Data Entry / Collection

From REDCap FAQ

In a longitudinal study where the first form is a demographic data collection form is there any way to force the first form to be completed before proceeding to subsequent forms?
You can use branching logic to hide the fields on the later forms and add a section header that explains why no fields are present in each form when the branching logic calls for the form to be 'blank'. The forms that follow the demographic form will still be accessible but fields will be viewable only if a particular field on the demographic form is completed or marked 'Yes'.

For calculated fields, sometimes the value pops up when you enter data for the questions and sometimes the value may not appear until you save the form. Is there any reason it's doing this?
Depending on which internet browser you are using, sometimes the calc fields are calculated during data entry. However, these are just preliminary calculations. You must click the save button for the system to correctly calculate the expression and commit the data to the database. Use the Data Quality rule H to find and fix all incorrect values for calculated fields in a project.

How do I delete all my records at once?
In development mode, the Other Functionality tab has a button to erase all data. This is useful when you are iteratively testing your project and want to practice your data entry several times, starting with an empty project each time. In production mode, all data can only be deleted by an administrator, otherwise records must be deleted individually.

Do I need to select the record number again each time I change data entry forms?
No. To navigate between forms within a given record, select the colored dots indicating form status (i.e. incomplete, unverified, and complete) which appear to the left of the form name when a record is open. Note that moving to a new form by selecting the form status indicator will close the current form without saving entries. In order to save entries, select the “Save and Continue” button located at the bottom of the form before using the form status indicators to move to a new form. Alternatively, you can select the record ID to the left of the form name to go back to the Record Home Page, or you can select the “Save and go to Next Form” button if you wish to move to the next form for the current record.

What is the Record Status Dashboard?
This is a table listing all existing records/responses and their status for every data collection instrument (and for a longitudinal project, for every event). When viewing this page, form-level privileges are utilized (i.e. cannot see a form's status if the user does not have access to that form), and if the user belongs to a Data Access Group, they will only be able to view the records that belong to their group. Note: Since projects may now have many surveys, REDCap no longer displays the Survey Response Summary on the Project Home page.

How do I delete an individual record?

Existing records must be deleted by opening each one individually and deleting them. To do so, you must first have permission to delete records.

Go to the User Rights page. (This link is in the Applications section of the project menu.) Open your account, and scroll to the bottom of the screen. There, you’ll find the permission to delete records. Select that option and save your account.

Then, open any record. You will find the delete options in the 'Choose action for record' dropdown. You can use the 'delete record' button to completely erase all data across all instruments for the given record.

NOTE for surveys: If the project uses surveys, you’ll additionally need the ‘Edit survey responses’ permission. This separate permission is in the Data Entry Rights section of your account, in the upper right of the screen. On the survey response page, you’ll first need to click the ‘Edit survey response’ button at the top of the record before the ‘delete record’ button will be enabled.

How do I enter/view my data?

To enter or view individual records, you can navigate to the "Data Collection" section on the left menu bar. Select "Add/Edit Responses" to navigate to the drop down record lists so you can select or add a new record/response. Alternatively, you can select Record Status Dashboard to view all records and responses. In the Record Status Dashboard, you may select any record or response and begin entering data.

You can also use the "Data Exports, Reports, and Stats" module under "Applications" to view your data. Create New Reports to search and view your project data in aggregate.

• When you click "View Report", it queries the database in real-time and displays the resulting data in table format. Variables are listed in columns and individual records are displayed in rows.
• Clicking the "Stats & Charts" option within Data Exports, Reports, and Stats module, displays graphical representations for all numerical and categorical variables and provides links for cleaning notable data (missing, highest, lowest values).

Can I edit survey responses?

Yes, survey responses CAN be edited so long as you have been given user privileges to do so (via the User Rights page). Once you have been given user privileges to edit survey responses, you will see an Edit Response button at the top of the data entry form when viewing the response (the response will be initially read-only). After clicking that button, the response will become editable as normal.

NOTE: Some institutions running REDCap may choose not to enable this feature for their users, so if a checkbox is not seen next to the survey/form rights for that survey on the User Rights page, then this feature has not been enabled and thus cannot be utilized. Contact your REDCap Administrator.

Is there a way to delete data in a given record for just a single instrument or event (not the entire record)?
Yes! First, follow the instructions in the section above about deleting an individual record to ensure you have the correct permissions on your user account. Then, open any record or survey response. You can delete data for a single record at the bottom of the form/survey. To delete data for an event, select the 'X' icon at the bottom of the event column on the Record Home Page.