Citing REDCap

How to Cite REDCap

Citing REDCap in Publications & Presentations

If your study used REDCap for data collection and/or data management, you must cite the REDCap publications below in manuscripts, abstracts, posters, presentations, dissertations, and other scholarly works.

Required REDCap Citations

  1. Harris PA, Taylor R, Thielke R, Payne J, Gonzalez N, Conde JG.
    Research electronic data capture (REDCap) – A metadata-driven methodology and workflow process for providing translational research informatics support.
    Journal of Biomedical Informatics. 2009;42(2):377–381.
  2. Harris PA, Taylor R, Minor BL, Elliott V, Fernandez M, O’Neal L, McLeod L, Delacqua G, Delacqua F, Kirby J, Duda SN; REDCap Consortium.
    The REDCap consortium: Building an international community of software partners.
    Journal of Biomedical Informatics. 2019;95:103208.
Note: Some journals may require formatting adjustments based on citation style requirements (e.g., APA, AMA, Vancouver, or journal-specific formatting).

The following text may be copied directly into your manuscript or presentation:

Study data were collected and managed using REDCap electronic data capture tools hosted at the University of Connecticut Health Center. REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) is a secure, web-based application designed to support data capture for research studies, providing:

  1. An intuitive interface for validated data entry
  2. Audit trails for tracking data manipulation and export procedures
  3. Automated export procedures for seamless data downloads to common statistical packages
  4. Procedures for importing data from external sources

1,2

Why Cite REDCap?

REDCap citations help:

  • Acknowledge the REDCap platform and consortium
  • Support continued REDCap development and sustainability
  • Demonstrate the use of validated research data capture tools
  • Promote reproducibility and transparency in research workflows

Proper citation also helps demonstrate the use of secure, structured, and compliant data management practices within research studies.

Best practice: Include both the recommended boilerplate language and the REDCap publications in the manuscript references section whenever REDCap was used for study data collection or management.
Important: Be sure to also include the REDCap publications in your manuscript reference list or bibliography.

Additional Citation Resources

Helpful tip: Reviewing published REDCap manuscripts can help teams identify common approaches for describing study data collection and management workflows.