• The “Field Label” is the displayed text label on the screen. The “Variable Name” is the raw coded numerical value in the database.
• Variable Names may only be lowercase letters, numbers, or underscores.
• When you copy a field in the Online Designer, be sure to change the default variable name.
• Tag all identifying information fields (e.g., name, SSN, address) as “identifier” fields.
• Required fields and ranges will only issue warnings. They are not hard requirements.
• Text boxes and notes boxes both hold an unlimited amount of text. The only difference is the size of the input box on the screen.
• The only difference between a dropdown field and a radio button field is how they appear on the screen.
• Use checkboxes for questions where more than one answer can be selected. Do not use checkboxes for Yes/No questions, etc.
• Each time you add branching logic, test the logic in the data entry form before adding branching logic to additional fields.
• REDCap supports the following HTML tags inside when designing “Field Labels”

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