Experiment metadata

Experiment metadata describes the sequencing methods, protocols, and instruments used. It links samples to the study and records the conditions under which sequencing was performed. If different experimental settings were used for different samples, you must document which samples correspond to which experiments.

When to use an Experiment record

Experiment metadata is used for raw sequencing data. Raw sequences may be stored in FASTQ, BAM, or CRAM files.

BAM and CRAM files can contain either raw sequences or reference alignments. Choose the metadata object based on what the files represent, rather than only their file format. See Analysis metadata for reference alignment files.

Metadata fields

The table below shows the fields that can be specified for an experiment. An asterisk indicates that the field is required.

Field name	Description
Related Study*	The Study the experiment is associated with
Design Name*	A brief summary of the purpose, setup, and methodology of the library preparation. This should include the scientific goal, experimental conditions, and key steps in the library construction process.
Platform*	The sequencing platform according to a controlled vocabulary
Model*	The sequencing instrument model according to a controlled vocabulary
Library Name	The submitter’s name for the library (e.g. “Solexa-32824”)
Library Layout*	Whether to expect single or paired reads (“SINGLE” or “PAIRED”)
Library Strategy Type*	Library strategy according to a controlled vocabulary.
Library Source Type*	The type of source material that is being sequenced according to a controlled vocabulary
Library Selection Type*	The method used to enrich the target in the sequence library preparation, according to a controlled vocabulary
Library Construction Protocol	Free-form text describing the protocol by which the sequencing library was constructed