eResearch Glossary

Term	Definition
Parent submission	Submissions in eResearch have a hierarchal structure. The "parent" submission is the highest level of this hierarchal structure and are the starting point for all "child" submissions. An example of a parent submission is a new application. The application is the parent submission to all subsequent submissions for the study, such as Amendments, AEs, ORIOs, and SCRs. While each of the subsequent child submissions have their own forms and approval processes, they all related back to the initial submission.
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Accept Role	Co-Investigators and Faculty Advisors added to a study must enter the system and perform the Accept Role activity. By accepting their role in eResearch, Co-Investigators and Faculty Advisors are electronically signing the submission. During the activity, Co-Investigators and Faculty Advisors provide a current CV and complete a short conflict of interest section.
Activity	An activity in eResearch is an action that you can take on a submission. For example, if you want to post a correspondence to the study team, you use the Post Correspondence activity. Activities are available from the Study Workspace. You will have different activities available based on the state of the submission.
Activity Details	Each activity has an Activity Details page. This page displays all the information recorded by eResearch about that activity. After you have completed an activity, the activity is displayed in the Study Workspace. Clicking the activity name opens the Activity Details page.
AE	Adverse Event; Any experience or abnormal finding that has taken place during the course of a research project and was harmful to the subject participating in the research, or increased the risks of harm from the research, or had an unfavorable impact on the risk/benefit ratio. Note that the Food and Drug Administration also includes in its definition abnormal preclinical or laboratory findings which may not yet have resulted in direct harm to subjects (e.g. a bacteria is identified in a culture from the same batch of cells used to produce a vaccine which has been administered, even if no cases of infection have been reported).
All Studies	The All Studies link in eResearch displays all the submissions in the system that you have rights to view. You can click the tabs in the All Studies view to find submissions based on state.
Amendment	A written description of changes to or formal clarification of a submission. In eResearch, amendments are used to make any change to a submission once that submission has been approved. For example, after approval, any changes to the study team, the study protocol, supporting materials, or any study related information must be changed through an Amendment. Studies that were converted from previous electronic application systems will use the Amendment function to "flesh out" the information required by eResearch. Note: IRB-BehavSci and IRB-Health used the term "modifications" prior to eResearch to refer to Amendments.
Ancillary Committee	Ancillary Committees are committees that have oversight for specific areas of a submission, such as radiopharmaceuticals, investigational drugs, or devices. These committees do not issue approval for the study, only for their areas of oversight. Previously, study teams had to submit separate submissions to each of the Ancillary Committees. eResearch allows study teams to submit one application which is routed to the appropriate Ancillary Committees based on the study application. Ancillary Committees include: BEU COI - Med COI- OVPR CTO IBC IDS CC-PRC RDRC/SHUR TPC
Application	The Application is the parent submission for all activities in eResearch. The application is a web-based Smart Form that routes study teams through the application sections based on answers to the questions. PIs fill out one application for all Ancillary Committees and the IRB.
Application Checklist	The Application Checklist allows study team members to check the progress of a submission in the Pre-submission state. The Application Checklist button is available in the Study Workspace. Clicking the Application Checklist button opens a new window that indicates whether a section of the application is: Complete - All required questions in the section have been answered Incomplete - Required questions in the section still need to be answered Required - The section is required but no questions have been answered Not Required - The section is not required for this submission
Applications in Progress	The Applications in Progress tab displays submissions which you have rights to see, but for which you don't yet have required actions.
Approved	An Approved state indicates that the submission has been reviewed by all the necessary Ancillary Committees and the IRB and that a Approval has been issued. Documents in an approved study are finalized and then moved to the Approved Documents area of the Documents tab.
Approved Documents	Approved Documents are documents provided with the submission that have been approved by the necessary Ancillary Committees and the IRB. Some documents, such as Informed Consent, are time stamped and watermarked when they are finalized. Approved Documents are available in the Documents tab in the Study Workspace
Approved Studies	In your Home Workspace, the Approved Studies tab displays all submissions of which you are a study team member and in an Approved state.
