Click on the magnifying glass to the right. Starting typing a topic you wish to learn about
REDCap 101.9: Other Advanced Features
- Ashley O'Connor
- Alyssa Hill
Calculations
REDCap has the ability to do calculations in data entry forms and surveys in real-time. They must be formatted in a particular way to work properly. Mathematical order of operations must be followed while writing calculation formulas, otherwise results may be incorrect. Previously defined variables/fields can be used in calculation formulas and must be placed inside [ ] brackets.
To create a calculated field, navigate to the “Online Designer” page. Select the form you wish to edit, and add a new field. In the field type, select “Calculated Field”. Type your equation in into the “Calculation Equation” box. If you already have test data in your project, you may test the calculation in the editor by selecting a record ID from the “Test calculation with a record” dropdown list.
For “Calculated Field” types, results can only be numeric. For other calculation types using different field types, see the Calculated Fields - General Overview knowledge article for more advanced features.
Note: It is advised that calculated field types are not used excessively in REDCap data collection instruments, as they can slow down the webpages.
Alerts & Notifications
REDCap has the ability to create alerts and notifications to be sent by email, which can be triggered or scheduled when a form/survey is completed, based on when conditional logic is met, and/or when data is saved or imported.
To create an alert/notification, navigate to the “Alerts & Notifications” under “Applications” on the left navigation menu in your project.
Click “Add New Alert” under “My Alerts”.
Follow steps 1 - 3 and customize your alert. Click “Save” at the bottom, and your alert will immediately become active.
For more detailed instructions and advanced features, see the Alerts & Notifications knowledge article.
Note: alerts may be edited or deactivated at any time.
Automated Survey Invitations
When REDCap surveys are enabled, survey instruments can be set up to send invitation links automatically to participants. The emails are triggered by set conditions or logic.
To set up Automated Invitations, navigate to the “Online Designer”, and click on “Automated Invitations”.
If you have events or longitudinal features enabled, select “Set up” next to the event you’d like to create an invitation for. Otherwise, you will see the “Define Conditions for Automated Survey Invitations (ASI) pop-up.
Follow the steps to compose your message, define conditions, and define when to send invitations. Click “Save”.
For more detailed instructions and advanced features, see the Automated Survey Invitations knowledge article.
Note: Automated Invitations may be disabled at any time by changing status to “Not Active” in the “Define Conditions for Automated Survey Invitations (ASI)” pop-up.
Head over to the next section of REDCap 101, or head back to the table of contents.