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Changing Labels	Deleting Fields	Adding Fields	Option List Changes	Calculation Changes	Changing Field Type

When making changes to a project that is in Production via Draft Mode, there are some changes that will need to be reviewed and committed by a REDCap administrator. This is done to help ensure your data is not adversely affected by the changes you're making.  These changes may include deleting data, changing the meaning of the data and not marking fields as identifiers. If a REDCap administrator believes your changes could affect your data adversely, they will contact you to confirm the changes before committing them.

Please use the 'View detailed summary of all drafted changes' link found within the Draft Mode screen to view the changes you are making to your project PRIOR to submitting your changes for review. Any changes noted in RED should be carefully reviewed.

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If your field contains data, you may want to instead create an entirely new field to capture the new data and then use the @HIDDEN action tag to hide the field you will no longer be using. This allows the field and data to remain in your project for reports & exports, but you will no longer see it on data entry pages.

If your field does not contain data and the variable name still makes sense, changing the field label can be acceptable.

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Deleting Fields

When a field is no longer needed within your project, you have the option to delete that field. However, when data has already been entered into that field deleting it would result in data loss.  The only way to retrieve it is to review the project logs and re-enter the data.

In this example, the field 'First Name' has been deleted.  In reviewing the summary of all drafted changes, you can see that this will affect 6 records.

If your field contains data, you may want to instead use the @HIDDEN action tag to hide the field you will no longer be using. This allows the field and data to remain in your project for reports & exports, but you will no longer see it on data entry pages.

• To 'undo' the field deletion, you will need to re-create that field. Your project codebook (found under the Project Home and Design section) will list all fields in your project - including the one you had planned to delete. You can re-enter a new field and use the same variable name you previously had. 
• The other option is to use the 'Remove all drafted changes' link found in the online designer - draft mode area (yellow section). This will remove ALL planned changes. There is no way to accept some changes, but not others.

If your field does not contain data, deleting the field can be acceptable.

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Adding or Changing Calculations

Adding or changing calculations in a Production project requires extra steps to update and save the values of the calculated fields.  These values are not updated automatically when the change is approved.

When a calculation field is added or updated in a Production project, the calculations will run and the new values will appear within a form.  However, those values are NOT SAVED yet.  This is indicated in a data entry instrument by red vertical line in the field.

Since values are not automatically saved with this update, those values will NOT appear within reports or data export until they are saved.

Options to Update Calculations:

There are two options to save values in a new or updated calculation field.

1. Navigate to the record and form the calculation is on and then save the form.
   • The red vertical line will disappear indicating the value was saved. 
   • This would need to be done for EACH record and can be time consuming if you have several records and fields to update.
     
     
2. Run Data Quality - Rule H to update several records and calculated values at the same time (See more information below)
   • It is recommended to run this rule after any new or updated calculated fields are added to a project

 

Data Quality - Rule H

On the Data Quality page, selecting "Execute" on Rule H will tell you how many calculations need to be updated.  You can select "view" to show a list of all 'Incorrect values for calculated fields', which includes fields where a value could be currently blank, but should have a value. 

After reviewing the records and fields that will be updated, you can press 'Fix calcs now'.  This will save EVERY listed field to the new value shown.

WARNING: Pressing the "Fix calcs now" button will update ALL of the values listed.  

Carefully review the list of new values to ensure you want all fields to be updated.  It is recommended to run this rule after any new or updated calculated fields are added to a project so that this list remains short.  If you wish to not update a field, you can press the 'exclude' button. This exclusion will remain until someone removes it.

Data Quality Rule H will work for both numerical calculation fields and for fields using calculation Action Tags such as @CALCTEXT. or @CALCDATE.

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Changing Field Type

Changing a field type that already has data in it can be problematic.  Some field types require data to be collected in a specific way - like an option list retains the coded value of an option (not the label), and a text field captures anything that is entered. It is recommended that field types only be changed in no data has been entered into them.

= Changes should not affect data    = Changes will affect data    = Change may affect data

Types of changes and their impacts on data

		Changing to....
		Text	Notes	Calculation	Multiple Choice (Radio or Dropdown)	Checkboxes	Yes - No	True - False
Initial Field Type	Text
	Notes
	Calculation
	Multiple Choice   (Radio or Dropdown)
	Checkboxes
	Yes - No   (coded 1, 0)
	True - False   (coded 1, 0)

If you have a UW-Madison REDCap project and have questions about Making Changes in Production, please send them to REDCap@ictr.wisc.edu

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