===== Online Experiment Management =====

Development & Hosting of Online Experiments in the TRR 265 

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==== Overview ====

The development of online experiments is sometimes linked to specific hosting systems and vice versa. For instance, the Python-Library [[http://www.google.com|PsychoPy]] can only be used together with the hosting platform [[http://www.google.com|Pavlovia]], and the hosting platform [[http://www.google.com|Openlab]] accepts experiments built with the development tool [[http://www.google.com|LabJS]] only. The table below contains information about such dependencies.

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==== Hosting Platforms ====

| ^ Pros  ^ Cons  ^
^ Expfactory \\ [[https://www.expfactory.org]]         | • Supports tests based on [[https://www.jspsych.org/|jsPsych]] and  [[https://lab.js.org/|LabJS]] \\ • Hosted within TUD \\ • Free & Open-source \\ • Comes with a large library of tasks one can use  | • Needs INF project to set up a new task  |
^ Neurotest/ Openlab/ RDoC \\ [[https://lab.js.org/]]  | • Free of Charge  \\ • Hosting within TRR possible (hosted by TUD) \\ • Comes with an easy to use experiment builder ([[https://lab.js.org/|LabJS]])  | • Accepts experiments built with [[https://lab.js.org/|LabJS]] only, but adding custom JavaScript code is possible (should be tested)  |
^ Pavlovia \\ [[https://pavlovia.org/]]                | • Comes with an easy to use experiment builder [[https://www.psychopy.org/|PsychoPy]] \\ • Hosts any JavaScript file (according to them, untested by us) \\ - [[https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/use-javascript-task-on-pavlovia/18117|JavaScript on Pavlovia discourse]]  | • Not for free (£0.24 per participant + £1,800 per year) \\  • Hosting outside TRR  |
^ Jatos \\ [[https://www.jatos.org]]                   | • Free and open source \\ • Can host any JavaScript file  \\ • Hosting within TRR possible (currently hosted in Berlin by BCCN) \\ - [[https://www.jatos.org/JATOS-on-a-server.html]] \\ • Easy to set up tasks: Just add a few lines of code to JavaScript file  \\ - How to: [[https://www.jatos.org/Write-your-own-Study-Basics-and-Beyond.html|Tutorial]]  \\ - Example: [[https://github.com/agschlagenhauf/Reduced_SR_in_AUD/blob/Experiment/jatos_win_java/study_assets_root/2-Step-Task/sketch.js|Example on Git]]  \\ • It might support [[https://www.psychopy.org/|PsychoPy]] (possibly an alternative to [[https://pavlovia.org/|Pavlovia]])| • Likely JavaScript programming skills required  \\ • Supports [[https://lab.js.org/|LabJS]], confer [[https://www.jatos.org/labjs-and-JATOS.html]] \\ •  Adaption to to [[https://pavlovia.org/|Pavlovia]] not out of the box  | 
^ Labvanced \\ [[https://www.labvanced.com/]]          | • Free and Open-source  | • No experience gathered yet  |