Archived	Archived submissions appear in your Home Workspace in the Archived Studies tab. Submissions that are archived are in one of the following states: Expired Withdrawn Suspended
Archived Studies	In your Home Workspace, the Archived Studies tab displays any submission in any of the archive states.
Authenticate	Authentication is a process that verifies your identity. eResearch authenticates users with their uniqnames and Kerberos passwords. For people not affiliated with U-M, authentication is based on their Friends account.
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Back button	eResearch submission Smart Forms have a Back button that allows you to navigate backwards in the application. This is not the same as the Back button on your browser. Clicking Back saves the current page and moves to the previous logical application Smart Form. You should not use the Back button on your browser when you are completing the application data loss may occur. See also: Continue button
BEU	Biomedical Engineering Department; BEU is an Ancillary Committee in eResearch that reviews any study utilizing biomedical engineering techniques or technology.
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CC-PRC	Cancer Center - Protocol Review Committee; CC-PRC is an Ancillary Committee in eResearch responsible for reviewing all protocols for cancer research.
Change Tracking	The Change Tracking tab, available in the Study Workspace, displays changes to submission information. Any time a change is made the entered information, the change is tracking in the Change Tracking tab.
Changes Requested by Core Committee Staff	A submission is in this state if the core committee staff or reviewer sends the application back to the study team with requested changes. The study team has Edit rights to the application in this state and can make any necessary changes to the submission. Once the study team has made the necessary changes, the PI uses the Submit Requested Changes activity.
Child submission	See "Parent" submission
Client	A client is a software program that is used to contact and obtain data from a Server software program on another computer. In eResearch, your Web browser is the Client that works with the eResearch server.
COI	Conflict of Interest committees; The committees are charged with reviewing disclosures submitted to them and rendering reasonable judgments as to whether the financial interests disclosed could directly and significantly affect the design, conduct, or reporting of the proposed project. There are two COI committees: COI - Med COI- OVPR
CoI	See Study Team Roles
Committee	In eResearch, Committees are bodies that review and issue approvals on applications or sections of applications. There are two types of committees in eResearch: Ancillary Committees and Core Committees. Ancillary Committees include: BEU COI - Med COI- OVPR CTO IBC IDS CC-PRC RDRC/SHUR TPC Core Committees include: IRBMED IRB-BehavSci IRB-Health IRB-Flint IRB-Dearborn GCRC Cancer Center
Committee Member	See also: Core Committee Committee Members are people who serve on any of the Ancillary Committees, IRBs, GCRC, or Cancer Center committees. In eResearch, people who have Committee Member roles have activities that are available only to them and can correspond with other committee members securely. For example, discussions that take place between users with the IRB-BehavSci Committee Member role are viewable only to other users with that same role.
Consultant	See Study Team Roles
Contact	Contact is a term that describes an account holder in eResearch. Everyone who logs into eResearch is listed as a Contact. You can search for Contacts when you are adding study team members or posting correspondence.
Contingencies	Contingencies are conditions placed on the submission that must be fulfilled before the submission will be approved. Committee Members can communicate with the study team about contingencies before issuing an approval or the committee can issue an Approved with Contingencies decision. IRBWebapp referred to contingencies as stipulations (or "stips").
Contingencies Pending	This state returns the submission to the study team where they can address contingencies from reviewers.
Continue button	eResearch application forms have a Continue button that allows you to move forward through the application. Clicking Continue saves the current page and moves to the next logical application Smart Form. This is not the same as the Forward button on your browser. You should not use the Forward button on your browser when you are completing the application data loss may occur. See also: Back button
Core Committee	Core Committees are committees that approve large portions of an application or issue Approvals. The core committees in eResearch are: IRBMED IRB-BehavSci IRB-Health IRB-Flint IRB-Dearborn GCRC Cancer Center
Core Committee Staff	Core Committee Staff are members of the Core Committees. They can be reviewers, board members, or office staff.
Correspondence	Correspondence is a general term for communications that take place inside eResearch. Viewing Correspondence is limited based on your role in eResearch. For example, Committee Members can communicate securely inside the system. Some Correspondence activities include an email notification when they are posted to eResearch.
