Use Cases for this Workflow can be found here.

Current Work FlowWork Flow

Setting up Access Requirement

ACT has been using an R script to create Access Requirement on a set of entities (data set). On some data set, there will be multiple Access Requirements: ACTAccessRequirement, and SelfSignAccessRequirement.

Requesting Access

Dataset A has ACTAccessRequirement. User B wants to download dataset A, s/he needs to email the ACT to request access to data set A. Via emails, an ACT member would ask the user to complete some forms. The forms are different for each dataset. A form includes the information that Sage and data contributors requires. It is an agreement between Sage and data contributors, so it will not change after it's established for a data set. When there is updated on the data set, we have the data in a different project/ folder and have a new set of Access Requirements on that data.

Each request may request n number of users to access the data. A request normally includes information about the institution, the signing official at the institution and the research statement for the project that the list of accessors are working on. Some request requires accessors' signatures, some requires other certificates. For human sensitive data, the request requires that accessors have their Synapse profile validated.

Granting Access

After the users meets all requirements given by the ACT (via emails), an ACT member would go to the dataset and manually enter the user(s) and run an R script to give the user(s) access to the dataset.

Updating Information

When someone leaves an institution, a requestor will email the ACT about removing a member from their request. The ACT will manually remove this user access.

When a new member join a lab, a requestor will email the ACT about adding a new member to their request (and their signatures in some cases). The ACT will manually grant the new user access.

Renewal

Every month, an ACT member will loop over all requests to see which one will expire in a month and send an email to the requestor to remind them about updating their request. If s/he does not response, the ACT member will email other members in their request.

Exporting Information

Every few months, an ACT member will download all DUC forms and Intended Data use Statement in that period and send them to the data contributor.

...

Link to instructions: https://www.synapse.org/#!Synapse:syn2954404

Disadvantages:

• Manually entering the detailed information (in a spreadsheet) about the request for access (including approval status) is a burden for the ACT.

• User's handwriting is hard to read.
• Since requests are submitted via email, there is no ways to prevent requests coming in with missing information.
• Keeping track of which request is about to expire and emailing reminding users about their expired request takes a lot of time.

...

The ACT member will navigate to a page specifically for Access Requirements and Access Requests. (They can enter the URL directly or clicking on a link from the entity page.)managing AccessRequirement and DataAccessSubmission.

From an entity page, an ACT member can choose 'Manage Access Requirement' from Tools:

From this page, there they can create a new Access Requirement, selecting entities to associate with it. Once the Access Requirement is created, they can create a form for accepting access requests.

...

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi:

The Synapse Access and Compliance Team has approved your application for use of the MayoGWAS data distributed through Synapse.

To use this data you must adhere to the Terms of Use as described in the MayoGWAS DUC: https://www.synapse.org/#!Synapse:syn2910256

The MayoGWAS data can be accessed through the following Synapse project:https://www.synapse.org/#!Synapse:syn3219045

Please note that the first time you download a datafile you will also be asked to agree to acknowledge the AMP-AD Partnership in publications derived from any of the AMP-AD data. This approval must be performed through the website.

For a review of the AMP-AD Data Terms of Use, please see here: https://www.synapse.org/#!Synapse:syn2580853/wiki/78604.

Please note, this email is sent from an unmonitored account. Send any questions to act@sagebase.org.

Sincerely,
The Synapse Access and Compliance Team

...

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi:

The Synapse Access and Compliance Team has rejected your application for use of the MayoGWAS data distributed through Synapse, because you did not sign the DUC.

To submit another request, please visit the MayoGWAS dataset at: https://www.synapse.org/#!Synapse:syn2910256.

Please note, this email is sent from an unmonitored account. Send any questions to act@sagebase.org.

Sincerely,
The Synapse Access and Compliance Team

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

...