alterlab-redcap-cdisc

name	alterlab-redcap-cdisc
description	Designs validated research data-capture instruments and aligns them to CDISC submission standards. Builds REDCap projects from a requirements spec: instrument and field design, the 18-column data dictionary (Variable/Field Name, Form Name, Field Type, Choices, Branching Logic, Text Validation, Identifier?), field validation (date_ymd, integer, number, email, phone), branching/show-field logic, longitudinal events and survey settings, and lints a data dictionary for common errors. Maps a study to CDISC: CDASH collection fields, SDTM domain mapping (DM, AE, VS, LB, EX, CM, MH across Interventions/Events/Findings classes), and NCI-EVS controlled terminology. Use when the user wants to build a REDCap project, write or lint a data dictionary, set up branching logic or validation, or map a study to CDISC SDTM/CDASH/CDISC CT. For LabArchives ELN bridging use alterlab-labarchive; for Likert/sampling/reliability use alterlab-survey-design. Part of the AlterLab Academic Skills suite.
license	MIT
allowed-tools	Read Write Edit Bash(python:*) Bash WebSearch WebFetch
compatibility	No API key required — designs REDCap data dictionaries as offline CSV and maps to CDISC standards from local rules; the bundled linter is stdlib-only `uv run python`. Pushing a dictionary into a live REDCap instance (the REDCap API) is out of scope and delegated to the instance owner.
metadata	{"skill-author":"AlterLab","version":"1.0.0","last_updated":"2026-06-06","depends_on":"alterlab-labarchive (ELN bridge), alterlab-survey-design (psychometrics)"}

REDCap & CDISC — Research Data Capture and Standards Alignment

Designs validated electronic data capture (EDC) instruments in REDCap and aligns a study's variables to CDISC submission standards. It owns two jobs that overlap with sibling skills only at the edges:

1. REDCap project & instrument design — turn a study's requirements into a REDCap data dictionary (the importable 18-column CSV), with correct field types, validation, branching logic, longitudinal events, and survey settings.
2. CDISC alignment — map collected variables to CDASH (collection) and SDTM (tabulation) domains, and tie coded values to CDISC Controlled Terminology (NCI-EVS), so the data is submission- and reuse-ready.

This is design + standards work, not a live-API connector. Producing the CSV and the mapping is in scope; importing it into a running REDCap server is the instance owner's job (REDCap's own API/UI).

Quick Start

Build me a REDCap data dictionary for a 3-arm RCT screening + follow-up.
Add branching logic so the pregnancy question only shows when sex = female.
Lint this data_dictionary.csv before I import it.
Map my CRF variables to CDISC SDTM domains and CDASH fields.
Which SDTM domain and controlled-terminology codelist does "adverse event" go in?

→ Draft or read the dictionary, run scripts/lint_data_dictionary.py to catch structural errors, then (for CDISC) produce a variable → CDASH → SDTM mapping table. Always state which facts are design conventions vs. instance-specific.

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When to Use This Skill

Use it when the request is about building the instrument or making it standards-compliant:

• "Build / design a REDCap project, form, or data dictionary."
• "Write the importable REDCap CSV for these variables."
• "Set up branching logic / show-field logic / field validation / required fields."
• "Configure longitudinal events / arms / repeating instruments / a survey."
• "Lint / validate / debug my data dictionary before import."
• "Map my study to CDISC — which SDTM domain / CDASH field / codelist?"
• "Make my CRF submission-ready (SDTM/CDASH/CDISC CT)."

Does NOT Trigger — route to the right sibling

The request is really about…	Route to
Bridging an ELN to REDCap; reading/writing LabArchives notebook entries or attachments via its REST API