FAQ
Help Desk
844-563-1042
Monday - Friday
9:00am - 9:00pm EST
How do I set up my Protocol Builder account?
If you have access to Protocol Builder through an institutional subscription, there are several ways you can create an account:
- Your administrator set up your account
- You registered through your institution’s registration page
- A colleague added you to a protocol
In any of these cases, you’ll receive a welcome email with a link to Protocol Builder where you can set your password and complete your account set up.
If you purchased an individual license or signed up for a 15-day trial, you will receive a welcome email with instructions and a link to Protocol Builder.
If you did not receive a welcome email, please follow the steps below.
I know I have an account but I can’t login
If you’ve already registered for the application and can’t remember your password, please follow these steps:
- Go to the sign in at https://app.protocolbuilderpro.com
- Select the “Forgot Password?” link.
- Enter the email you used when you first registered. The system won’t send emails to an address it doesn’t recognize.
- Check your inbox for an email from admin@protocolbuilder.com. It may take a few minutes to receive the email. If you don’t see it, check your spam or junk folder
- Select the link in the email and follow the instructions to create a new password.
If you have any issues, you can call the Help Desk at 844-563-1042.
What if I forget my password?
If you’ve already registered for the application and can’t remember your password, please follow these steps:
- Go to the sign in at https://app.protocolbuilderpro.com
- Select the “Forgot Password?” link.
- Enter the email you used when you first registered. The system won’t send emails to an address it doesn’t recognize.
- Check your inbox for an email from admin@protocolbuilder.com. It may take a few minutes to receive the email. If you don’t see it, check your spam or junk folder
- Select the link in the email and follow the instructions to create a new password.
If you have any issues, you can call the Help Desk at 844-563-1042.
I’ve been added to a protocol in Protocol Builder. Why can’t I access it?
There are a few reasons this could be happening:
- You have a Protocol Builder account but have not signed in before. Please look for a registration email from admin@protocolbuilderpro.com and select the link to set up your account. Remember to check your spam or junk folder. If you can’t find it, please call the Help Desk at 844-563-1042.
- You do not have a Protocol Builder account. In this situation, you will need to contact your administrator and ask them to add you to your institution’s account. They can also contact us to add you.
- The protocol owner added your name but not your email to the protocol. Your email is needed because it is your user ID. Please ask the owner to add your email to the protocol.
When I switch from the free trial to a paid subscription, can I move my protocols to the paid version?
Yes, your protocols should be moved over automatically. If your protocols are missing in the paid version, please contact the Help Desk at 844-563-1042.
If I save an earlier version of a topic, is the later one I worked on still available if I have to go back to it?
Yes, all versions of a topic are available in the Compare Revisions tab of any topic (you will need to be in Edit mode to view the link).
In the top right pull down, you will be able to select the version you want to review and compare it (in the right hand column in grey) against the current published version (in the left hand column in green). Select Save as Draft to set it as the version you want to work on.
Why am I getting extraneous characters not in my document when I print out my protocol?
This can happen if you copy text from Microsoft Word into Protocol Builder.
First make sure you copied the text without tracked changes on in Word. To do this, you should go back to your original Word document, accept all changes or the changes in the section you are copying, and then copy and paste it into Protocol Builder.
Alternatively, you can paste the content into a new Word document as unformatted text and then copy and paste it into Protocol Builder.
If your protocol is long, the process is too cumbersome, or the problem persists, please call the Help Desk at 844-563-1042 for help with formatting.
I exported a Word document from Protocol Builder. Why is content missing or odd characters appearing in the Word document?
It may be because you copy and pasted from another program and it is causing an issue. Please follow the same steps for fixing formatting issues above or call the Help Desk at 844-563-1042.
Can I combine protocols if I created them using different Protocol Builder usernames?
We don’t recommend using different Protocol Builder usernames. However, if you have this situation, you can ask your admin to make this request or call the Help Desk at 844-563-1042.
How do I import references from EndNote?
EndNote references can be exported and imported into a user’s Protocol Builder Reference Library to make inserting references easier and enable automatic numbering/re-numbering and formatting.
Export references from EndNote
1. Open your EndNote library
2. Click “All References”
3. Highlight all references or just the references you want to export
4. In the main menu, under “File” select “Export”
5. In the Export pop-up, name your file
6. Under “Save as file type”, select “Text only”
7. Under Output Style, select “RefMan (RIS) Export”
8. Click “Save”
9. On your computer, change the file extension from “.txt” to “.ris”
Import references into Protocol Builder
1. Click on the Profile/Reference Library icon in the top right bar (the “person” icon)
2. On the Profile page, click on the References tab
3. Select file and click “Upload”
4. Your imported references will appear in the library table on the page
If you have trouble uploading your file, please call the Help Desk 844-563-1042, Monday – Friday from 9:00am to 9:00pm EST.
What is the difference between ris and nbib files?
These extensions indicated file types used by citation or bibliographic software to exchange data. Protocol Builder can work with both of the file types.
The ris file extension is used for a specialized citation format developed by Research Information Systems (RIS). The aim of this format is to give citation and bibliographic software the ability to exchange data. It is supported by large number of reference managers and digital libraries, including Endnote.
The nbib file extension is associated with the Citation manager service developed by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. The nbib file contains citations from books. It is stored in MEDLINE (tagged) format. File exports from Pubmed will be in the .nbib file format.
How can I allow my IRB to comment on a protocol without being identified individually?
Go to the Cover Page of your protocol in Protocol Builder and add your IRB reviewer under the Research Admin personnel type. You can allow them to edit your protocol (Writer) or just comment using the commenting tool (Reviewer).
I am an administrator. How do I access Protocol Builder’s administration functions and reporting?
Look for the tab called ADMIN with the icons on the right hand side of the global navigation (black) bar. It will always be the left most tab. If the tab is not available, please call the Help Desk at 844-563-1042 or your sales contact to make sure that your account has admin access privileges.