Species/Groups

The Species/Groups page captures details of the Species of animals being used and the experimental group the species are part of. The investigator is asked for detailed information (such as species strain, pain category, USDA type, count etc.) for each specie/species that they plan to conduct research on. In addition they need to provide a brief summary of the procedures that will be conducted on each experimental group.

Define experimental groups based on the different procedures you plan to perform on a species. The same species might be grouped into multiple experimental groups if each experimental group undergoes different procedures. For e.g. If the research plans to conduct surgery on one group of mice and administer drugs to another group of mice, – the user should define 2 experimental groups, one with a species of mice and procedure of surgery and the other experimental group with a species of mice and a procedure of drugs. Each experimental group/species combination can also have multiple procedures defined.

Figure 842 Protocol Document – The Species/Groups Page Layout

Figure 843 Protocol Document – The Species/Groups – Specie/Groups- Group to Pain Category columns

Figure 844 Protocol Document – The Species/Groups – Specie/Groups – USDA Covered Type to Actions Column

Table 440 Protocol Document – Species/Groups Component Descriptions

Column	Description
Group	Required. Specify the name you want to give to the experimental group. Each experimental group will have 1 species and can have 1 or more procedures performed on the species. The experimental group names within a protocol must be unique and the naming convention to be used is often decided by the implementing school. To enter the group name, click within the text box (or press the tab key from a previous field) to relocate the cursor to the field, and then type (or paste from virtual clipboard) to enter text in the box as necessary to provide the appropriate information.
Species	Required. Select the species for each experimental group. Use the drop-down menu by clicking the down arrow to display the list, and then click on an item in the list to highlight and select it to populate the box with your selection.
Species Strain	Define the strain of species defined for the experimental group. The species strain provides further information on the type of species. Some examples of species strain are To enter the species strain, click within the text box (or press the tab key from a previous field) to relocate the cursor to the field, and then type (or paste from virtual clipboard) to enter text in the box as necessary to provide the appropriate information.
Pain Category	Define the level of pain the species in the experimental group will go through when they undergo the procedures. Select from USDA pain categories B, C, D and E. For more information about USDA pain category definitions, see “USDA Pain category definitions. An implementing institute might define their own pain categories instead of using USDA values – in which case for USDA reporting needs, the institute will need to convert back their institutional pain category values to the USDA pain category values. If the study design involves an experimental group that will have multiple procedures performed on it, the pain category should reflect the most painful procedure.
USDA Covered Type	Select if the species defined for the experimental group on is a USDA covered type. Setting this field is used for reporting purposes. Click within the checkbox to select the item. A check mark appears within the checkbox to indicate the item is selected. Click within the checkbox again to clear the mark and deselect the item.
Count Type	Required. Select from within Animal; Embryo or Egg to define the form of the species you will be using for in the experimental group. Use the drop-down menu by clicking the down arrow to display the list, and then click on an item in the list to highlight and select it to populate the box with your selection.
Species Count	Required. Provide the number of Animals, Embryos or Eggs you plan to use in the experimental group. Only numbers can be entered in this field. To enter the species count, click within the text box (or press the tab key from a previous field) to relocate the cursor to the field, and then type (or paste from virtual clipboard) to enter the species count in the box as necessary to provide the appropriate information.
Procedure Summary	Provide a very basic description of the procedure or procedures you plan to perform on the experimental group. You can provide detailed information about each procedure within the Procedure page. To enter the procedure summary for each experimental group, click within the text box (or press the tab key from a previous field) to relocate the cursor to the field, and then type (or paste from virtual clipboard) to enter text in the box as necessary to provide the appropriate information. Click the add note icon to view/edit/paste text in a new browser window, then click the continue button to return to the text entry field in the document.
Actions	Click the add button to add your selection to as a row in the table below, which will become a numbered line item. Click the delete button to remove a previously-added line item row from the table. For more information about basic line item functionality, see “Common Line Item Operations” in Common E-Doc Operations.

USDA Pain Category definitions:

B – Animals housed for breeding or other purposes where no experimental manipulations are required.

C – Animals will not undergo procedures or experience conditions that would normally cause more than momentary or slight pain or distress. Note that euthanasia before significant pain and distress could be C. Include all animals that will be euthanized because they fall under the category of “wastage” (e.g., the wrong genotype) in this category.

D – Animals may potentially experience more than momentary or slight pain or distress and will receive some corrective measures, such as anesthetics, analgesics, or tranquilizers during or after the procedure to prevent more than minor pain or distress. Use this category if euthanasia is delayed until the onset of significant pain or distress.

E – Animals may potentially experience more than momentary or slight pain or distress and will not receive a corrective measure, such as anesthetic, analgesics or tranquilizers or other therapies to alleviate pain or distress. One possibility is if euthanasia is purposefully delayed for scientific reasons until significant pain or distress has occurred.