Co-Sign	Co-Sign is the University of Michigan's central authentication system. eResearch uses Co-Sign as it's authentication system to verify users' identity. To log in via Co-Sign, you need to have a uniqname and a Kerberos password. Non-U-M personnel can obtain a Friends account to use with Co-Sign.
CTO	Clinical Trials Office; The Clinical Trials Office coordinates institutional, industrial, cooperative group and externally reviewed (NCI) studies for the Cancer Center.
Custom Search	Custom Search is a way to build queries in eResearch. Not all roles have the ability to create and run custom searches. To create or run a custom search, click the Projects link. There are many pre-configured custom searches. Clicking any of these custom searches runs the search and returns the results in a new window. You can also build your own custom searches.
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Deferred	The Deferred activity allows Core Committees to indicate that discussion of a particular submission was deferred to a future meeting. When recording a Deferred activity, Core Committee Staff can indicate why discussion was deferred.
Development	Development refers to the ongoing work being done with the eResearch software. Development of the software is being managed by MAIS, with input from OVPR, the IRBs, Core Committees, Ancillary Committees, and many office staff.
Disapproved	This state is based on a decision issued by the IRB. The study is disapproved and the study team cannot begin work on the study. The study team does have the option to rebut the decision using the Rebut Decision activity.
Disapproved - Final	This state is based on a decision issued by the IRB after the study team has rebutted an initial Disapproved decision. The study team is not able to rebut a Disapproved - Final decision, but can submit a new submission. Studies that move into the Disapproved - Final state are displayed in the Archive tab in the PIs Home Workspace.
Documents	Documents are any supporting materials that are uploaded to eResearch as part of an application. Documents can be any of the recommended file types, but can be no larger than 150 MB.
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Employer	The Employer property of a Contact indicates who employs the Contact. If this data is incorrect, contact the Help Desk
Engaged	See Performance Site
Environment	Environment refers to a specific instance of the eResearch software. eResearch is the "production environment", which means that it is the official, released version of eResearch. When you attend training or log into the Sandbox, you are working in a separate environment than eResearch. This separate environment is a copy of the official eResearch environment, but is not connected to eResearch. In the case of the Sandbox, this means that you can familiarize yourself with the software without having to have any information for a submission.
Exempt	The Exempt activity allows Core Staff to send the submission to an Exempt Study reviewer. Core Staff are able to select the Exempt Reviewer, add notes and upload supporting documents before sending the application to the Reviewer
Exempt and Not Regulated Studies	The Exempt and Not Regulated Studies tab contains all submissions that have been designated as Exempt or have received a Not Regulated decision from Core Staff.
Exit	The Exit link, available in the submission Smart Forms, exits the submission, not eResearch. Clicking the Exit link opens an alert window warning that any unsaved data will be lost when you exit. Always click Save before you click Exit to make sure you don't lose data.
Expedited	The Expedited activity allows Core Staff to send the submission to an Expedited Study reviewer. Core Staff are able to select the Expedited Reviewer, add notes, upload supporting documents, and select an Expedited category before sending the submission to the Reviewer.
Extranet	An extranet is a collaborative network that uses Internet technology to link the goals of the IRBs with the organizations and people that do research.
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Faculty Advisor	See Study Team Roles
Fast Find	Fast Find allows you to search for Contacts, Projects, or Organizations in eResearch. To access Fast Find, click the Project link in the upper-right hand corner of the screen, and then click the Fast Find tab.
Filter	Filters allow you to narrow your search for information available in eResearch. You can filter on studies, names, and other criteria. Use the percent sign (%) as a wildcard in your filters.
Finalize Documents	The Finalize Documents activity embeds information in the Informed Consent documents and places them in the Approved Documents area of the Documents tab in the Study Workspace. The Finalize Documents activity is performed by the Core Staff
Friend Account	A Friend account allows non-U-M affiliated researchers and study team members to have access to eResearch. For more information about Friend accounts, click here.
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GCRC Nurses	This role is specifically for nurses at the General Clinical Research Center.
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Hide/Show Errors	The Hide/Show Errors link checks all the links in the submission for any required questions that are not answered. The Hide/Show Errors link only checks the links on the current submission Smart Form. The PI is not able to submit a submission until all the required questions are answered.
