New term proposal: ´neg_cont_status´

[mibr30]

New term details For us to assess a new term request we require the following details:

Term name - Negative Control Status
Structured comment name - neg_cont_status
Definition - Specify whether the sample is a negative control or not.
Expected value - Negative Control Status; text
Value syntax - {boolean}
Example - Negative Control
Preferred unit - NA
Package(s) - ancient

Additional context Add any other context about the new term here.

[only1chunts]

Would the existing term below be OK to use instead of creating a new term?

Structured comment name - neg_cont_type 
Term name - negative control type
Term ID - MIXS:0001321
Definition - The substance or equipment used as a negative control in an investigation.
Expected value - enumeration or text    
Value syntax - [distilled water|phosphate buffer|empty collection device|empty collection tube|DNA-free PCR mix|sterile swab |sterile syringe] or {text}
Package(s) - Core

NB - There has been an issue with the published v6 spreadsheet not containing this term, hence you probably didn't know about it before now! Apologies, we will be fixing that soon. There is also a Positive control type term too if that is useful?

Term name - positive control type   
Term ID - MIXS:0001322
Structured comment name - pos_cont_type
Definition - The substance, mixture, product, or apparatus used to verify that a process which is part of an investigation delivers a true positive.
Value syntax - {term} or {text}
Package(s) - Core

[jfy133]

Note term is also proposed under the MInAS project's proposed ancient extension.

@only1chunts think the existing term doesn't necessarily account for what we want to do with the information in our proposal.

Sometimes in aDNA we also like to actually upload the sequencing data of controls themselves (as we want to manually verify other researchers haven't got contamination etc.). Our interpretation of the existing term based on the current phrasing is not about the 'sample' itself, but an associated control somewhere (not necessarily what the term is 'attached' to) - i.e.,, this sample had a control it was compared against that was from distilled water (for example).

Or is this a misunderstanding? In any case, our proposal is to literally say 'yes this sample is actually a/the negative control'

[only1chunts]

My understanding of the pos and neg control terms was to do exactly what you intended, i.e. say this sequence is from a control sample of a particular type (i.e just saying its a negative control isn't specific enough for most use cases as there are a number of different things that can be negative controls), but it would be good to get input from @josieburgin & others who requested the term. We may need to update the definition to clarify its usage.

[jfy133]

OK, then yes maybe we need to discuss a term update instead. We can leave this issue open for the time being until we get confirmation.