What's New - REDCap

New Features


Project Dashboards v11.0

Project Dashboards are pages with dynamic content that can be added to a project. They can utilize special Smart Variables called Smart Functions, Smart Tables, and Smart Charts (described below) that can perform aggregate mathematical functions, display tables of descriptive statistics, and render various types of charts, respectively. User access privileges are customizable for each dashboard, and anyone with Project Design privileges can create and edit them. A Wizard is provided on the Project Dashboard creation page to help users easily construct the syntax for Smart Functions, Smart Tables, or Smart Charts, and a basic list of helpful examples is also included.

Smart Functions v11.0

Smart Functions are aggregate mathematical functions that are utilized as Smart Variables. The following Smart Functions exist: [aggregate-min], [aggregate-max], [aggregate-mean], [aggregate-median], [aggregate-sum], [aggregate-count], [aggregate-stdev], and [aggregate-unique]. Each represents the mathematical functions minimum, maximum, mean/average, media, sum, count, standard deviation, and unique count, respectively. Each must have at least one field attached to it that follows a colon - e.g., [aggregate-mean:age]. Multiple fields may be used in each one, which will perform the function over all the data values of all the fields. By default, the functions will utilize all data values for all records in the project. To limit the data values being utilized to a subset of the total project data, see the Smart Variable documentation on how to apply filters, such as attached unique report names, DAGs, and other parameters

Note: When using [aggregate-count:record_id], in which “record_id” in this example represents whatever the variable of the Record ID field is, it performs a special count that does not literally count the number of data values but instead returns a count of the total number of records in the project. This is a quick way to display the total record count of the project.

Smart Functions can be used anywhere in a project where piping is allowed, and can even be used inside calculations, branching logic, and other conditional logic (report filters, alert conditions, etc.).

Smart Tables v11.0

Smart Tables are tables displaying aggregate descriptive statistics in which the results of any or all of the following stats functions can be displayed for one or more fields: minimum, maximum, mean/average, media, sum, count, standard deviation, count of missing values, and count of unique values.

Smart Tables are represented with the Smart Variable [stats-table], which accepts as a parameter the variable names (comma delimited) of all the fields to be displayed as separate rows in the table. There is no limit to the number of fields that can be used. For example, [stats-table:field1,field2,field3].

By default, all available columns will be displayed in the table and are as follows: Count, Missing, Unique, Min, Max, Mean, Median, StDev, Sum. To display only a subset of the columns, you may provide any of the following designations (comma-separated) that represent a specific column in the table: count, missing, unique, min, max, mean, median, stdev, sum. For example, [stats-table:field1,field2,field3:mean,max].

By default, each stats table will have an "Export table (CSV)" link displayed immediately below it to allow users to download the table as a CSV file. But if users wish to hide the export link, they can simply attach “:no-export-link” to the Smart Variable, which will cause the link not to be displayed. For example, [stats-table:field1,field2,field3:no-export-link].

Smart Tables can be used anywhere in a project where piping is allowed.

Smart Charts v11.0

Smart Charts are various aggregate plots and charts utilized as different Smart Variables. The following plots are available for use: bar charts, pie charts, donut charts, scatter plots, and line charts. These are all represented by the following Smart Variables, respectively: [bar-chart], [pie-chart], [donut-chart], [scatter-plot], and [line-chart]. These Smart Variables accept one or more field names and also other optional parameters, as described below for each.

Bar charts - Displays a bar chart for a single multiple choice field. It can optionally perform color grouping if a second field (multiple choice only) is provided. The fields must be comma-separated. For example, [bar-chart:field,grouping-field:parameters]. Bar charts have optional parameters that can be applied to alter their appearance. By appending the parameter “:bar-stacked” when two fields are used, the bars in the chart will appear stacked on top of each other rather than side by side. By default, bar charts are displayed with their bars going horizontally, but by appending the parameter “:bar-vertical”, the orientation will be changed to display vertically instead.

Pie charts - Displays a pie chart for a single multiple choice field. For example, [pie-chart:field:parameters].

Donut charts - Displays a donut chart for a single multiple choice field.Note: A donut chart is essentially the same as a pie chart but with the center removed. For example, [donut-chart:field:parameters].

