The option to enable counter-signing is a group policy that the group's administrator can activate. Navigate to My Groups and click Edit. Open the Group Policy tab to activate the witness sign option for the group.
Check the option Witness Signature is required for all experiments and click Save.
Once the witness signature option is active, experiments will require a second signature before locking. When signing an experiment, users will now have the option to assign a witness to counter-sign the experiment. Users must select the witness from the list of users in their group.
Note: only users with permission to witness-sign experiments will be listed. Once an experiment is signed, the experiment will be temporarily locked from further modification.
Note: the witness' signature is required in order to permanently lock the experiment. If the witness declines the signature request, the experiment will be unlocked for further editing.
The assigned witness will receive a notification of the signature request, and the experiment will be listed on their Dashboard under the Pending Signature header. If the user has installed the eLabJournal Mobile App, they will also receive a notification on their mobile device.
On the signed experiment's page, the witness has the option to approve and witness sign the experiment or to decline and unlock the experiment. In the latter case, the user who created the experiment receives a notification with the witness' note about adjusting the experiment before resubmitting it for signing.
Once the experiment is counter-signed, the witness signature with timestamp is added to the experiment header. If users need to amend the signed experiment with additional information, they can add a comment. If this option is insufficient, users can create a copy of the locked experiment and link both versions so that the copy refers back to the original. This approach ensures that the full audit trail of data, including correct timestamps, remains intact in accordance with GLP guidelines and CFR 21 part 11 regulations.
