There are several methods and tools you can use to make a copy of a project and/or copy entities, such as forms, surveys, etc. from one project to another. 

Please review the functionality related to copying that we've outlined below to determine which feature(s) will work best for you.


Copy a Project

Description

Duplicate an existing project to create a new project, including options to also copy the following: users, user rights, and users’ roles, reports and reports folders, data quality rules, project folders, survey queue settings and automated survey invitations, project bookmarks, custom record status dashboards, alerts & notifications.

Dependencies

  • For the project you're making copy of, you'll need User Right for Project Design & Setup.
  • The Basic Class requirement applies for creating a new project via Make a Copy.

Use Case

The most common use case for copying a project is a study team is for a study extension or a new version of the project after piloting real data collection.

The general rule is that starting a new project by copying an existing project can help expedite the building process only if: 1) the new project will exactly replicate or replicate at least 95% of the original project's set up, AND 2) if the 95% of changes the project team plans to make to the new project are additions only ,i.e. adding new new forms, new events, new reports, etc. For survey projects, the project team should consider survey settings, automated invitations, and survey queue as part of the project set up. 

Why this rule? In short, to avoid breaking things. Working off a copy of a project that the builder already anticipates modifying or removing components from, such as forms, events, survey settings, etc, introduces a very high risk of invalidating functionality dependent on those existing components. For example, consider revising a radio button field to be a checkbox field. This will not only result in causing branching logic or calculations that refer to the field to fail, but will also cause to fail any logic that refer to that field in other components, such as report filers, automated invitations data quality rules, form display logic. The effort to uncover, track and fix failing functionality can be both greater than effort to build from scratch, and runs a high risk of being unreliable in its end results.

Special Considerations When Copying a Project

  • E-Consent
    Because project builders are required to use an OCTRI REDCap e-consent template, and because the consent document is unique to a protocol, we recommend deleting from the new project any e-consents or information sheets that are copied over from the original project.

  • External Modules
    Because custom support and fees are associated with external modules, external modules are not permitted to be copied over to a new project.

  • Users
    To help a project a comply with its protocol and meet IRB approval requirements, and/or other institutional policies, for protecting the data stored in the project, users are not permitted to be copied over to a new project.



Instructions

1

Initiate Request

  • Navigate to Project Setup tab > Other Functionality tab > Copy or Back Back up the Project section.
  • Click on Copy the Project button.

2

Complete and Submit Make a Copy of the Project form

  • Project title = title of new study/project.
  • IRB number = IRB number of new study.
  • Copy Options (Also copy the following) considerations:
    • Requests to all copy records/responses not allowed.
    • External modules are not permitted to be copied over to a new project.
    • Users are not permitted to be copied over to a new project.
    • All other options checked at the the discretion of the person requesting the copy.

3

Submit Documentation

Respond to the email notice requesting documentation to approve your request to copy a project.



XML Clone

Description

Create a new project based on the clone of an existing project, via uploading a REDCap project xml file. The XML file contains all events, arms, forms/instruments, fields, and project attributes, with options to include the following: data quality rules, record status dashboards, reports and report folders.

Dependencies

  • To get a project's XML file, you'll need User Right for Project Design & Setup.
  • The XML clone feature is not compatible with XML files generated by other mechanisms or other software than the feature described above.
  • The Basic class requirement applies for creating a new project via the XML clone.

Use Case

The most common use case for cloning a project via XML is a study team is reproducing the setup of a project built by different study team or built in another organization's REDCap.

The general rule is that starting a new project from a REDCap project XML of an existing project can help expedite the building process only if: 1) the new project will exactly replicate or replicate at least 95% of the original project's set up, AND 2) if the 95% of changes the project team plans to make to the new project are additions only ,i.e. adding new new forms, new events, new reports, etc. For survey projects, the project team should consider survey settings, automated invitations, and survey queue as part of the project set up.

