Variables not piping in REDCap fields

Variables not piping in REDCap fields

Step-by-step tutorial for when your variables are not piping correctly into fields and tables. For example, table cells that are meant to be autofilled with information may instead have the variable name in it (ex. [your_variable_name]) to indicate that the variable has not been successfully piped. Survey fields that are also meant to be autofilled with information may instead be blank. Below are some steps to check if this issue exists and how to fix.

Step 1: check if your variables have been successfully piped into your table

  • Go to Add/Edit Records

  • Select patient ID 0 (example patient)

  • Scroll to your project and select a timepoint

  • Check if all cells in your table have been piped correctly

Step 2: variables not piping correctly

Should the variables fail to pipe correctly, try some of these solutions:

  1. Check for variable errors (ex. missing letters, symbols, typos, etc.)

  2. Check for spacing errors between variables (ex. extra spaces, newlines, etc.)

  3. Check for any outdated variables; sometimes variable names have undergone changes and are no longer reflected in the table.

To check if a variable exists in the project, go to Codebook and search for your variable in the field finder. If the variable does not exist, itโ€™s likely that its name has been changed.

Cross-check with similar variables first (ex. If the current version of this variable does not exist in Spanish, check the format in the Catalan version--itโ€™s likely that they are very similar).

Talk to your supervisor if you are still having trouble

  1. If all else fails, try retyping the variables in the cell