Hot Fix	Hot Fixes, like Service Packs, keep the eResearch software current, but are smaller and generally fix critical issues. Generally, users of eResearch do not need to be concerned about service packs, although any system down time will be announced in advance.
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IBC	Institutional Biosafety Committee; The ancillary committee charged with overseeing recombinant DNA research. Any study that uses recombinant DNA is reviewed by IBC.
ID	The ID is the unique identifier that is automatically assigned to each application, amendment, ORIO, and SCR. Each ID begins with a prefix that identifies what type of submission it is. New applications begin with HUM New amendments begin with AME New continuing reviews (SCRs) begin with CR Adverse Events begin with ADV
IDS	Investigational Drug Service; The ancillary committee charged with reviewing all research projects that utilize investigational drugs
Inbox	Your Inbox is the default page displayed whenever you log into eResearch. Studies that appear in your Inbox require action, which differs based on your role.
Interested Parties	Interested Parties are parties that are not researchers or study staff, but who can view certain aspects of eResearch. Interested Parties can include regulatory bodies, federal oversight committees, or University oversight committees.
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Jump-To	The Jump-To bar allows you to jump directly to any Smart Form section in a submission. However, you should only use the Jump-To bar if you know that the section you are jumping to is a section you are required to fill out. Using the Jump-To bar short-cuts the logic built into the Smart Forms.
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Kerberos	Your Kerberos password is what proves to eResearch who you are. You should never share your Kerberos password with anyone. Along with your uniqname, your Kerberos password is the key to accessing many computing services at U-M including eResearch.
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MAIS	Michigan Administrative Information Services; a division of the Business and Finance group at U-M. The MPRIME team, which is developing the eResearch software, is part of MAIS.
Migration	Migration is the movement of files from one server to another, usually during development. Generally, users of eResearch do not need to be concerned about migrations.
Modification	Modifications in IRBWebapp are called Amendments in eResearch. See Amendment for more information.
MPRIME	Michigan Program for Research Information Management and Education; the MPRIME team, part of MAIS, is developing the eResearch software.
My Role	The My Role section of your Home Workspace allows you to see all of the roles you have in eResearch. Some users will have multiple roles. Click the desired role in the My Roles section. It is important to select the correct role as you have different activities available based on your role.
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Not Regulated	The Not Regulated activity allows Core Staff to prepare a letter to the study team indicating that the study is not regulated by the IRB. Study teams receive notification of the decision and can print the letter.
Notes	There are different types of Notes. Not all Note types are available to all roles, and some Note types are available only in certain states. Study Team Notes IRB Draft Changes Requested IRB Reviewer Checklist IRB Reviewer Notes Reviewer Notes Changes Requested by Core Staff
Notification	eResearch notifies you of certain events by sending email messages to your normal email inbox. When you receive notification differs based on your role in eResearch. Notifications contain a link that, after you log in, brings you directly to the submission that requires action. Note: Some email programs can break the link in the email message.
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Organization	The Organization is the unit within the University which employs the contact. For non-U-M employees, this is your employer.
ORIO	Other Reportable Information and Occurrences; ORIOs are Audits, other reports (with IRB issues), protocol deviations, protocol violations, facility/data accidents, or complaints. To submit an ORIO, click the New Adverse Event/ORIO button in the Study Workspace.
OVPR	Office of the Vice President for Research; OVPR supports and promotes the efforts of UM faculty, staff, and students to remain in the forefront of research, scholarship, and creative activity; responsible for policies and compliance with ethical conduct of research. OVPR is also a primary sponsor of the MPRIME project.
Owner	The Owner is the person in eResearch that is responsible for a study. Normally, the IRB assigns an Owner to a study when it is submitted by the PI. This Owner creates Notes and can request changes from the Study Team. The Owner also routes the submission for review and issues letters based on the decision of the IRB.
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Parent submission	Submissions in eResearch have a hierarchal structure. The "parent" submission is the highest level of this hierarchal structure and are the starting point for all "child" submissions. An example of a parent submission is a new application. The application is the parent submission to all subsequent submissions for the study, such as Amendments, AEs, ORIOs, and SCRs. While each of the subsequent child submissions have their own forms and approval processes, they all related back to the initial submission.
