Please note: The material in this page is intended to: 1) describe OHSU's model of support and OCTRI operations, and 2) supplement the help material integrated into REDCap itself. If you are interested in learning more about this feature, check REDCap for a video, check the REDCap FAQ, and review the documentation in REDCap.

Overview

  • An API token is required to access the API.
  • Tokens are by requested through REDCap, at the individual project level, and by a user on the project who has API User Rights.
  • User with API user rights can find the link to request the API token in the left hand navigation menu of their project.
  • To comply with institutional guidance, there is a token review and approval process for granting an API token.
  • All API tokens are linked to an individual user account assigned to an individual project.


Description

The REDCap API is an interface used to programmatically retrieve or modify data within a specific REDCap project.

Feature Type

Advanced elective functionality available on every project.

Fees

  • No fees for API use.
  • Custom support charges for help making API connections issues or using API methods.

Eligible Projects/Project Status Dependency

  • Recommended Project Status
    • Development = for testing, especially importing
    • Production = for transmitting real data
  • Support Track
    • Standard Service for Research 
    • Standard Service for Non-Research

Request Process

Individual users request API tokens through their REDCap project, once they been assigned the user permissions described below.

  • Click on the API link in the left hand navigation menu.
  • On the API page, click on the Request API token button.
  • The REDCap Team sends the token requestor an API Use Case survey to initiate the review and approval process.

REDCap Skills, Experience, Knowledge

  • Programming experience
  • Familiarity with advanced syntax, such as variable names, events names, etc.
  • Familiarity with long format for data exports and data imports for longitudinal or repeating data
  • Familiarity with OHSU's Information and Privacy policies that related to transmitting and storing data.

Installation, Configuration and Implementation

User Permissions

  • For exporting through the API the user will need:
    • API Export user rights
    • Export rights (De-Identified, Remove All Identifier Fields or Full Data Set) for individual forms 

  • For importing through the API the user will need:

    • API Import/Update user rights
    • Create records user rights
    • View & Edit rights for individual forms.

magnifying glass tilted right Find: API

Access the API via Lefthand Nav Menu > Applications Section > API.


Help and Support

  • Limited email help for system issue with the API that would impact all API users.
  • Custom support charges for help making API connections issues or using API methods.

API Connection to External Application

If the API will be used to remotely connect an external application to REDCap, the REDCap Team creates a new user account, referred, to as service account, that will be owned by the token requester, solely for the purpose of connecting the application to REDCap through the API for the application to perform an automated job(s) to import or export data. For any use case where the API will used to connect to an application OHSU requires a security review be completed. https://o2.ohsu.edu/information-technology-group/security-reviews

Support Track Availability

Standard Service for Research

Standard Service for Non-Research

This is elective functionality that is available, out of the box, on every project and that can be set up by a project builder to meet study specific requirements through self-directed instruction. For help with this feature, custom support is available for projects using Supported Research or Supported Non-Research support tracks, for which there are charges.

  • No labels