Scatter plots - Displays a scatter plot of one number/date/datetime field for the x-axis and a second field (number field only) for the y-axis. (If a second field is not provided, a random value will be assigned for the y-axis.) It can optionally perform color grouping if a third field (multiple choice only) is provided. All fields must be comma-separated. For example, [scatter-plot:x-axis-field,y-axis-field,grouping-field:parameters].

Line charts - Displays a line chart of one number/date/datetime field for the x-axis and a second field (number field only) for the y-axis. It can optionally perform color grouping if a third field (multiple choice only) is provided. All fields must be comma-separated. Note: A line chart is essentially the same as a scatter plot except with dots connected with a line. For example, [line-chart:x-axis-field,y-axis-field,grouping-field:parameters].

Color blindness accessibility: Pie charts and donut charts have the ability for the user to enable color blindness accessibility, via a gray link displayed immediately below each chart, in which it overlays different patterns onto the colored pieces of the chart to make each color more distinct for many types of color blindness. This option to enable color blindness accessibility is stored in a secure cookie on the user’s device and will be used to remember this choice anytime a pie/donut chart is displayed on any page for any REDCap project for that REDCap server.

The colors displayed in each chart/plot are preset and are not modifiable.

Smart Charts can be used anywhere in a project where piping is allowed *except* for inside the body of outgoing emails.


Added "Language of text to be spoken" for the "Text-To-Speech" survey functionality v10.3

This is available on the Survey Settings page. For several years, REDCap has had a Text-to-Speech feature for surveys that, when enabled, allows questions and other text on survey pages to be converted into natural-sounding audio for the participant to hear. Up until now, it supported English only, but now REDCap users may utilize the Text-to-Speech feature in a variety of non-English languages and voices, assuming that the survey text is in a non-English language. This includes Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, English (UK and US), French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish (Castilian, Latin American, and North American).

Users may re-evaluate some or all Alerts & Notifications for all records in a project v10.3

If an alert has been modified after data has already been entered in the project, users may click the “Re-evaluate Alerts” button on the Alerts & Notifications page, which will re-evaluate selected alerts for all records to ensure that notifications get properly sent or scheduled based on the new conditions of the alert (otherwise they could only be triggered if each individual record had data modified). If a user modifies the conditional logic of an alert, it will recommend that they utilize the “Re-evaluate Alerts” functionality. If an alert has the “Ensure logic is still true…” option checked, then it is possible during this process that some already-scheduled notifications might get removed (and thus would no longer be scheduled) based on the new conditions.

Field Embedding v10.0

Field Embedding is the ultimate way to customize surveys and data collection instruments to make them look exactly how you want. Field Embedding is a Shazam-like feature that allows you to reposition field elements on a survey page or data entry form so that they get embedded in a new location on that same page. Embedding fields gives users greater control over the look and feel of your instrument. Users may place fields in a grid/table for a more compact user-friendly page, or they can position fields close together in a group if they are related.

To use Field Embedding, users simply need to place the REDCap variable name of a field inside braces/curly brackets - e.g., {date_of_birth} - and place it in the Field Label, Field Note, Section Header, or Choice Label of any other field on that same instrument. Field embedding will not work across instruments but only on the current instrument/survey being viewed. If on a multi-page survey, then the embedded field must be on the same survey page as its host field.

No action tags or custom HTML is required to use Field Embedding. Users can simply use the rich text editor in the Online Designer to design their layout and then place the field variables inside that layout. The layout does not have to be a table/grid (although tables are common for this), and fields can be embedded inside *any* field type (not just Descriptive fields).


New feature: Projects that are in "Analysis/Cleanup" v9.8

This status can now optionally have their project data set as "Locked/Read-only" or "Editable" (see the top of the Project Setup or Project Home page). This will give users more control to prevent data collection from happening while in this project status.

New feature: Mark a project as "Completed" v9.8

If users are finished with a project and wish to make it completely inaccessible, they may mark the project as Completed. Doing so will take it offline and remove it from everyone's project list, after which it can only be seen again by clicking the Show Completed Projects link at the bottom of the My Projects page. Once marked as Completed, no one in the project (except for REDCap administrators) can access the project, and only administrators may undo the Completion and return it back to an accessible state for all project users. Marking a project as Completed is typically only done when users are sure that no one needs to access the project anymore, and they want to ensure that the project and its data remain intact for a certain amount of time.

