Record Labels, Auto-Numbering & Unique Identifiers

The unique identifier must be a 'text' field. Unique identifier values will be visible at the end of the URL – and likely cached in web browsers – as individual records are viewed or entered.
(Example URL: https://xxx.xxx.xxx/redcap/redcap_vx.x.x/data_entry.php?pid=xxx&p age=xxx&id=ID_VARIABLE_VALUE.)

• The first variable listed in your project is the unique identifier which links all data for a specific record across all instruments. This field is the record ID field, which is the first field in the project.

• For all newly created projects, it is automatically defined as the Record ID field, which will be the first field created by default in ‘Form 1’

• The Record ID value is numeric and auto-increments starting with the highest value in the project. If no records exist, it will begin with '1'.

• This field is special because it is used to store the names of the records in your project. Thus the record ID field cannot be deleted or moved but only edited. If you wish, you may change the Unique Identifier field label or even its variable name.

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The below example show cases a Data Entry form as the first instrument in a project, where the unique identifier has been updated from ‘record_id’ to ‘study_id’

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If you wish the edit this field, note the below:

• Edits to this field must be made prior to real data collection

• Do not use Protected Health Information (PHI) identifiers such as medical record number or date of birth or initials as the unique identifier, as it could be accidentally displayed if a URL is created. This is an additional precaution to preserve research participant confidentiality from displaying in the URL and becoming cached. 

When your first data collection instrument is enabled as a survey, auto-numbering is mandatory for the project.

If you plan to manually enter your unique identifier and wish disable auto-numbering, follow the below instructions.

To disable auto-numbering, follow the below steps:

NOTE: This can only be disabled when your project is in Development mode.

1. Navigate to "Project Setup"

2. Within “Enable optional modules and customizations” box, you’ll see “Auto-numbering for records” in green font.  Click “Disable” and your project will no longer auto-number.

3. You will now be able to enter your own unique identifier when a new record is created (this is a manual process)

Custom Record Label may be used to display a specified field next to the record number. For example you may choose to display a participants name to ensure you are selecting the right record.

You may append other data and/or static text to any record name (e.g., Study ID) as the record is displayed on your data collection instruments, such as inside the drop-down lists when choosing a record and at the top of the page after being selected. Simply provide the text you wish to display below, and place any variable names inside square brackets [ ], after which the data collected for those variables for that record will replace the variable in the text.

To create a custom record label, follow the below steps:

1. Navigate the ‘Project Setup’ > 'Enable optional modules and customizations' section

2. Click ‘Additional Customizations’

3. Select the first box to enabled Custom Record Label functionality, you’ll notice the previously greyed out box is now available for you to use

4. Input your variable names inside square brackets and/or add static text

   1. If using a longitudinal project with events, you’ll need to prepend the event name to the front of each field variable.

   2. ex) [event1_arm_1][first_name], [event1_arm_1][last_name]

5. Click ‘Save’

6. Navigate to your Records status dashboard to check you’ve configured your Custom Record Label to display correctly

The data values entered into the (optional) secondary unique field must be unique. Unlike the value of the primary unique identifier field, this will not be visible in a URL.

You may designate a text field to serve as a unique constraint whose value cannot be duplicated or shared by any other record in the project. When a value is entered or imported for the secondary unique field, it will be checked in real time to ensure it is not shared by another record, and if so, will ask the user to enter another value.

This means that if a participant is completing a survey for a second time in which this feature is enabled, they will see the following pop-up box:

To enable a Secondary Unique field, follow the below steps:

1. Navigate the ‘Project Setup’ > 'Enable optional modules and customizations' section

2. Click ‘Additional Customizations’

3. Select the checkbox next to ‘Designate a Secondary Unique Field’

   1. If you want the field value to be displayed next to record number, be sure to select the display preference as shown above.

   2. If you select both display options, the field label & field value will be displayed as showcased below

   3. If neither display options are selected, the secondary unique field data will not be displayed (only record number will be shown), however the unique field check will continue to be preformed by REDCap.