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Creating Your First Project

Projects in AtomicQMS are where you store and manage related quality documents. Think of a project like a binder or folder for a specific protocol, study, or set of SOPs.

What is a Project?​

A project (sometimes called a repository) contains:

  • Quality documents (protocols, SOPs, forms)
  • Version history for all changes
  • Comments and discussions
  • Approval workflows
  • Audit trails

Example projects:

  • PCR Standard Operating Procedures
  • Animal Study Protocol 2024-001
  • Lab Safety Procedures
  • Quality Control Documentation
  • Cell Culture Protocols

Creating a Project​

From Your Dashboard​

  1. Sign in to AtomicQMS
  2. Click the "+" icon or "New Project" button
  3. Fill in the project details
  4. Click "Create Project"

Project Details​

Name

  • Use descriptive names (e.g., "PCR SOPs" not "Project1")
  • Keep it concise (50 characters or less)
  • Use consistent naming across your organization

Description (optional)

  • Brief summary of what this project contains
  • Who should use these documents
  • Any special requirements or notes

Visibility

  • Private - Only you and invited collaborators can see it
  • Public - Anyone in your organization can view it
  • Internal - Visible to all organization members

Initialize with README (recommended)

  • Creates a README file that describes your project
  • Good place to put project overview and guidelines

Project Structure​

Folders and Files​

Organize your documents with folders:

PCR-SOPs/
├── README.md
├── Protocols/
│   ├── standard-pcr-protocol.md
│   ├── rt-pcr-protocol.md
│   └── qpcr-protocol.md
├── Forms/
│   ├── pcr-checklist.md
│   └── reagent-preparation.md
└── Equipment/
    └── thermocycler-maintenance.md

Document Naming​

Best practices:

  • Use descriptive names
  • Include version or date if needed
  • Avoid spaces (use hyphens or underscores)
  • Use consistent extensions (.md, .pdf, .docx)

Examples:

  • cell-culture-sop-v2.md
  • safety-training-checklist.pdf
  • equipment-qualification-2024.docx

Adding Documents​

Upload Files​

  1. Open your project
  2. Click "Add file" → "Upload files"
  3. Drag and drop or browse for files
  4. Add a commit message (e.g., "Add initial PCR protocol")
  5. Click "Commit changes"

Create New File​

  1. Click "Add file" → "Create new file"
  2. Enter filename (e.g., protocol.md)
  3. Add content
  4. Add a commit message
  5. Click "Commit new file"

Supported Formats​

  • Markdown (.md) - Recommended for protocols and SOPs
  • PDF (.pdf) - For finalized documents
  • Word (.docx) - For documents that need rich formatting
  • Images (.png, .jpg) - For diagrams and photos
  • Spreadsheets (.xlsx, .csv) - For data tables

Project Settings​

General Settings​

  • Change project name or description
  • Adjust visibility settings
  • Archive or delete the project

Permissions​

  • Set who can view the project
  • Define who can edit documents
  • Control approval requirements

Features​

  • Enable/disable issues and discussions
  • Configure approval workflows
  • Set up notifications

Project Templates​

Create reusable templates for common project types:

  • SOP Template - Standard operating procedures
  • Protocol Template - Research protocols
  • Study Documentation - Clinical study documents
  • Quality Control - QC procedures and checklists

Templates help maintain consistency across your organization.

Version Control​

Every change to your project is tracked:

  • Who made the change
  • When it was made
  • What was changed
  • Why it was changed (commit message)

You can:

  • View complete history
  • Compare versions
  • Restore previous versions
  • Track who approved changes

Collaboration Features​

Issues​

  • Track questions or problems
  • Assign to team members
  • Link to specific documents

Pull Requests​

  • Propose changes to documents
  • Request review and approval
  • Discuss changes before merging

Comments​

  • Add inline comments to documents
  • Start discussions about specific sections
  • Tag team members for input

Best Practices​

  1. Clear naming - Use descriptive project names
  2. Good structure - Organize with folders
  3. README files - Document project purpose and guidelines
  4. Commit messages - Write clear descriptions of changes
  5. Regular updates - Keep documents current
  6. Access control - Only grant necessary permissions

Example: Creating a Lab SOP Project​

  1. Click "New Project"
  2. Name: lab-safety-sops
  3. Description: Standard operating procedures for laboratory safety
  4. Visibility: Internal (all lab members can view)
  5. Check "Initialize with README"
  6. Create folders:
    • general-safety/
    • chemical-safety/
    • biological-safety/
    • equipment-safety/
  7. Upload or create SOPs in each folder
  8. Invite team members with appropriate permissions

Next Steps​

Need Help?​

Contact [email protected] for assistance with project setup.