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REDCap Tip of the Month: Custom Numbering

REDCap Tip of the Month: Custom Numbering

REDCap provides automatic question numbering for simple surveys. However, if your survey contains branching logic, REDCap turns the question numbering feature off to prevent random skipping of numbers.

There are two ways of adding custom numbering to your REDCap surveys: via the online designer or the data dictionary.

You are also not just limited to numbers with this custom feature. For example, you can use letters to create custom options—such as 1a), 1b), 1c)—or Roman numerals (e.g., I, II, III, IV, V).

Using the Online Designer

You will need to add the custom numbering to each variable individually in the online designer. You can do this by navigating to the variable in question and selecting the edit button. The pop-up for that variable will then have an option for a custom number, provided you have the form enabled as a survey.

Using the Data Dictionary

You can add your custom numbering to any variable by filling out the “O” column in your data dictionary CSV file. By uploading the data dictionary to REDCap, you will then add the new custom numbering to the correct variables.