How to Import Variables via REDCap

If you already have a data dictionary defined in REDCap, Brim can import it as a starting point.

To import Variables from REDCap:

1. Access Project Setup on your Project Dashboard.
   • Click on the first section, which should be named "Project Setup".
2. Connecting to a Data Dictionary
   • Scroll down to the "Variables" section of the page.
   • Click on the "Load RedCap Data Dictionary" option.
   • In the dialog, you'll see a URL and token. These should be available in the REDCap menu - there's an article on how to enable API access and generate a token here.
3. Upload File
   • Once you've entered your institutional REDCap URL and token, click on Submit
   • Depending on the size of the data dictionary, this might take a few seconds, a few minutes, or longer for very long dictionaries. You'll see the status in the table change to "Complete" when the variables are ready.
4. Modify Variables
   • After the upload is complete, you can see the variables update in the table at the bottom of the screen. You will likely want to go through the variable list and:
     • Verify that you like the names, types, and scopes.
     • Deselect any variables that you don't want to include in generation.
     • Modify the instructions to be more descriptive. We recommend using the variable optimizer for best results.