The process of transforming a specimen does more than simply copy basic information from the parent specimen to a new specimen record. It maintains a history of the relationship between various specimens in the database so that any user viewing a specimen record can tell how that specimen relates to other specimens in the database from the same collection — see Managing Specimen Transformations. Accordingly, in the process of recording the transformation, some information from the parent specimen will be copied as a default value to the child specimen. However, the user will have the opportunity to change this default information and add additional information that is unique to the child specimen upon adding the new child specimen to the database. Transformations are different than duplicating an existing specimen. It is recommended that you use the transformation process to record these actions, rather than simply duplicating the parent specimen, whenever a transformation has occurred. The actual decision about what constitutes a transformation and when to record a transformation will be guided by agreed-upon department processes and principles established by HCI's data management committee. To create a specimen record for a transformed specimen:

• Open the specimen record for the specimen that is the parent of the new transformed specimen (the specimen the new specimen was transformed from).
• Select the Related Specimens tab.

• Click on thebutton above the Transformed Specimens list. The Transform Specimen window will open.

• Fill in the appropriate information about the newly transformed specimen on Step 1 of the Transform Specimen wizard.

• Click the Next button in the lower right corner of the window. The window will switch to Step 2 of the Transform Specimen wizard.
• Select the appropriate aliquot from among the available aliquots for the specimen listed in the grid on Step 2. If the entire aliquot is not to be transformed, select the amount of the aliquot that will be used in the transformation.

• Click the Next button in the lower right corner of the window. The window will switch to Step 3 of the Transform Specimen wizard.
• Fill in the appropriate storage information (where the aliquots for the newly transformed specimen will be stored) on Step 3 of the Transform Specimen wizard. To add an aliquot, click on thebutton above the upper right corner of the aliquots list and record the appropriate information on the window that appears. See Adding Aliquots for instructions related to recording aliquot information.

• Click the Next button in the lower right corner of the window. The window will switch to the Summary page of the Transform Specimen wizard.
• Review the information on the Summary page to make sure that the information you have entered is correct.

• Clickin the lower right corner of the window. The window will close and the new (transformed) specimen will appear in the Transformed Specimens list of the parent specimen's window (represented by its newly assigned CC#).