REDCap Data Management
How to begin using REDCap to collect
and manage your research data
CTSC Biomedical Informatics Program
What is REDCap?
 REDCap (Research Electronic Data
Capture) is a secure web application for
building and managing online databases
for research
 REDCap is HIPAA-compliant, we will worry
about data security and data compliance,
you can focus on the research
 Worked with Research IT, IT Security,
Compliance, Legal, and the IRB to launch
REDCap
For more information:
http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/ctsc/redcap/
REDCap Text for IRB and Grant
Submissions
Six Step Process to Using REDCap
1. Kick-off Meeting
2. Develop Data Dictionary
3. Review Data Dictionary
4. Create Database and Request User Access
5. Final Database Review
6. Begin Entering Data!
Kick-off Meeting
 Meet with CTSC Biomedical
Informatics staff
– Discuss project workflow
– Discuss milestones and deadlines
 Researcher must complete a CTSC
Application for Resource Use
 Researcher must sign the REDCap
Project Level Agreement
Six Step Process to Using REDCap
1. Kick-off Meeting
2. Develop Data Dictionary
3. Review Data Dictionary
4. Create Database and Request User Access
5. Final Database Review
6. Begin Entering Data!
Developing the Data Dictionary
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Variable / Field Name
Form Name
Section Header
Field Type
Field Label
Choices
Field Note
Text Validation Type
Text Validation Min
Text Validation Max
Identifier?
Branching Logic
Required Field?
Each data point
 Variable / Field Name
– Lowercase, no special characters, underscores
allowed
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Form Name
Section Header
Field Label
Choices
– All choices are coded (1, Choice 1 | 2, Choice 2,
etc.)
– Although “Choice 1” is selected, the value “1” is
stored, useful during analysis
 Field Note
Sample Form
Field
Note
Section Header
Field
Label
Choices
Field Type
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text – text box used to capture numerical values and text
data
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notes – large text box used to capture text data, usually for
comments or notes
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dropdown – drop down list used to select a single item from
a predefined list of items
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radio – radio buttons to select a single item from a
predefined list of items
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checkbox – checkboxes to select multiple items from a
predefined list of items
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yesno – radio button for simple Yes/No response
Validation
 For text fields –
– number, min/max
– integer (whole numbers, no decimal places),
min/max
– date (date_ymd, date_mdy, date_dmy),
min/max
– time (datetime_ymd, datetime_mdy,
datetime_dmy), min/max
– phone
– email
– zipcode (5 digits)
Branching Logic
 Allows fields to be displayed when
certain data is entered/selected
 If “Female” is selected as Gender, a
question for “Past pregnancy” will be
displayed
 [gender] = “0” would be entered into
the branching logic column for the
“Past Pregnancy” data point
Sample Dictionary
Resulting Form
Six Step Process to Using REDCap
1. Kick-off Meeting
2. Develop Data Dictionary
3. Review Data Dictionary
4. Create Database and Request User Access
5. Final Database Review
6. Begin Entering Data!
Review Data Dictionary
 Research team will meet with
informatics staff and a biostatistician
to go over the data dictionary
– Informatics staff can communicate with the
biostatistician regarding the data model
– Biostatistician can provide guidance to the
research team on how certain data points
should be captured to facilitate analysis
Six Step Process to Using REDCap
1. Kick-off Meeting
2. Develop Data Dictionary
3. Review Data Dictionary
4. Create Database and Request User Access
5. Final Database Review
6. Begin Entering Data!
Requesting Access (this will only
have to be done once)
 Submit a Lotus Notes Online Access
Request
 Send a signed REDCap End User
Agreement to the informatics staff
working with you (fax, inter-office
mail, or scan and email)
 Informatics staff will be using your
data dictionary to create the database
For more information:
http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/ctsc/redcap/
access.html
User Permissions Matrix (per
project)
Roles
Data Entry Rights
Edit
Read
None
Six Step Process to Using REDCap
1. Kick-off Meeting
2. Develop Data Dictionary
3. Review Data Dictionary
4. Create Database and Request User Access
5. Final Database Review
6. Begin Entering Data!
Final Database Review
 Research team will work with
informatics staff to finalize the data
dictionary, forms, and user
permissions
Six Step Process to Using REDCap
1. Kick-off Meeting
2. Develop Data Dictionary
3. Review Data Dictionary
4. Create Database and Request User Access
5. Final Database Review
6. Begin Entering Data!
Post Processing Features
 All changes to the database are logged in accordance
with HIPAA and other compliance regulations and
policies
Post Processing Features
 Researchers can create custom reports
Post Processing Features
 Researchers will be able to export data into
popular statistical packages, and into Excel
Where to Find REDCap
From browser
type --Redcap/
Citing REDCap and the CTSC in
Publications
Any publications resulting from the use of REDCap to collect and manage data should include the
following CTSA acknowledgement:
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"This publication was made possible by Grant Number UL1 RR024146 from the National Center
for Research Resources (NCRR), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and NIH
Roadmap for Medical Research. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do
not necessarily represent the official view of NCRR or NIH. Information on NCRR is available at
http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/. Information on Re-engineering the Clinical Research Enterprise can
be obtained from http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/clinicalresearch/overview-translational.asp.“
Any publications resulting from the use of REDCap to collect and manage data should include the
following REDCap citation:
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Paul A. Harris, Robert Taylor, Robert Thielke, Jonathon Payne, Nathaniel Gonzalez, Jose G. Conde,
Research electronic data capture (REDCap) - A metadata-driven methodology and workflow
process for providing translational research informatics support, J Biomed Inform. 2009 Apr;
42(2):377-81.
Acknowlegements
A joint project from the UC Davis CTSC and Health System IT
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Ayan Patel
Kent Anderson
Chris Lambertus and the IT Middleware group
Monte Ratzlaff and the IT Security group
Teresa Porter and the Compliance group
Anna Orlowski and the Legal Office