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==== Development Tools ====

| ^ General Information  ^ Hosting  ^
^ PsychoPy \\ [[https://www.psychopy.org/|PsychoPy]]     | • Python library & Standalone version ([[https://www.psychopy.org/download.html|for Windows]]) with a drag-and-drop user interface \\ • Fast to use and implement \\ • Possibly restricted in task structure, problem for complex tasks \\ • Restricted in Python packages that can be used, general python code can cause problems \\ • JavaScript translation appears implemented, did not really work yet though | • Hosting is coupled to [[https://pavlovia.org/|Pavlovia]]  (but which works effortlessly) \\ • Open question whether it can be used without Pavlovia for online hosting |
^ JavaScript (plain) \\ [[https://www.javascript.com/]]  | • Requires programming knowledge \\ • Slower to implement \\ • Can deal with any task structure, important especially for more complex sequential decision tasks | • Native to general server architectures \\ • Can therefore be hosted on [[https://www.expfactory.org|Expfactory]] and [[https://www.jatos.org|Jatos]]  |
^ PsychoJS \\ [[https://github.com/psychopy/psychojs]]   | • JavaScript partner to [[https://www.psychopy.org/|PsychoPy]] \\ • Fast and easy to implement using Python builder \\ • Possibly restricted for task structures \\ • Is very much under development yet though  | • Theoretically everywhere, however, see PsychoPy hosting comments  |
^ LabJS \\ [[https://lab.js.org/]]                       | • Is a “what you see is what you get” online experiment builder running in a browser \\ • Very fast and easy drag and drop builder \\ • Setting up complex tasks can be difficult or impossible \\ • Allows for adding custom JavaScript code, which may solve the restriction on tasks \\ • Close contact to developers, quick support | • Hosting is coupled to [[https://lab.js.org/|Neurotest/ Openlab]] \\ • Can be exported for [[https://www.expfactory.org|Expfactory]] and possibly [[https://pavlovia.org/|Pavlovia]] \\ - [[https://pavlovia.org/docs/experiments/create-labjs]]  |
^ Godot \\ [[https://godotengine.org/]]                  | • Powerful 2D & 3D Game engine \\ • Standalone tool for any operating system \\ • Uses a “what you see is what you get” user interface combined with a scripting language called GDScript (similar to Python) \\ • Excellent exports to HTML5/ JavaScript \\ • Export to Phones possible  | • Can be hosted on any platform that accepts JavaScript files |

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==== Experiments in the TRR 265 ====

^ Online Experiment Name  ^ Hosting Platfom  ^ Development Tool ^ Project ID  ^ Comments  ^ Contact ^ 
| Value Based Decision Making (VBDM)        | Expfactory   | JavaScript	| S01/B03/B09 | hosted in Dresden                                   | willi.hieke@tu-dresden.de        | 
| Action-Sequence-Task (AST)	            | Expfactory   | LabJS	| B09         | hosted in Dresden                                   | sascha.froelich@tu-dresden.de    | 
| Space-Adeventure-Task (SAT)	            | Expfactory   | JavaScript	| B09         | hosted in Dresden                                   | sophia-helen.sass@tu-dresden.de  | 
| Two-Galaxies-Task (TGT)	            | Expfactory   | JavaScript	| B09         | hosted in Dresden                                   | willi.hieke@tu-dresden.de        | 
| Pavlovian to Instrumental Transter (PIT)  | - - -        | PsychoPy	| B03         | used offline up to now                              | hao.chen@tu-dresden.de           |
| Counting-Stroop	                    | - - -        | PsychoPy	| B03         | used offline up to now                              |  | 
| Simon Go-Nogo Task	                    | - - -	   | - - -	| B03         | used offline up to now                              |  | 
| Spatial Working Memory Task (SWM)	    | Expfactory   | LabJS	| B09         | - - -                                               |  | 
| Identical Pictures Task (IDP)	            | Expfactory   | LabJS	| B09         | - - -                                               |  | 
| Raven Task	                            | Expfactory   | LabJS	| B09         | - - -                                               |  | 
| Reduced Successor Representation Task	    | JATOS	   | JavaScript	| B01         | work in progress                                    |  | 
| Delay Task	                            | RDoC/Openlab | JavaScript	| C01         | hosted in Mannheim                                  |  | 
| Dot-Probe Task (Nicotine)	            | RDoC/Openlab | JavaScript	| C01         | hosted in Mannheim                                  |  | 
| Card Sorting Task	                    | RDoC/Openlab | JavaScript	| C01         | hosted in Mannheim                                  |  | 
| Continuos Performance Task	            | RDoC/Openlab | JavaScript	| C01         | hosted in Mannheim                                  |  | 
| Modified Stroop Task (Nicotine)	    | RDoC/Openlab | JavaScript	| C01         | hosted in Mannheim, work in progress                |  | 
| Cue Reactivity (Nicotine)	            | RDoC/Openlab | JavaScript	| C01         | hosted in Mannheim, work in progress                |  |