Q&A
Who will organise data transfer and updates on progress?
Discussing how your project will be managed should provide you with peace of mind that the project will be delivered on schedule and that you will be kept informed as the project progresses.
At Genecontact, you will have a dedicated project manager looking after your project and liaising with you whenever necessary. A project manager will ensure that project resources are optimally allocated to keep your project on schedule, and that quality assurance and documentation processes take place when they should.
If, however, it becomes apparent that you would be working solely with an individual bioinformatician, you should consider this a riskier endeavour – as one-person bioinformatics providers with multiple clients and strains on their resources may have more difficulty delivering on schedule.
Does the provider offer assistance in data interpretation?
You are relying on your bioinformatics partner for their expertise, and that should extend to discussing their results with you.
Always check that your provider plans to have a bioinformatician discuss the report with you – this will give you a chance to make sure you fully understand all of the information provided and ask any necessary questions.
Reviewing the results is the most important part of your project, and without a bioinformatician’s help to interpret them, the value of the results will be limited.
How flexible is the output format from the provider?
It is worth asking if your provider can provide results in a range of formats so you know whether the results can be delivered in a format you prefer for publishing or a format you are able to edit using tools you are familiar with.
Will the output contain all the information I need for publication?
The type and format of all output data should be discussed already during the basic contract and protocol phase.
We adapt expectations to the needs of the customers, and we can modify interpretations or data outputs even during the project if needed.
Am I required to have the provider as a co-author?
If you are paying for their analysis services, the answer should be “No”.
However, if you feel that the provider’s contribution was a key element for the paper, you may wish to invite them to co-author.
For less significant contributions, you may simply include the provider in the acknowledgments section of your paper.
