the form. 

Alternatively, have the students share the form with you with just Read and Write access.

Bypass the Completeness Check

The Completeness Check is a great feature in the live site but can be bypassed in the EthOS Test Site.

When the PI signature is requested (or provided), the Completeness Check will run but you will have a Submit Anyway button which allows you to proceed without filling in the missing sections.

‘Submit’ an application

Reminder: any ‘submitted’ content is for learning or test purposes only and the Ethics Office does not monitor practice submissions.  

However, if you need to move your application to a submitted status, there are some additional steps due to auto-submission being turned off in the test site:  

  • Request the PI signature (or sign as a PI) as you normally would
  • Bypass the Completeness Check with the Submit Anyway button  
  • Return to your application and click on the Submit action tile

EthOS will then behave as usual and display the Form Queued for Submission screen; your status should change within ten minutes.

Review an application as an REB Member

Only REB Members will be granted access to the EthOS REB Member Test site. Your confidentiality agreement as an REB Member extends to data you may see on the test site.

Depending on your practice scenario or access level provided, you may have administrative dashboard access or the RAIMSsupport@uoguelph.ca team can provide sample applications to review. 

 

As always, the team at RAIMSsupport@uoguelph.ca is available to assist with any issues or questions. Please be sure to mention that you are working in the EthOS Test Site as part of your message.