Why this rule? In short, to avoid breaking things. Working off a project clone that builder already anticipates modifying or removing components from the new project, such as forms, events, survey settings, etc, this introduces a very high risk of invalidating functionality dependent on those existing components. For example, consider revising a radio button field to be a checkbox field. This will not only result in causing branching logic or calculations that refer to the field to fail, but will also cause to fail any logic that refer to that field in other components, such as report filers, automated invitations data quality rules, form display logic. The effort to uncover, track and fix failing functionality can be both greater than effort to build from scratch, and runs a high risk of being unreliable in its end results.

Special Considerations for XML Clone

  • E-Consent
    Because project builders are required to use an OCTRI REDCap e-consent template, and because the consent document is unique to a protocol, we recommend deleting from the new project any e-consents or information sheets that are copied over from the original project.

  • XML Metadata Only
    If the new project clone created from XML clone contains participant records, that means that the project XML file that was uploaded contained both meta data and data. Cloning the data is not allowed, and any participant records created with the clone will be deleted.



Instructions


1

Download XML File from Source Project

  • Navigate to Project Setup tab > Other Functionality tab > Copy or Back Back up the Project section.
  • Click on Download metadata only (XML) button.
    • Accept the default settings to include optional features in the XML file.
  • Do not click on Download metadata & data (XML) button.
    • Requests to all copy a project with data are not allowed.
  • Do not open or edit the XML file.

2

Create New Project from XML

  • Navigate to New Project tab > Create New Project form.
  • Complete Create a new REDCap Project form.
    • Project title = title of new study/project.
    • IRB number = IRB number of new study.
    • Project creation option
      • Select option Upload a REDCap project XML file (CDISC ODM format).
      • Upload the project XML file downloaded from the source project.
  • Submit form.

3

Submit Documentation

Complete OCTRI's Resource Request form that is linked to in the message that loads when you submit the New Project Form (unless you are requesting an additional project for a study that already has REDCap services - then contact redcap@ohsu.edu).


Import Data Dictionary

Description

The Data Dictionary is your all of your project instruments/forms and fields in a downloadable spreadsheet file. Upload a project's data dictionary to import the forms/instruments and fields from one project into another project. 

Dependencies

  • To use the Data Dictionary, please review the information in the FAQ and watch the Online Video.
  • To download or upload a Data Dictionary, you'll need User Right for Project Design & Setup.

Data Dictionary Feature

Project Setup Tab > Design your data collection instruments > Data Dictionary


Copying Forms and Other Components

You can also copy discrete entities from one project to another as outlined below.

  • Download and upload forms/instruments from one project to another.
    • Requires Project Set up and Design user rights.
    • In the source project, download a form via the Project Setup Tab > Online Designer > Form of your choice > Chose Action drop-down button > Download instrument ZIP.
      • Opening the zip and or editing the files in the zip with invalidate the ZIP file.
    • In the destination project upload the form via the Project Setup Tab > Online Designer > Upload button > Choose File > Select ZIP you downloaded > Upload instrument ZIP.
      • If the destination project is in production, follow the the instructions for making production changes, i.e. enter draft mode, etc.
  • Download and upload events and event form assignments from one project to another.
    • Requires Project Set up and Design user rights.
    • Download events via Project Setup Tab > Events > Upload or download events/arms drop-down button > Download events (CSV)
    • Upload events via Project Setup Tab > Events > Upload or download events/arms drop-down button > Upload events (CSV)
    • Download form to event assignments via Project Setup Tab > Events > Upload or download instrument mappings drop-down button > Download instrument-event mappings (CSV)
    • Upload form to event assignments via Project Setup Tab > Events > Upload or download instrument mappings drop-down button > Upload instrument-event mappings (CSV) 
  • Download and upload ASI's (automated survey invitations) from one project to another.
    • Requires Project Set up and Design and Survey Distribution user rights.
    • Not recommended for ASI's that included in their logic the datediff() function.
      • The download file is incorrectly transformed because of the comas in the datediff() function.
    • Download invitations via Project Setup Tab > Online Designer > Upload or Download Invitations drop down button > Download all Automated Survey Invitations settings (CSV).
    • Upload invitations via Project Setup Tab > Online Designer > Upload or Download Invitations drop down button > Download all Automated Survey Invitations settings (CSV) > Upload Automated Survey Invitations settings (CSV).





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