PEERRS	Program for Education and Evaluation in Responsible Research and Scholarship; PEERRS is a web-based instruction and certification program for members of the University community engaged in or associated with research. Starting January 16, 20065 all PIs, Co-Is, and Faculty Advisors must complete at least one human research module in PEERRS before the IRB will approve an application.
Performance Site	A Performance Site is any location at which research-related activities occur. Performance Sites can be not-engaged or engaged. For more information about engaged sites, see the US Department of Health and Human Services website.
Post Correspondence	This activity allows study teams to communicate with the IRBs, or for IRB Staff to communicate amongst themselves. Communications between IRB staff is secure and cannot be viewed by anyone who is not IRB staff. When you Post Correspondence, anyone who receives notification and anyone you designate in the activity receives an email notification of the correspondence. Individuals must log into eResearch to view the correspondence.
Pre-submission	This state is the default state for any newly-created submission. The Pre-submission state means that the study staff have not submitted the application, amendment, AE, ORIO, or SCR for review. The submission is editable by the study staff.
Printer-Friendly (inside/outside)	A printer-friendly button or link generates a single page of the study application that is suitable for printing.
Project	Project in eResearch refers to any of the submissions that can be created. For example, an Adverse Event submission is a project type. You can use Project types when you use Fast Find.
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RDRC/SHUR	Radioactive Drug Research Committee/Sub-Committee on Human Use of Radiation - This committee has oversight for all studies that utilize radioactive materials.
Refresh	When you submit information in a detail page (such as adding a document), the page that opened the detail page will reload, or Refresh, to display the new information. You may also hear the term Refresh in reference to development activities. In this context, Refresh means that the eResearch software and data is being updated, which may temporarily make eResearch unavailable. In this event, you will receive notification in advance of system outages.
Release	A Release refers to a specific version of the eResearch software. New releases will occur throughout the year and will be announced in advance. New releases sometimes introduce new functionality, so read release announcements carefully to see if any of your roles are affected.
Renewal	Renewals in eResearch are referred to as Scheduled Continuing Reviews, or SCRs.
Reviewer Notes	Reviewer Notes are notes made in eResearch by IRB Reviewers. These notes are viewable only to IRB staff with the proper view rights. Individual Reviewer Notes can also be sent to the study team for clarification, and require a response. See also: Notes
Role	Each person has a Role in eResearch. This role determines what information the person is allowed to enter, edit, view, as well as the activities available to that person. Some study team members have multiple roles (such as PI and Committee Member). If you have multiple roles, you will see all of your roles listed in your Home Workspace. Be sure you have selected the proper role before continuing in eResearch. If you have the wrong role selected (selecting PI instead of Committee Member) you may not have the proper activities to review or approve a study.
RPC	Research Policies Committee; The Research Policy Committee advises and consults with the Vice President for Research on matters of research and research personnel. Recent Topics include: technology transfer, issues affecting research scientists, research commitments, annual review of regental research policy, research ethics, research computing, OVPR annual report to the Regents.
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Sandbox	The eResearch Sandbox environment is used for training and informational purposes only. Data entered in the Sandbox will not be reviewed, processed, or approved by the IRBs or other oversight committees. Data will be purged from the Sandbox on a regular basis. The Sandbox is your place to "play" around with a copy of eResearch, without fear of completing your real application incorrectly. You can upload documents, enter information, add study team members—just like being in eResearch. You can log into the Sandbox from anywhere you have an internet connection.
SCR	Scheduled Continuing Review; (also known as "Continuing Review") Periodic review by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of active research for the purpose of re-approving, requiring modifications, disapproving, terminating or suspending the study.
Server	A Server is a computer or a software application that provides a specific kind of service to client software running on other computers. The eResearch software utilizes server technology. You interact with the server via your web browser.
Service Pack	Service packs keep the eResearch software current, and extend and update the system's functionality. Service packs include updates, system administration tools, drivers, and additional components. Generally, users of eResearch do not need to be concerned about service packs, although any system down time will be announced in advance.
