# Collecting Data
Use this workflow after joining a Project and confirming that its Protocol, Project Questions, locations, and sampling plan match the study.
# Before the Collection Session
- Charge and turn on the MultispeQ.
- Sign in to the Android app and refresh the Project list while internet access is available.
- Connect the intended MultispeQ and confirm its device ID.
- Run Device QC and Field QC.
- Confirm the planned treatments, blocks, biological replicates, sampling order, and target measurement count.
- Verify that collectors use the same Protocol, Project Question definitions, units, and sample-identification rules.
Prespecify decisions
Define repeat, rejection, and flagging rules before collection. Apply the same rules to every treatment, collector, device, date, and location.
# Collect a Project Measurement
- Open Projects and select the intended Project.
- Select Take a Measurement.
- Answer every required Project Question and verify sample identifiers before measuring.
- Position the leaf or sample according to the Protocol and the practices below.
- Select Take Measurement and keep the leaf and MultispeQ steady.
- Review the result and any warning or danger messages.
- Select Accept to save the measurement locally, or Discard to reject the attempt.
| Confirm Project Metadata | Keep the Instrument Steady |
|---|---|
 |  |
Accepting a measurement does not guarantee that it has reached the Project. Confirm its upload status in Measurements.
# Best Measurement Practices
- Do not shade the leaf or PAR sensor with your body, phone, or clothing.
- Do not move a leaf from shade to sun, or from sun to shade, immediately before measuring.
- Keep the leaf at its natural angle unless the study Protocol specifies another orientation.
- Use the same leaf position and clamp orientation throughout the study.
- Make sure the sample completely covers the light guides without crushing or folding the tissue.
- Hold the instrument and leaf steady, especially in wind.
- Keep the light guides clean and dry. Use only a soft, clean microfiber cloth.
- Do not collect in wet conditions; the MultispeQ is not water resistant or waterproof.
Small leaves may require a validated mask and instrument recalibration. Do not improvise a mask during an active study because it changes the optical path and can make measurements incomparable.
# Review the Result
The result screen shows Protocol outputs, environmental values, calculated parameters, warnings, and available traces. The exact output depends on the selected Protocol and Macro.
| Measurement Details and Quality Messages |
|---|
 |
Common output groups include:
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Environmental and physical | PPFD/PAR sensor output, ambient temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, leaf temperature, leaf angle |
| Chlorophyll fluorescence | Phi2, PhiNPQ, PhiNO, LEF, NPQt, qL |
| Absorbance and transmission | SPAD-like relative chlorophyll index, ECSt, vH+, gH+, PSI and P700 parameters |
See References and Parameters for definitions, assumptions, and interpretation limits.
# Respond to Quality Messages
A warning is a prompt to inspect the acquisition, not proof that the biological observation is invalid.
Repeat a measurement when there is a documented acquisition failure, such as:
- The wrong sample or Project Question answer was used
- The leaf did not cover the light guides
- The leaf or instrument moved during acquisition
- The connection or Protocol was interrupted
- The trace is missing or malformed
Do not discard a measurement only because its value is extreme or differs from expectations. Stressed, senescent, diseased, or dead tissue can produce valid low or unusual values when those samples are part of the study. Record the reason for repeats and exclusions, and apply the same rule throughout the dataset.
# Upload and Confirm Measurements
Accepted Project measurements remain on the phone until upload succeeds.
- Open Measurements.
- Confirm the expected Project and sample identifiers.
- Select Upload All, or open a pending measurement and use its upload action.
- Wait for the cloud/check status.
- Confirm important records in the online Project data view before deleting local copies.
| Measurement Upload Status | Upload Settings |
|---|---|
 |  |
Use WiFi only to prevent uploads over mobile data. Use Auto upload when measurements should upload automatically whenever the configured network is available. Upload All remains available for manual confirmation.
Before leaving the field, compare the expected and actual counts and investigate missing, duplicate, mislabeled, pending, or warning-bearing measurements. Do not uninstall the app, clear app data, or delete pending measurements before their upload is confirmed.
See Measurements for local actions and upload troubleshooting.