Users and access policies

There are different access levels for users, summarized in the figure below: guest (anonymous) users, normal users, privileged users and administrators. By default, a new registered user has a “normal” access level and can be elevated to “privileged” by the system administrator. Users can modify data introduced by other users from the same or lower access level group. For example, privileged users can modify data introduced by other privileged users, as well as by normal and guest users. Guest users have the lowest privileges and a limited functionality, e.g., they cannot store and modify models. For every entry OCHEM stores and displays the original depositor and the last modifier of the record, with timestamps of record creation and last modification. Additionally, the OCHEM stores all record changes with a reference to the date of change and the user who modified the record. Thus, all the changes are traceable and, if necessary, can be manually reverted to the previous state.

An overview of different user levels in the OCHEM. User’s rights decrease with level. Users can edit/delete entities of the same or lower user levels

Currently there are three main group of Users:

• Guests - non-registered Users
• Registered Users
• Validated (privileged) Users
• Administrator (super User)

The users are automatically validated by the Administrator (usually during 1-2 days after the registration)  if they register with their institutional or company account and properly fill in the fields in the registration form. If a User does not have such account as, e.g. as a student, he/she should write to ochem@vcclab.org to explain it.

By default, all records introduced to the database are publicly available unless the user explicitly makes the records private. All the access rules discussed above apply to the public data. Private records can be viewed and modified only by the introducer or by members of the same group.

The administrator can combine users in groups. The members of the same group can view and edit private records as well as access models and baskets of each other. This allows a group to work on the same project without making their data and models public.

The registration is open for everybody and requires a user to fill out a standard registration form with obligatory specification of login, password and email address. Immediately after registration, the user can access his account and use the OCHEM.

Users receive bonus points for registration (100), validation of their account, i.e. privileged users (1000), publishing of moderated records on the OCHEM (depends on the property weight, normally 1 bonus point per one record) as well as they can collect properties as  Moderators.

N.B.! No bonus points are given for hidden or non-validated records to avoid spamming of OCHEM with noise data.