This stage involves a bit of paper work. You must submit the mentioned forms below to cobelab@au.dk in order to create your project in COBE Lab. Please take your time to fill in and check all boxes with accurate information about your project. This will ease the workload for both you and us and make the evaluation process much faster.

1. Introduction and tour of the lab
   During each semester we invite new researchers and research assistants to a joint introduction meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to give you a thorough introduction to our facilities. We will give you insight into the process of submitting applications, introduce you to various systems and give you a few tips on recruiting, booking, and much more.
   
   You are always welcome to arrange an individual meeting with a lab manager, if you have specific questions. 
2. Submit a pre-study form
   This documents the practicalities of your study (e.g., what resources, no. of participants, etc.) and help lab management coordinate projects in COBE Lab. Download the PSF here. Mail a completed PSF to cobelab@au.dk. Lab management will then review it and provide comments via email.
3. Register your project with jurists at AU, if you collect personal data
   Research activities including personal information must be registered internally at Aarhus University. You must fill out and submit a notification form found under "1. Do you process personal data?" here.
   
   There are two forms to choose from, one if you are the data controller and one if you are the data processor. You can read more about each kind on TTO's website, but under normal circumstances you will need to fill out the data controller form for projects in COBE Lab.  
4. Send documentation of ethics approval
   Send documentation that your project has been reviewed and approved by Aarhus University’s Research Ethics Committee to cobelab@au.dk. All studies to be run at COBE Lab have to be approved by the Research Ethics Committee first. You can submit your study to be reviewed here. When submitting, please use our consent form template (English version, Danish version).

   
   If you are doing health research, you also need approval from the Central Jutland Regional Committee on Health Research Ethics.

5. Submit project account information form
   The project account information form details where your finances are coming from and who is in charge of the payments. It helps us settle queries concering payments. Sheet 1 details project account information and must be send to cobelab@au.dk (only if you pay by bank transfer). Sheet 2 is for entering participants payment information and must be send to your local secretary continually during data collection. The form can be downloaded here. Read more about payment to participants here. 
6. Submit ethics certificate for all researchers and research assistants
   Ethics certificates are a requirement when you conduct research with human subjects in COBE Lab. Researchers and research assistants involved in data collection with participants need to take an ethics course. Read more and take the course here. 

As soon as you have submitted all forms and received an email from cobelab@au.dk confirming that you now have access to COBE Lab resources, you will then start collecting data with participants. Your project is now in the active stage. 

1. Pick up keys, equipment and recruitment material
   Lab management will arrange a meeting to give you keys to the lab and to an archiving locker you can use while running the experiment. You will get 1-2 keys that you need to return, when the data collection in COBE Lab has finished. All researchers and research assistants will gain access to the lab through their access card. 
2. Run a pilot and adjust changes
   Always pilot your experiment and make sure everything is working trouble-free. If you make any changes to your research design in this process, please make sure to inform Human Subjects Committee about these changes by sending an email to cobelab@au.dk.
3. Book resources
   When you are ready to start your data collection, you need to book the resources you need in our booking system. Lab management provide you with access to the system. In our booking system you see all our available equipment and lab rooms. Please adjust your bookings continuously. Find our guide to the booking system here. 
4. Recruit participants
   Our participant pool is managed by a system called Sona. Lab managers give you access to the Sona webpage with a researcher account. Here, you can create your project with a catchy description, manage timeslots and cancellations and send emails to participants. Please check out our Sona guide for researchers for more information on how it works. 
5. Pay participants continually
   It is crucial that you pay participants as quickly as possible! At the beginning and the middle of each month there is a payment deadline. Before the deadline you must send your excel spreadsheet with participant payments to the secretary who will be responsible for your payments. This must be done on an ongoing basis as the participants expect to be paid within six weeks. Check out our payment procedure guide for more information on the payment process. 
6. Store consent forms and payment information safely
   During the data collection with participants you will gather a bunch of signed consent forms and payment information forms. They must be kept safe and without unauthorised access. Do not leave them in the lab rooms. If you need a safe place, you may ask lab management to get access to the lockers in our copy room. 

Your project is complete when you have finished collecting data with participants for your project. Once your project is marked as completed in COBE Lab, it is not possible to collect more data. If you wish to do so, you must resubmit your project.

1. Anonymise data and remove files from lab computers
   Your data must be anonymised as quickly as possible. Please delete all personal identifiers when they are no longer required. 
2. Destroy payment information 
   All papers or excel spread sheets with names and CPR-numbers must be destroyed or deleted as soon as the payments are processed. Feel free to use our shredder in our copy room. 
3. Tidy up lab room, turn back keys and equipment
   Once you are done using the lab, please leave it cleaned and furnished as when you began using it. Return all keys and borrowed equipment to the lab management.
4. Inform lab management of completion
   Send a notification to the lab management that your project has ended. Your project will be marked as completed and you are no longer able to collect data with participants on this project. 
5. Inform TTO
   If you have sent a data notification form to the jurists at Aarhus University, you need to inform them when the data is anonymised and/or when your project has ended. 
6. Store consent forms
   Signed consent forms must be stored safely after the project is complete. It is usual practice to keep consent forms a couple of years after the project has ended.