Sending Invitations Immediately

The Automated Survey Invitations (ASIs) allow users to define conditions for sending survey invitations that will be sent out. This includes the ability to send the invitation immediately (step 3).

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REDCap software code commands are scheduled regularly to schedule and send invitations. Due to the timing software commands and possible delays in email server routing (not part of REDCap), it is a best practice for users that are in in-person or virtual meetings with participants to share the link to the survey to the participant using the following process:

During Virtual Visits

1. Open the REDCap instrument by clicking on the button icon from the Record Status Dashboard or Record Home Page

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2. Click on ‘Survey options’ above the instrument fields

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1. Select ‘Survey access code + QR code’

2. Copy the web address shown, paste it into the virtual chat, instruct the participant to click on the address

3. Copy the code shown, paste it into the chat, instruct the participant to enter the code (copy/paste or type)

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During In-person Visits

1. Open the REDCap instrument by clicking on the button icon from the Record Status Dashboard or Record Home Page

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2. Click on ‘Survey options’ above the instrument fields

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1. If the participant has a smartphone:

   1. Select ‘Survey access code + QR code’

   2. Have the participant open their smartphone camera to scan the QR code to open the survey

2. If you are sharing a device (i.e. iPad, laptop) with the participant

   1. Select ‘Log out + Open survey’ (preferred, to safeguard data) or ‘Open survey’ and the survey will open in a new tab

   2. Provide the device to the participant to complete the survey

As Soon as Possible

If the invitation should be sent as soon as possible after conditions are met, click on the ‘Send Immediately’ radio button and save the ASI. The invitation will be scheduled immediately and sent when the software next runs the ‘Survey Invitation Emailer’ command.

Sending Invitations at Specific Times

The Automated Survey Invitations (ASIs) allow users to define conditions for sending survey invitations that will be sent out. This includes the ability to send the invitation using a delay or at a specified time (step 3).

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REDCap software code commands are run regularly to schedule and send invitations. Here is how it works:

1. When conditions (step 2) are met the ASI is scheduled by REDCap, adding it to the scheduler queue along with the instructions on when to send it/them (step 3).

   1. If the “Ensure logic is still true before sending invitation?” box is checked, a marker is added to the instructions to reevaluate the conditions (step 2) before sending.

2. When the REDCap software command that sends invitations that have been scheduled runs, REDCap will send the invitation.

Due to the timing software commands and possible delays in email server routing (not part of REDCap), it is a best practice for users needing to send invitations at specific times (e.g. 8:00AM) to use the following process:

1. Check the “Ensure logic is still true before sending invitation?” box. This will allow you the ability to remove the invitation from the queue by altering a data value referenced in the logic (step 2, note the How to use “stop logic” to disable an automated invite pop-up link).

2. Use the ‘Send on next’ option. For example, to send the invitation at 8:00AM the day after a survey has been completed:

   1. Indicate which survey completion will trigger the invitation (step 2)

   2. Check ‘Send on next’, select ‘Day’, and at time 08:00.

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3. Use the ‘Send the invitation’ option. This option is best practice when referencing a date/datetime field within the project. Note the “?” pop-up link for guidance when considering both dates and datetimes in fields or scheduling.

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Email Addresses

• Include a ‘display name’ for your invitations. This helps prevent the email from being flagged as spam and gives confidence to the recipient that the email is legitimate.

• The From: address for invitations should be an email address that has the @asu.edu domain. This helps prevent the email from being flagged as spam. See the FAQ on how to change your current email or associate new emails with your REDCap account.

Preventing Bots

Bots are automated software programs that might enter trash data into your survey.

• Enable the reCAPTCHA feature to help protect your public surveys from abuse. A 'captcha' is a turing test to tell humans and bots apart. It is easy for humans to solve, but hard for bots and other malicious software to figure out.

• Add a ‘honeypot’ question

  1. Create a question on any instrument (ideally the first instrument)

  2. Add the HIDDEN-SURVEY action tag to the field annotation box

  3. When the instrument is opened as a survey, this field will exist on the webpage but will remain hidden from view. A bot will be able to enter data, whereas a human will not see the question and therefore it will be left blank

• Set a survey response limit within the instrument’s Survey Settings to prevent respondents (or bots) from starting the survey after a set number of responses have been collected. Enter a value that is unlikely to be reached with an existing cohort of human data. If the value is reached, it’s possible a bot entered numerous responses. This value can be increased as needed as a method to control survey intake.

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• Include survey time and/or survey duration fields in the instrument

  1. Using a combination of the [survey-time-started:instrument], [survey-time-started:instrument], [survey-duration:instrument:units], or [survey-duration-completed:instrument:units] Smart variables in fields on the instrument, you can determine how long a survey (i.e. a single instrument) took to complete. Unrealistically short survey completion times may be found for bots submitting data.

Preventing Fraudulent Responses

First, it’s important to understand these behavior patterns:

1. Eligible individuals who participate more than once by mistake, presumably without malicious intent

2. Eligible individuals who participate repeatedly to receive additional compensation

3. Ineligible individuals who try to participate repeatedly to profit from compensation

Project design approaches to prevent fraud

• Open-ended text entry questions

  • Mark these fields required (respondents will not be able to submit a completed survey with these fields empty)

  • Create a REDCap report to easily review this information

• Survey Instructions

  • Disclose consequences of submitting fraudulent data

  • Highlighting active data surveillance

  • Be deliberate with recruitment/distribution

  • Use intelligent incentives

• Questions designed to test human attention

  • Prefill these questions and word the prompt to instruct the person to alter the response. This ensures they are reading prompts and responding with purpose.

• e-Consent Framework

  • This can be enabled on any survey and collects the IP address of the respondent when completed

  • NOTE: IP addresses represent a device’s connection to a single network at a specific time and can be unreliable in determining if survey responses are duplicated. They can change when the device’s network changes. For example, the following scenarios may result in a different IP address for the same respondent:

    • Switching devices on the same Wi-fi or mobile network

    • Using the same device, switching to a different Wi-fi network

    • Using the same device, switching from Wi-fi network to mobile data/5G network

    • Using the same device, connecting to a Wi-fi public network on a different day