Tips for Navigating and Querying GeMCRIS
	1.	Begin your navigation of GeMCRIS on the home page at http://www.gemcris.od.nih.gov/
	2.	The “Search” tab on the home page will allow you to search the database by principal investigator or by a number of characteristics germane to the protocol.  To do the latter, click on "Protocol" under the Search tab, which will take you to the Protocol Report Query Menu.   Using this form, you can search on terms related to the protocol title, the medical condition being studied, vector descriptions, route of administration, and other protocol characteristics.  For example, the Protocol Report Query Menu will allow you to find protocols addressing a medical condition and being conducted at a specific institution.  When you use more than one search criterion, the system will provide only those protocols fitting all the criteria selected.
	3.	When you receive your search results, you may use the “Advanced Search” function (the link under the “Search” box) to return to the Protocol Report Query Menu to utilize other criteria in your search.
	4.	When you see the word “Select” in the Search field (such as the fields for investigators or institutions), you will be prompted with the full list of possible choices in the system.  To expedite your search, you can enter the first letter of the individual or institution in which you are interested, and you will be immediately brought to that alphabetic portion of the list.
	5.	In the “Disease” field, you can enter only the first few letters of your search term to save time or if you are unsure of the spelling.  For example, if you enter the letters “leuk” in the search field, you will receive information on all trials that are associated in the database with the word “leukemia.”
	6.	When you have found a protocol in which you are interested, click on the “View” button to the right of the protocol title to view more detail.
	7.	Protocol information includes a scientific and non-scientific abstract of the protocol, which allows you to access summary information at the level of scientific detail with which you are most comfortable
	8.	In reading protocol summaries, you may encounter names of cells, vectors, or DNA products that are unfamiliar to you.  You can find lists of similar terms by clicking on the “Public Information” tab.  Under the “Vocabulary Reports” option, you can access lists of these terms and search on particular terms of interest.
	9.	Whenever you have a question about using GeMCRIS , first click on “User Help” tab at the top of the page and select “System User Guide.”  If you do not find the answer to your question there, simply send a query to gemcris@od.nih.gov.