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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 https://redcap.upstate.edu/ to log in.

Learn more about REDCap.

FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliance

Upstate’s REDCap instance is 21 CFR Part 11-ready. PIs and study teams are responsible for ensuring compliance of individual project design and implementation to meet FDA requirements.  For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

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
    • Web forms

Advantages

  • No cost to Upstate users
  • Log in with Upstate single sign on
  • HIPAA and FDA Part 11 compliant
  • Support for multiple languages
  • 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.

Upstate Webinars

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

Intro to REDCap and Basic Surveys will be held on the following days in 2025.  All are on the second Tuesday of the month at noon, virtual only.

Each webinar is a stand-alone and will cover the same content.  By the end of the webinar you will have the information needed to build and distribute a basic REDCap survey.

For assistance with learning more advanced features or building a survey with multiple/repeated surveys, please submit a TDX ticket to schedule a one-on-one session.

General training

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

The Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Wake Forest University School of Medicine provides tutorials for beginner and intermediate users.  See the Project Builder and Management pathway to learn to set up and manage a REDCap project. 

The Institute of Translational Health Sciences (ITHS) offers REDCap training courses. Registration for a free account is required.

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 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

Please note: distributing multiple and repeating surveys is much more complex than a single survey. It is recommended that you meet with a REDCap administrator before using multiple 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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