Access Roles
Functions assigned by the system administrator to users. These functions or roles have specific permitted actions that are determined by an ontology. Public Access Roles apply to the user when the user accesses a Public Resource. Workgroup Access Roles are assigned when the system administrator creates a Workgroup. The Workgroup Access Roles apply to the user when the user accesses a Resource owned by the Workgroup.
Activity Status
CERF Resources may be active, inactive, archived, or deleted, depending on business policy settings that allow changes in activity status.
Annotation
An addition to a record made after the record has been created.
Archive
A collection of records that are no longer active, but are being maintained in a locked state according to the purposes of the organization (e.g., a back-up for long-term storage).
Audit Trail
information that is automatically captured about all user interactions with records (data accessed, activities performed, person performing activities, date, etc.). An audit trail documents access to the system as well as the movement and use of records.
Authentication
The process used to determine the identity of a person or the integrity of specific information. In a multi-user system, this is the process by which the system validates a user’s logon information.
Check in
At check-in, the resource in CERF is replaced with a new version. After check-in, the Resource becomes available for check-out.
Check out
Opens a local copy of the record. A Resource that is checked out may be edited or versioned. Only one user may check out a record at a time.
Collections
A Collection in CERF is the container that points to other CERF Resources (such as documents and other files). File Cabinets, Folders, Notebooks, Sections, and Notebook Pages are considered collections because they maintain an association with specific files that are stored in CERF. Notebook Collections contain links to other Notebooks. Collections are CERF Resources and are stored on the CERF server, have a unique CERF ID, an activity status (active, inactive, archived, deleted), an Edit status (Editable, Versionable, Version-Controlled, Final), and an access ID that pertains to workgroup ownership. File Cabinets are used for managing your documents and protocols, whereas Notebooks are where you tell the story of your research.
Contributor
The person who adds the Resource to CERF initially or who creates a new version of a Resource.
Delete
Removes the Resource from the view and deletes the associated metadata from CERF. This action is enabled if Business Policy allows. A deleted Resources may be made active again by the system administrator, if Business Policy allows. A user will not be able to find a deleted Resource by performing a search, only the Admin can locate a resource via search.
Digital signature
A legally binding equivalent of the person’s handwritten signature.
Document Resource
A Resource stored in a single file.
Domain
An association of Workgroups created by the System Administrator. Resource types and Templates that are assigned a Domain will not be visible to workgroups that do not belong to that Domain.
Editable
A record that may be edited. When the Resource is saved, the changes overwrite the previous record. An editable record is always editable (versions may not be created). Collections are editable Resources (some of the metadata may be edited).
Edit Status
The edit-ability of a Resource. Resource states include editable, versionable, version-controlled, and final (defined in this glossary of terms).
Electronic record
Any combination of information represented in a digital form (e.g., text, graphics, data) that is created, modified, maintained, archived, retrieved, or distributed by a computer system.
Electronic records management
The control of the creation, maintenance, use, and disposal of electronic records.
Entry
Points to a CERF Resource from a file that was added to CERF or to a CERF Resource that was created as an html text entry on the Notebook Page in the Notebook Viewer. Each Entry on a Notebook Page has one embedded resource.
Final
Edit state in which the resource can no longer be edited (or checked out). A finalized record is stored in a read-only state and may be locked, according to business policy. Resources that are submitted initially to CERF as Uneditable (Resource Type) are in a Final state.
File Cabinet
A collection of Resources that may be unified by a theme or research activity. May contain Folders and files. File Cabinets are generally used for document management in CERF.
Flexible Notebook
If permitted by business policy, a flexible notebook allows the user to move (cut/paste) resources within the notebook, to save sort order, and (if business policy permits deletion) to delete page content and empty Notebooks or Sections.
Inline Viewing
Viewing within the Notebook Viewer or File Viewer rather than in an external window. CERF renders Office files inline whenever possible as a PDF preview. When a PDF preview is checked out for editing, it opens in its native application (which must be installed on the same machine).
Locked
A state in which a Resource may not be edited, but only viewed (read-only). A Resource that is in a Final state may be locked. Archived Resources may be locked, and can only be accessed by authorized persons.
Metadata
A collection of attributes and their values associated with a Resource. Metadata can describe the resource, its content, its relationship to other resources and the resource’s context, and the encoding of that record. Metadata can also document the use and management of a record. Standard metadata include title, contributor, creation date, and resource type and are collected automatically during Resource submission.
Note
A type of annotation that is typed into the CERF text editor and the file is associated with a CERF Resource. The Note becomes a CERF Resource.
