Table 1.
Definitions of core terms
| Workflow and dataflow Workflow → A sequence of a given number of generated physical objects and corresponding digital data objects Workflow segment → Section of workflow, defined by a given object, the design of its generation, and its properties or traits; pre- (and post-)campaign activities are not considered as part of a workflow segment Study or workflow campaign → Section of workflow, defined by the practical work in a study, given number of workflow segments (1–n) according to the number of generated (physical and digital) objects being included. In the most granular representation of a workflow, campaigns and segments match 1:1; pre- (and post-)campaign activities are per se not considered as part of a workflow campaign |
| Domains of elementary operations and their supplementation by method information Elementary operations → Basic operations being transformation, measurement and transaction of an object Domain 1: Transformation → Generation of (target) objects → For creating objects with new or other properties being suitable for measurement Domain 2: Measurement → Generation of data (specifying an object) → For proofing successful transformation of objects; for enabling data analysis Domain 3: Transaction → Generation of (spatial) structures → For making (physical and digital) objects findable for transformation and measurement Method information (‘methodology’) → Selection of devices and specification of parameters for making processes functional in the context of domains 1–3 |
| Operation design according to domains 1–3 Operation design → The design of operations in a workflow segment according to the elementary (domain 1–3) operations on an object Factor → Element value used in (statistical) analysis, corresponding to the term ‘variable’ Design element → Generated factor for transformation, measurement and transaction of an object (mostly in an experiment) Parameter → Element value used for describing the setup of devices for operations, corresponding to the term ‘constant’ |
| Generation and assignment of object identifiers, to operation design with method information, and measurement values Identifiers (pre-campaign) to objects (containers) → Making objects identifiable Operation design elements with measurement information (pre-campaign) to objects → Making objects distinctive, i.e. characterize the objects Measurement values (on−/post-campaign) to objects → For recording object traits |
| Generation and assignment of operation design codes → (Pre-campaign) generation and assignment of operation design codes to objects |