Resources for a study

Start by deciding whether you are practising with the synthetic Quick Start or preparing a real study. Quick Start includes its small sample dictionary, category map and TERM2GENE table. A real study uses the installed LISA dictionary and category map, but needs a separate species-matched TERM2GENE membership resource.

Decide which resources your study needs

Resource Supplied with lisaR? Needed for a real study? Purpose
Core LISA dictionary Yes Yes, unless you select the bundled expanded dictionary or a reviewed custom dictionary Assigns exact gene-set identifiers to core LISA categories.
Expanded LISA dictionary Yes Optional alternative to core Includes the core assignments and the next accepted assignment tier.
LISA category map Yes Yes for semantic LISA collections Names and orders categories and groups them into supercategories.
Species-matched TERM2GENE membership No Yes Defines which genes belong to each gene set used by GSEA.
Native KEGG map snapshot No Optional Supplies authorised KGML and base-map material for native pathway painting.

The package also contains synthetic sample and format-validation resources. They let you practise without provider access, but they are not memberships for an unrelated study.

Relationship between the bundled LISA dictionaries and category map, external TERM2GENE memberships, and optional native KEGG snapshots.
lisaR combines a fixed gene-set-to-category assignment with a separate gene-set-to-gene membership table. A native KEGG snapshot is needed only for optional pathway painting. The diagram shows resource roles, not scientific measurements or redistribution rights.

Keep resource identities and schemas separate

Configuration field Current standard identity Installed schema
dictionary_resource lisa_dictionary_core@1.0.0 lisa_dictionary@2
term2gene_resource msigdb_term2gene@2026.1 term2gene@1
category_map_resource lisa_category_map@1.0.0 category_map@1

The active expanded identity is lisa_dictionary_expanded@1.0.0. The dictionary’s 1.0.0 is its first-publication resource version. It is not the lisa_dictionary@2 file schema, the lisaR package version or the external MSigDB 2026.1 release. Keep these version spaces separate when recording a study.

A resource ID selects immutable registered bytes. It does not accept a provider’s terms or grant access or redistribution rights. The LISA dictionary contains gene-set-to-category assignments. TERM2GENE contains gene-set-to-gene memberships. lisaR runs GSEA with the latter and applies semantic organisation with the former.

For the recorded construction history and its limits, see How LISA dictionaries were built. The current technical reconstruction uses MSigDB 2026.1. The original historical annotation retrieval release was not recorded, so the reconstruction must not be presented as that missing historical release.

Obtain and register the MSigDB membership

prepare_lisa_msigdb_resource() supports the pinned Homo sapiens H, C2 and C5 MSigDB 2026.1 route. Before allowing it to acquire the archive, review the MSigDB terms and collection-specific conditions, the KEGG terms, and the BioCarta conditions linked from the MSigDB terms.

Only after you have reviewed and accepted the applicable conditions for your institution and intended use, run:

library(lisaR)

msigdb <- prepare_lisa_msigdb_resource(accept_terms = TRUE)
msigdb[c(
  "resource_id", "path", "registry_path", "acquired",
  "source_zip_sha256"
)]

The helper acquires only the pinned archive, verifies it, builds the canonical TERM2GENE table and registers msigdb_term2gene@2026.1 in lisaR’s managed resource cache. If that exact registered resource already exists, it is reused without another download or terms assertion.

Setting accept_terms = TRUE permits that call’s acquisition. It is not a licence, a permission grant or acceptance for another person.

If you already have an authorised local copy of the exact pinned ZIP, select it instead:

source_zip <- file.choose()
msigdb <- prepare_lisa_msigdb_resource(source_zip = source_zip)

This local route makes no network request and does not request a new terms assertion. It still checks the fixed archive identity before registration. The helper is specific to the documented human release. Use the reviewed custom resource route for another species or another authorised membership table.

Select the registered resources

Use explicit versioned identities in the study configuration:

pipeline:
  dictionary_resource: "lisa_dictionary_core@1.0.0"
  term2gene_resource: "msigdb_term2gene@2026.1"
  category_map_resource: "lisa_category_map@1.0.0"

To use the installed expanded assignments, change only dictionary_resource to lisa_dictionary_expanded@1.0.0. Keep the core choice unless the broader accepted tier answers a deliberate study need.

The dictionary identifiers must match the gene-set identifiers present in the selected TERM2GENE table. The membership must also match the study species and gene-identifier convention. A registered name alone does not establish that biological compatibility.

Validate the resolved selection

Validate the complete study configuration, rather than checking resource files by hand:

validation <- validate_lisa_config(
  "study.yml", check_files = TRUE, strict = TRUE
)

validation$resources[, c(
  "config_key", "configured_id", "resource_id", "species",
  "schema", "sha256", "ready", "message"
)]
stopifnot(validation$resources_ready)
stopifnot(validation$execution_ready)

The table distinguishes a missing resource, incompatible species or profile, invalid schema and identity mismatch. Correct the installation or configuration named in message, then validate again. Do not bypass the registry by pointing a study at an arbitrary TSV.

Install a reviewed custom resource

install_lisa_resource() registers an already obtained local dictionary, TERM2GENE table or category map. It requires a reviewed lower-case SHA-256 and approved_origin metadata. The helper does not download data, accept terms or self-certify unknown bytes.

Follow Custom dictionaries and supercategories for the complete three-table construction, installation and compatibility check. Prepared Riaz and CPTAC example bundles use the separate install_lisa_example_bundle() route; they are not resource substitutes for an unrelated study.

Add optional native KEGG maps

KEGG-derived gene sets can occur in the TERM2GENE membership and contribute to enrichment. That membership is not a native pathway diagram.

Native painting is a separate optional product. It requires:

lisaR verifies the declared snapshot and its per-resource identities. It does not fetch a native map automatically and provides no public snapshot installer. Obtain and use the snapshot through a route authorised for the recipient’s institution and purpose. If you do not have one, leave native maps disabled; KEGG gene-set enrichment remains a separate product.

Keep provenance with the completed run

A completed run records resolved identities in resource_inventory.tsv and config/resource_resolution.tsv, alongside its run manifest and technical environment records. Keep these files with the report.

Category-inference products also record their saved gene-set input identities, the Hommel method/version and the per-analysis family. A presentation refresh creates a new manifest-verified copy and keeps the original source-run identity; it does not replace the source or calculate new P values. Retain both the source and derived-copy manifests when auditing a four-star report. Resource SHA-256 values identify bytes, not the validity of a biological conclusion.

The installed package also carries its resource manifest, migration ledger and provenance statement:

system.file(
  "extdata", "dictionaries", "RESOURCE_BUNDLE_MANIFEST.tsv",
  package = "lisaR"
)
system.file(
  "extdata", "dictionaries", "RESOURCE_PROVENANCE.tsv",
  package = "lisaR"
)
system.file(
  "extdata", "dictionaries", "RESOURCE_MIGRATION_MANIFEST.tsv",
  package = "lisaR"
)

These records identify what was used. They do not establish biological suitability, provider permission or a right to redistribute external material. For the notices to retain when sharing, continue to Licence, attribution and citation.