Notebook
A collection of Resources that may be organized to show all the research records as they are created or used in an experiment. A Notebook may be shared with others in a workgroup according to their access roles. May contain Sections and Pages.
Notebook Collection
A collection of linked Notebooks to which you have access.
Notification
A message directed to specific people in a workgroup that may be associated with a PDF printed copy, a resource that needs to be cosigned or that has been signed, a CERF resource, a Controlled Document, or an annotation. If the System Administrator has configured email Notifications, the users will also get an email informing them that they have received a CERF Notification. Notifications are found by clicking on the Notifications icon and open in the middle panel of CERF.
Ontology
A description of the entities (object types, classes) that define a particular knowledge domain, the relationships among the entities, and (sometimes) the observed instances of the object types. The properties (attributes) of the entities are usually described in terms of the objects, data values, and controlled vocabulary terms that define permissible values.
Page
A regular Notebook Page. A collection that may contain one or more Notebook entries.
Public
Resources that are Public are not owned by a Workgroup. They can be accessed by all CERF users according to their Public Access Role (assigned by the System Administrator).
Relation
A type of annotation that creates an association between a CERF Resource and another CERF Resource, a URL, a sub-File Cabinet, a network file link, or a database cross-reference.
Resource
Files of all types that have been submitted to CERF. File Cabinets, Folders, Notebooks, Sections, Pages, and Entries are also CERF Resources.
Resource identifier
A globally unique identifier associated with a Resource. Note that Resource Identifier is also the name of an Access Role that permits the user to identify Resources by title (with no other privileges implied).
Resource state
The edit-ability of a Resource. Resource states include editable, versionable, version-controlled, and final (defined in this glossary of terms).
Resource Type
Each Resource in CERF has a Resource Type or Source Object Type that informs CERF what actions may be performed on this Resource. The Resource Type may have specific Controlled Vocabularies, actions, and metadata associated with it. A Resource Type is assigned at the time of Resource submission and cannot be changed later. If the user decides not to choose a Resource Type, the default (Document) will be selected.
Rigid Notebook
A Rigid Notebook does not allow resources to be moved (cut/pasted) within the Notebook, sort order cannot be saved, and nothing can be deleted.
Section
A collection that may contain other Sections and regular Notebook Pages. A Section is the child of a Notebook or another Section.
Signature (Signing) Groups
A group of potential signers associated with each workgroup. The Signing Group is made up of individuals whose access roles permit signing. The System Administrator or Workgroup Administrator selects signers and assigns signing roles.
Signature Workflow
A required number of cosigners having specific signing roles. A Signature Workflow is selected for each File Cabinet and Notebook at the time it is created. This cannot be changed later. In order to sign a resource, the person initiating signing must have a signature group that matches the signature workflow (i.e., it has sufficient signers with appropriate signing roles).
Signing Context
A resource that has links in other File Cabinets or Notebooks can be signed in each context. The different contexts may have different Signature Workflows. Signatures in different signing contexts can be viewed from the Signature Pane (Resource Info tab).
Template
A copy of selected resources and their contexts (File Cabinet/Notebook structure) that can be created and invoked in a new context.
Version
A version is a new instance of an edited Resource in CERF. The previous instance is retained.
Versionable
The Resource state in which versions may be created (causing the Resource to be under version control) or changes may replace the previous content (the Resource remains versionable).
Version Controlled
The Resource state that causes a new instance to be created when the Resource is saved to CERF (a Resource is under version control after a version has been created). Each time changes are made to a version-controlled resource and it is checked in, a new version will be made. A version-controlled resource can not be changed to versionable, but it can be made final
Version history
A list of all the versions of a Resource, with creation date, version number and label, comments, and contributor. The version history is created for a resource when it is put under version control.
Visibility
If the business policy allows visibility to be changed, Notebooks and File Cabinets can be made private (still visible to workgroup members with the role of Notebook Creator, Notebook Editor, File Cabinet Manager, or File Cabinet Editor). Visibility may be changed for a single resource at any time. However, at the time of signing, any private resources will be changed to shared.
Workgroup
One or more users with specific access roles. Each CERF Resource is owned by a Workgroup and can be accessed only by members of that workgroup according to their access roles in the workgroup. Each user has a personal workgroup that is created when they have a CERF user account. The System Administrator may create workgroups for the organization that consist of users who will be collaborating in CERF. The System Administrator makes at least one member of the workgroup a Workgroup Administrator (see Workgroup Administrator).
Workgroup Administrator
More than one person can be designated as Workgroup Administrator in a workgroup. A Workgroup Administrator may edit the Workgroup (add/remove members and change their access roles) and edit the Signing Groups for the Workgroup through the web client interface (Sessions > Manage Account).
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