REDCap(Research Electronic Data Capture), a secure web-based software that enables research groups to create and manage online surveys and databases for scientific studies, is suitable for data capture. It is used worldwide in medical, clinical and translational research. REDCap is used in more than 8,000 institutions worldwide and has supported more than 2.7 million projects. The platform is available to employees of Witten/Herdecke University for research and survey purposes. People without a UW/H account cannot usually access it directly, but can participate in surveys.

Further information can be found on the BIT website, including information on creating new projects.

Background

REDCap helps to collect and manage research data in a structured, secure and compliant manner. It covers central RDM requirements such as data quality, access control, documentation, traceability and exportability. The software was developed specifically for sensitive research data and meets high security standards such as HIPAA, GDPR and other regulatory requirements. A finely graduated access and role management system ensures that responsibilities are clearly assigned and that sensitive data can only be viewed or edited by authorized persons. At the same time, audit trails ensure that every change is documented transparently, which strengthens the traceability and reproducibility of scientific work. In addition, the platform ensures secure storage, which supports the protection of confidential research data. Mobile data collection via the REDCap Mobile App provides additional flexibility, especially for projects that require data collection outside of traditional research environments. REDCap is also particularly attractive for non-profit organizations, as it can be used without additional licensing costs through consortium membership.

The role of REDCap in the data lifecycle

• Planning: REDCap forces variables and structures to be clearly defined at an early stage.
• Collection: Standardized input masks, mandatory fields, validations → fewer errors, higher data quality.
• Storage & security: Hosting on university/clinic servers, rights concepts, audit trail → fulfillment of data protection and compliance requirements.
• Documentation: The REDCap data dictionary is virtually an automatically generated codebook.
• Export & reuse: Structured exports facilitate the transfer to statistics, repositories or collaboration partners.

A scientific contribution to REDcap for research and data handling can be found here:

Liesbet Van Bulck, Martien Wampers, Philip Moons, Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap): tackling data collection, management, storage, and privacy challenges, European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, Volume 21, Issue 1, January 2022, Pages 85-91, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjcn/zvab104