Common Re-coding Error when Editing Multiple Choice

Never change the codes (i.e. numbers) that are currently assigned to existing choices for multiple choice or checkbox questions.  Doing so will cause answers on your project to be changed and/or lost.  This is because REDCap saves the code, but not the worded answer.  Below I demonstrate the problem and ways to avoid it.  This applies to all projects that are in production with existing data entered.

Demonstration of problem caused by changing multiple choice options:

1. I currently have the multiple choice question designed the following way:

    

   
   
   

2. Many entries have been made, however, I realize that I want to add "good" as an option.  I would like to place it between "Okay" and "Great".  Situations like this can lead to problems because it oftentimes causes someone to change the numbering on the options.  If you look at the changes I made in the choices below, you can see that I added "Good" and assigned it to the existing option number 3 and reassigned "Great" to option 4 (highlighted in yellow below).  This will cause all existing entries to change the answer "Great" to "Good".

   Unaccepted changes of re-coding the answer "Great" circled in Red in the following image.  "Great" needs to remain being coded as 3 (i.e. 3, Great), or else answers will be changed or lost.
   

         

       
   
   
   
3. The two images below show an accepted way of adding "good" as an option.  This is because the option "great" stays assigned to option number 3 (highlighted in yellow in red box below).
   

   Accepted changes shown in images below.  The coding for great remained as 3 (i.e. 3, Great)