Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap)

REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) is a secure, web-based application for quickly building and managing online surveys, data collection forms and databases. REDCap provides audit trails for tracking data manipulation and user activity, as well as automated export procedures for seamless data downloads to Excel, PDF, and common statistical packages (SPSS, SAS, Stata R). REDCap also supports high-level data security, access logs, data storage, and onsite and offsite backup. The CTSI and its program areas support and utilize REDCap at UCLA. The electronic capture system (EDC) is a modified version of Research EDC (REDCap) system [version 7.4.23]. REDCap is powered by the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and was created to address common challenges facing academic biomedical researchers using electronic database systems. REDCap is flexible enough to be used for a variety of types of research and provides an intuitive user interface for database design and data entry. It is a secure web application designed to support data capture for research studies, providing real-time data entry validation (e.g. for data types and range checks), audit trails, and a de-identified data export mechanism to common statistical packages (SPSS, SAS, Stata, R/S-Plus). Another important feature is the ability to easily build real-time reports that can monitor completeness and quality of data. REDCap generates a study-specific data dictionary defined in an iterative self-documenting process by all members of the research team. This iterative development and testing process results in a well-planned data collection strategy for individual studies.

Based on extensive expertise and experience, REDCap has been modified to ensure that it performs at a higher and more secure level as required by clinical trials standards for EDC systems. These standards include Health Insurance Portability and Accountability act (HIPAA), 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) chapter 11, and the Good Clinical Data Management Practices (GCDMP) guidelines published by the Society for Clinical Data Management (SCDM). All DOMStat statisticians and data managers are extensively trained in database building and management through REDCap, and are expected to build at least one database on their own as part of their training. DOMStat has additionally built and maintained sample tracking databases through REDCap for multiple projects at UCLA (e.g. projects in lung transplant, kidney transplant, ophthalmology, genetics, lung cancer). Because all faculty and staff are experts in database management and keep diligent project records, any DOMStat member can take over a project or assist with a project when the person assigned to a project is unavailable. DOMStat additionally has expertise in using all tools available through REDCap, including external modules made available through Vanderbilt University and the REDCap community.

For more information, please visit the RedCap site. 

Last updated
January 3, 2024