SMS and Voice Calls for Alerts & Notifications v9.6

If Twilio services have not been disabled at the system level for the REDCap installation, then users may now send a notification as an SMS text message and/or as a one-way voice call for any given alert in a project by setting them up on the Alerts & Notifications page.

The Twilio telephony services must first be enabled on the project on the Project Setup page (the same way it has in the past when utilizing Twilio for surveys and survey invitations), and once enabled, using the Twilio configuration dialog users may choose to utilize Twilio in the project for surveys (default), alerts, or both surveys and alerts.

Once enabled for alerts, inside the Add/Edit Alert dialog on the Alerts & Notifications page users will see the options to send a notification as an email, SMS message, or voice call. If SMS or voice call is chosen, it will hide all email-specific settings and will reveal the “Phone Number” fields for entering the phone numbers of one or more recipients of the notification, which may include the following: the phone numbers of all project users (from their My Profile account settings), any fields having integer validation or phone validation, and the survey participant’s phone number (if also using Twilio services for surveys).

10 new Smart Variables v9.2.0

[project-id] - The Project ID (i.e., PID) of the current REDCap project.

[user-fullname] -The current user's first and last name (as listed on their My Profile page).

[user-email] - The current user's primary email address (as listed on their My Profile page).

[redcap-base-url] - The base web address for the REDCap installation.

[redcap-version] - The current REDCap version number of the REDCap installation.

[redcap-version-url] - The base web address of the current REDCap version directory for the REDCap installation.

[survey-base-url] - The base web address for surveys for the REDCap installation.

[instrument-name] - The unique instrument name of the current survey or data entry form. It will return a blank value if not in an instrument context.

[instrument-label] - The instrument label of the current survey or data entry form. It will return a blank value if not in an instrument context.

[survey-title] - The survey title of the instrument specified by the 'instrument' parameter (if provided). If the 'instrument' parameter is not provided, the current survey instrument will be used, else it will return a blank value if not in an instrument/survey context.

4 new Action Tags v9.2.0

@NOW_SERVER - Loads the REDCap server's date+time into a blank Text field - similar to the @TODAY tag but additionally includes the time portion. If the field has validation, the value will adjust to match the date format. NOTE: The time used will be the REDCap server's local time, which might be different from the user's local time if in another timezone. Also, do not use this tag on fields with branching logic because it will always prompt the user to erase the value, so look at using @HIDDEN instead if you wish to hide the field.

@TODAY_SERVER - Loads the REDCap server's date into a blank Text field - similar to the @NOW tag but without the time portion. If the field has validation, the value will adjust to match the date format. Also, do not use this tag on fields with branching logic because it will always prompt the user to erase the value, so look at using @HIDDEN instead if you wish to hide the field.

@NOW_UTC - Loads the current UTC/GMT date+time into a blank Text field - similar to the @TODAY tag but additionally includes the time portion. If the field has validation, the value will adjust to match the date format. NOTE: The time used will be the current UTC/GMT time, which might be different from the user's local time if in another timezone. Also, do not use this tag on fields with branching logic because it will always prompt the user to erase the value, so look at using @HIDDEN instead if you wish to hide the field.

@TODAY_UTC - Loads the current UTC/GMT date into a blank Text field - similar to the @NOW tag but without the time portion. If the field has validation, the value will adjust to match the date format. Also, do not use this tag on fields with branching logic because it will always prompt the user to erase the value, so look at using @HIDDEN instead if you wish to hide the field.

Rich text editor for field labels and section headers v9.1.2

For any field on an instrument in the Online Designer, users may optionally utilize the rich text editor for styling field labels or section headers with many text-formatting options. The rich text editor allows users to change the color of text (including background color), create tables, add text of varying sizes, bullet lists, and more. For any field labels that were originally created without the rich text editor, users may optionally enable the rich text editor for any field by clicking the 'Use the Rich Text Editor' checkbox. It may also be disabled afterward at any time just the same. Rich text is enabled by default for any new fields being created via the Online Designer.

Alerts & Notifications v9.0

Allows you to construct alerts and send customized email notifications. These notifications may be sent to one or more recipients and can be triggered or scheduled when a form/survey is saved and/or based on conditional logic whenever data is saved or imported.



Google reCAPTCHA v8.11

Allows users to utilize the Google reCAPTCHA functionality to help protect public surveys from abuse from “bots”, which are automated software programs that might enter trash data into surveys.