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REDCap

REDCap, Research Electronic Data Capture, is a secure, multi-purpose, web-based platform that that supports data collection for a variety of needs. 

No installation required; go to http://redcap.mogrenlandscape.com/ to log in.

Learn more about REDCap.

Upstate Webinars

We will be holding REDCap survey webinars the second Tuesdays of the month at noon.  Sessions one and two will be repeated every other month (see schedule below) to provide on-going training for the most frequently used REDCap functionality.  

Registration is required to receive a calendar invite and webinar link.  

Session 1: Orientation to REDCap and building a basic survey

Learn about REDCap functionality, how to navigate the interface, and to build a basic survey. The training is not structured as a hands on session, but participants are welcome to follow along in REDCap.

Dates and registration links for 2024:

Session 2: Advanced survey settings, repeating and multiple surveys

Learn to use 

  • Advanced features in REDCap to improve survey aesthetics (HTML, embedded fields), and functionality (action tags, optional settings)
  • Multiple and repeating surveys
  • Automated survey invitations
  • Alerts and notifications

To get the most out of this session, a basic understanding of REDCap is recommended.   The training is not structured as a hands on session, but participants are welcome to follow along in REDCap.

Dates and registration links for 2024:

General training

REDCap is used by research organizations worldwide and training is readily available online from other organizations.

The Institute of Translational Health Sciences (ITHS) provides a high-quality REDCap Training Series, which includes training on the basic and advanced topics below.  An account is needed to register for free ITHS classes.

REDCap basic training series, Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children’s National (CTSI-CN).

Data collection and storage for human subject research with REDCap course, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

UCD REDCap YouTube channel from the Colorado Clinical & Translational Sciences Institute (CCTS)

Specific functionality

For assistance with training or other REDCap issues, please submit a TDX ticket.

REDCap may be used for a variety of purposes, including:

  • Research
    • Clinical trials
    • Randomized control trials
    • Longitudinal studies
  • Operational support
    • Administrative data tracking
    • Workflow tracking
    • Web forms
    • Before and after surveys 
  • Basic surveys
    • Quality improvement
    • Satisfaction surveys
    • Service usage tracking
    • User needs surveys

Advantages

  • No cost to Upstate users
  • Log in with Upstate single sign on
  • HIPAA and FDA Part 11 compliant
  • Access levels to protect PII, project setup, data manipulation, etc.
  • Anonymous or tracked responses
  • Projects may be shared with collaborators outside of Upstate
  • Data export formats include Excel/CSV, SAS, SPSS, R
  • Supported by Upstate IMT staff 

Limitations

  • Limited built-in data analysis functionality
  • Learning curve
  • Data import from other sources can be cumbersome 

Examples of use at Upstate

  • Clinical research studies
  • Course assessments
  • Pre- and post-surveys
  • Usage statistics
  • Faculty governance voting
  • Web forms

For assistance or training, please ssubmit a TDX ticket.

REDCap may be used in place of SurveyMonkey, Google forms, etc.. It is HIPAA compliant by default and supported by Upstate IMT staff.

User guides for creating and using basic REDCap surveys

Scales and measures

Recommendations for improving survey data and response rate

  • Briefly inform respondents of the why, who, how long, etc., in the invitation or survey introduction
    • Purpose/how the data will be used/why it is worth their time (i.e., the data collected will be used to improve services)
    • Estimate of the time needed (i.e., “the survey will take approximately 3-5min to complete)
    • How data are protects (i.e., anonymous, deidentified sharing, secure sharing, etc.)
    • Who will have access to the data, if applicable (i.e., collaborators, public, etc.
  • Keep the survey as short as possible
    • Break unavoidably long surveys into shorter segments (Tip: in REDCap, break the survey into sections and use the Pagination setting “Multiple pages (display one section per page)”
    • Use the survey to gather data not available elsewhere
    • Collect only data that you know will be utilized, nothing extra
    • Ask one question, or inquire about one concept, at a time
  • Use neutral wording (beware of adjectives or adverbs) to avoid influencing or biasing responses
  • Keep questions as clear and concise as possible, while tailoring to respondents’ education level, common terminology, etc.
  • Use multiple choice and scales as often as possible
    • The more open-ended text responses, the less likely someone is to respond (the less effort required by respondents, the better)
    • Be sure to offer a neutral option, and/or options for all respondents (i.e., n/a, other)
  • Use validation where possible for open-ended questions (i.e., email addresses, phone numbers, min/max values, etc.)
  • Ask the easiest questions first to reduce survey fatigue
  • Consider the best timing to launch a survey 
    • Check respondent availability (i.e., check the academic schedule, avoid holidays, etc.)
    • Avoid launching a survey at the same time as (an)other survey(s)
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