Smart Form	Smart Forms are pages in eResearch that contain logic, which route you through the application. Smart Forms allow you to complete only the sections of the application, AE, ORIO, or SCR that are required. Smart Forms rely on the Continue and Back button to use the logic embedded in them.
Sort	Sorting is a way to display information in eResearch. Many areas, such as your Inbox, display multiple items in a table. You can sort this table by the columns simply by clicking the column name. All the data in the table is then ordered in ascending or descending order based on the column name clicked. You will see an arrow pointing up or down in one of the column names indicating which column the data is being sort by and whether that sort is ascending () or descending ().
Staff	Staff refers to the IRB office staff. This can include the Director or the IRB, specialists, and administrators.
State	State refers to the current status of an application, AE, ORIO, or SCR. When you initially create a new application, AE, ORIO, or SCR the state is Pre-Submission. Once you submit, the state changes. Depending on the state of the submission, you may have edit rights to the forms. Once the submission has gone through all the necessary reviews, it moves to an Approved state.
State Change	State changes occur around activities in eResearch. State changes modify the actions available to roles in eResearch. A common State Change occurs when the PI submits a new study application. When the PI completes the Submit Application activity, the application moves to a review state (which differs depending on the required committees). This state change removes the study team's ability to edit the application and moves the study to the IRB Staff's Inbox.
Statistician	See Study Team Roles
Stipulations	(or "Stips"); eResearch refers to stipulations (a term used in IRBWebapp) as Contingencies.
Status	See State
Study Coordinator	See Study Team Roles
Study Team Roles	Principal Investigator (PI): the individual with primary responsibility for the conduct and administration of a study. Co-Investigator (CoI): an individual who shares responsibility with the investigator for a study. This term is synonymous with sub investigator Faculty Advisor: In eResearch, Faculty Advisors are added by student PIs. Faculty Advisors must accept their role in the study before the student PI will be able to submit the study. Study Coordinator: Study Coordinators are staff for the PI that function as a key coordinator for the study staff. Study Coordinators enter, edit, and maintain the information in eResearch. Staff: This is a broad term used to describe many members of the study team. Staff can include (but is not limited to) recruiters, medical staff, nursing staff, interviewers, focus group facilitators, or analysis staff. Statistician: Statisticians are study staff that analyze data collected during the study. Consultant: A consultant is a specialist in a specific area of the study, usually from outside the normal study staff. This role is not used frequently. Other: If the study team member doesn't fit into any of the above categories, you can select Other and then enter the role of the study team member in a text box.
Study Team/Study Staff	See Study Team Roles
Sub-investigator	See Study Team Roles
Submission	Submission refers to any of the forms that can be submitted via eResearch. These forms are Applications, AEs, ORIOs, SCRs, and Amendments.
Submission Summary	The Submission Summary is an overview of the submission. It provides quick links to submitted documents, outstanding contingencies, sponsor information, oversight information, and committee minutes. This view is available only to Reviewers.
Supporting Documents	See Documents
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Tabled	This is a motion available to IRB staff to indicate that the discussion about a submission was tabled during the committee meeting.
TPC	Tissue Procurement Core - provides researchers with tissue from surgical resection specimens. This tissue is excess, in that it is not sampled for morphologic evaluation and would have been discarded 3-4 months after surgery if not procured for research.
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Uniqname	Your uniqname is a unique identifier which identifies you when you use University computing services. Faculty, staff, and students receive a uniqname when they begin at the University. Used with your Kerberos password, your uniqname allows you to log into many University systems, including eResearch. Alumni and Friends of the University can obtain a uniqname and Kerberos password from https://weblogin.umich.edu/.
Upload	Uploading is the transferring of files from your computer to a server. In eResearch, you upload documents via the Add button. NOTE Files that are uploaded to new submission are not saved until you click Save or the Continue button.
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View	Views are used to generate section pages in eResearch. The term "View" is used in development.
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Workspace	Workspaces are pages that provided overviews of areas within eResearch. A familiar workspace is your Home Workspace. Your Home Workspace is displayed when you log into eResearch and displays all the studies with which you are associated. Workspaces also contain activities you can perform.

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