This is a guide to the online laboratory and related resources available for biology.
Methods and Protocols page lists the major methods/protocols resources at UC San Diego as well as some open access sites.
Online Labs features information on doing "virtual" lab instruction. Most of these date to the COVID lockdown years.
Journals and Books will help you locate additional methods/protocols material in your research area from journal articles and books in our collections.
The UC-wide pilot to enable unlimited free publishing in protocols.io will end on October 31, 2024.
This five year pilot aimed to enhance research reproducibility and rigor by providing UC researchers with access to publish numerous protocols for free in protocols.io, an open-access repository for research methods. The Library is not able to pick up a campus-wide license to maintain the premium access level at this time. Please pass this along to other folks in your labs and/or research groups that you know of who may be using private protocols on this platform.
As we transition out of the systemwide license, we want to ensure that you have all the necessary information and support to manage this change effectively.
Key Steps and Recommendations
Private Protocols:
Protocols.io offers free features for developing and publishing protocols publicly. However, if you had created private protocols, you will see some changes. You will not lose your private protocols and associated data from protocols.io. However, you will no longer be able to add private protocols beyond the 2 limit or private workspaces beyond the 3 limit without upgrading to a premium account. The protocols.io help center provides instructions for exporting protocols
What happens to my private protocols after the pilot ends?
Users will still be able to access private protocols and workspaces that were created during the terms of their Premium access even if it went beyond the 2 private protocol limit for the Open Research (free) plan. However, the Premium workspaces will be downgraded to the free Open Research plan. In order to create a new protocol, individuals or members of a private workspace will be required to publish or delete their saved private protocols to free up space and accommodate the 2 private protocol limit.
The protocols.io help center provides instructions for exporting protocols Post-pilot, you can continue to use alternative platforms for private protocol management.
How can I continue using protocols.io after the pilot?
Protocols.io offers a free Open Research tier. All UC researchers will be automatically transitioned to that tier and their accounts will remain active. Individual researchers or groups may explore licensing options for Premium subscriptions. Protocols.io offers various plans, and detailed pricing is available on their website
Will I still have access to public protocols on protocols.io?
Yes, public protocols and public workspaces on protocols.io will remain accessible. All UC researchers will be transitioned to Open Research plans and can continue to read and share an unlimited number of public methods at no cost.
How will non-UC collaborators be handled post-pilot?
Non-UC collaborators will need to have their own subscriptions if they wish to continue adding private protocols or workspaces. Public protocols will remain freely accessible to everyone.
What support is available during this transition?
protocols.io has a customer service team that is aware of the UC pilot. Any UC researcher can contact them for assistance at any time at info@protocols.io
How do I ensure my protocols are archived and secure?
All users may export their protocols and store them in secure, backed-up locations. The protocols.io help center provides instructions for exporting protocols
If you are located on-campus, make sure that you are connected to the UCSD-Protected wifi (or using a hard-wired computer)
If you are located off-campus you need to use the campus' VPN AnyConnect on your device.
The UC San Diego Health and Health Science VPN also provides off campus access to resources the Library provides. Instructions and assistance for UC San Diego Health and Health Science VPN users can be found in the Pulse intranet.
