REDCap Change Logs

How often are system updates installed in the ASU REDCap instance?

The REDCap development team at Vanderbilt University releases system updates on a weekly schedule that include bug and security fixes. Monthly updates include modest improvements or new features. Annual updates include major improvements or a new module being integrated into the program.

The ASU REDCap team reviews these updates and posts them to the ASU REDCap Change Log for users to review. When appropriate, the ASU REDCap team will upgrade to a recently released version for users to utilize the most recent REDCap functions.

These changes are maintained by the REDCap support team at REDCap@ASU – Enterprise Change Log (google.com).

What types of updates are included?

Typical updates include the following:

  • Major Versions -all major versions include the version number and updated title (e.g. Version 12 – Multilingual Management, Version 11 – Project Dashboards) and are added as needed. Users can see upcoming major versions and projected roll out dates on this site and in the Change Log link provided above.
  • Minor Versions – feature improvements and are usually rolled out monthly (e.g. Version 11.1, Version 11.2, Version 11.3). These can be found in the Change Log link provided above.
  • Patch/Bug Fixes -these are done weekly as they are rolled out (e.g. 11.1.1, 11.1.2, 11.1.3) with the Version 11.1 section.

REDCap Major Improvements

12.0.0 – Multilingual Management

Users can create and configure multiple display languages for their projects for surveys, data entry forms, alerts, survey invitations, etc. Users can design data collection instruments and have them be displayed in any language that they have defined and translated so that their survey participants or data entry persons can view the text in their preferred language. This eliminates the need to create multiple instruments or projects to handle multiple languages. NOTE: The MLM feature will not auto-translate text, but provides tools so that users may easily translate them themselves.

11.0.0 – Project Dashboards

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. Example dashboard: https://redcap.link/dash1

10.0.0 – Field Embedding

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.

9.0.0 – Alerts and Notifications

New feature: Alerts & Notifications The Alerts & Notifications feature 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. When adding/editing an alert, you will need to 1) set how the alert gets triggered, 2) define when the notification should be sent (including how many times), and 3) specify the recipient, sender, message text, and other settings for the notification. For the message, you may utilize customized options such as rich text, the piping of field variables (including Smart Variables), and uploading multiple file attachments. While similar in many respects to Automated Survey Invitations, Alerts & Notifications allow for greater complexity and have more capabilities. For example, alerts apply to both data entry forms and surveys, and they also allow for more options regarding who can be the recipient of a notification (project users, survey participants, etc.)

Version 8.0.0 – External Modules

External Modules are individual packages of software that can be downloaded and installed by a REDCap administrator. Modules can extend REDCap’s current functionality, and can also provide customizations and enhancements for REDCap’s existing behavior and appearance at the system level or project level. Modules can utilize REDCap hooks and also can have REDCap plugin pages as part of them.