[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":3,"doc-seo-307241-105":53,"doc-detail-307241-en":126},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49],{"id":8,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":11,"show_sort_weight":12,"slug":13},11,1,"Template","Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":15,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":16,"show_sort_weight":17,"slug":18},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":20,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":21,"show_sort_weight":22,"slug":23},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":25,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":26,"show_sort_weight":27,"slug":28},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":30,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":31,"show_sort_weight":32,"slug":33},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":35,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":36,"show_sort_weight":37,"slug":38},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":40,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":41,"show_sort_weight":42,"slug":43},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":45,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":46,"show_sort_weight":47,"slug":48},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":50,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":51,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":52},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":54,"data":55},"ok",{"site_id":56,"language":57,"slug":58,"title":59,"keywords":60,"description":61,"schema_data":62,"social_meta":119,"head_meta":121,"extra_data":123,"updated_unix":125},105,"en","redcap-data-dictionary-creating-a-data-dictionary","REDCap Data Dictionary - Creating a Data Dictionary","","Guide to creating and maintaining a REDCap data dictionary, explaining how to build database fields using the Online Designer or an Excel spreadsheet and upload improvements later. Covers the spreadsheet column structure and clarifies that “column,” “field,” and “variable” refer to the same collectible data item. Details requirements for variable/field names (naming rules, uniqueness, length) and form names (format, ordering, adjacency), plus optional section headers and required field-type choices and behavior.",{"@graph":63,"@context":118},[64,80,101],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":36,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/forms/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/redcap-data-dictionary-creating-a-data-dictionary/307241/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/redcap-data-dictionary-creating-a-data-dictionary/307241.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"Pentious","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-23","2026-09-19",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":15},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",{"@type":102,"mainEntity":103},"FAQPage",[104,110,114],{"name":105,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":107},"How can you create a data dictionary in REDCap?","Question",{"text":108,"@type":109},"Use the Online Designer or create fields in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Afterward, you can upload the Excel-based dictionary into REDCap.","Answer",{"name":111,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":112},"What rules apply to variable/field names in the data dictionary?",{"text":113,"@type":109},"Variable/field names should contain lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores but no spaces or special characters, must start with a letter, and must be unique within the database.",{"name":115,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What is the purpose of the Section Header column?",{"text":117,"@type":109},"Section Headers split a data entry form into sections, show a preceding line of text with a yellow background, and can also be used to display interview script between questions.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":120,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":91,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":122,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":124,"site_id":56},307241,1790137433,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":127},{"doc_id":124,"user_id":128,"nickname":88,"user_avatar":129,"doc_module":9,"category_id":35,"category_name":36,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":130,"file_id":131,"file_url":132,"file_type":133,"file_size":134,"view_count":15,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":135,"language":136,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":137,"faqs":138,"seo_title":139,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":140,"read_time":73},1374404730887,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","Data Dictionary  \n© 2015 Vanderbilt University  \nCreating a Data Dictionary in REDCap  \nYou can create your database fields either using the Online Designer or a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. In either case, what you’re creating is referred to as the data dictionary, a description of all the field (variable) names, field types, possible values, etc. We recommend using the Online Designer when you first begin using REDCap to get a feel for how it works, and also anytime you are making minor changes. In time, you might find it is easier to create a data dictionary in Excel, and upload this into REDCap. You don’t have to create similar variables individually as in the Online Designer – you can take advantage of using Excel’s copy/paste functionality. To learn how to create a data dictionary in Excel, a Data Dictionary demonstration file with coding examples can be downloaded from the Data Dictionary tab of any REDCap project.  \nData Dictionary Excel Spreadsheet Columns  \nThis section describes the function of each column in the data dictionary spreadsheet, and whether or not it is required or optional.  \nNote: The term “Column” here refers to Excel spreadsheet data dictionary columns. Also, the terms “field” and“variable”, as used here, are essentially interchangeable. Both terms refer to a unique item of data to be collected and analyzed.“Field” is a database term, while “variable” is a data analysis term.  \nColumn A – Variable/Field Name  \nRequired  \n1. Variable/Field names specify the variable name that will be used in reporting, data export, and data analysis. They are not displayed on the data entry form.  \n2. The first variable on the first form must be the record identifier (e.g. Participant ID) because it will be used by REDCap as a key variable linking forms for a particular record. The default field name is“Study_ID”. Demographics is normally the first form, but this is not required.  \n3. Field names may contain lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores, but no spaces or special characters.  \n4. Field names should always start with a letter.  \n5. Field names must be unique, and cannot be repeated within a database, even in different forms.  \n6. In general, variable names should be as short in length as possible while maintaining meaning to researchers. Remember they do not need to be too descriptive because the description will be included in the Field Label. A common example is the use of “dob” as a variable name, with the corresponding field label of “Date of Birth”.  \n7. The recommended character length for a field name is 26 and the maximum is 100.  \n8. When using the Online Designer, REDCap automatically assigns a default field name based on the field label. It is recommended that you double check the default field name and modify if necessary.  \n9. Remember that if you change a variable name in one place, you must change it everywhere it is used, e.g. calculations, branching logic, automated survey logic.  \n10. Remember that if you change a variable name, you will lose all data entered under the old variable name.  \nColumn B – Form Name  \nRequired  \n1. Form Names correspond to individual data entry forms in the project.  \n2. Form names must be lowercase letters, numbers and underscores in the Excel spreadsheet, but will be displayed in REDCap with initial capitals. If your form name contains more than one word, connect the words with an underscore, such as “form_name”. The underscore will appear as a space in REDCap.  \n3. All variables in a form must be in adjacent rows in the data dictionary. For example, you cannot have a variable in row 6 be in the “demographics_form”, a variable in row 7 be in the “first_visit” form, and then a variable in row 8 back in the “demographics_form”.  \n4. Forms will appear in the data collection section of REDCap in the order they appear in the data dictionary.  \n5. Variables within a form will appear in the order they appear in the data dictionary.  \nColumn C – Section Header  \nOp","cbCaidZGNfp6l6pj","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaidZGNfp6l6pj","pdf",508237,6,"English","# Creating a Data Dictionary in REDCap\n## Data Dictionary Excel Spreadsheet Columns\n### Column A – Variable/Field Name\n### Column B – Form Name\n### Column C – Section Header\n### Column D – Field Type","[{\"question\":\"How can you create a data dictionary in REDCap?\",\"answer\":\"Use the Online Designer or create fields in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Afterward, you can upload the Excel-based dictionary into REDCap.\"},{\"question\":\"What rules apply to variable/field names in the data dictionary?\",\"answer\":\"Variable/field names should contain lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores but no spaces or special characters, must start with a letter, and must be unique within the database.\"},{\"question\":\"What is the purpose of the Section Header column?\",\"answer\":\"Section Headers split a data entry form into sections, show a preceding line of text with a yellow background, and can also be used to display interview script between questions.\"}]","REDCap Data Dictionary - Creating a Data Dictionary | PDF",1789846148]