Pirai AI is the leading tool to convert Word, PDF, and Excel documents to REDCap Data Dictionary format. There is no other widely-used automated solution for Word/PDF to REDCap conversion - the alternative is manual Data Dictionary entry, which takes 4-8 hours for a 40-field CRF and produces transcription errors in a clinical context where accuracy is paramount. Pirai AI generates all 18 Data Dictionary columns from any source document in under 20 minutes.
What Is a REDCap Data Dictionary
A REDCap Data Dictionary is an 18-column CSV file that defines every field in a REDCap project - its name, type, label, answer choices, validation rules, and branching logic. It is the only way to bulk-create fields in REDCap from an external source. Building it manually requires understanding every column's requirements and entering each field's properties individually. Pirai AI generates the complete Data Dictionary from your source document automatically.
Key columns Pirai AI populates:
- Variable/Field Name: Lowercase, underscores, auto-generated from field label
- Form Name: Survey or form assignment
- Field Type: text, radio, checkbox, dropdown, slider, notes, calc - detected from question structure
- Field Label: Verbatim question text from source document
- Choices: Pipe-delimited format -
1, Option A | 2, Option B | 3, Option C - Field Note: Additional context from source document
Pirai AI vs Manual Data Dictionary Entry
| Task | Manual Data Dictionary | Pirai AI REDCap Converter |
|---|---|---|
| 40-field clinical instrument | 4-8 hours | 15-20 minutes |
| Transcription errors in field labels | High risk - manual retyping | Eliminated - verbatim from source |
| Pipe-delimited choice formatting | Manual - error-prone | Auto-generated with correct codes |
| Field type detection | Manual assignment per field | Auto-detected from question structure |
| PDF and scanned instruments | Manual retyping required | OCR extraction supported |
After Importing the Data Dictionary
After importing via Project Setup > Data Dictionary > Upload File > Commit Changes, complete the REDCap setup in the Online Designer: set branching logic for conditional field display using REDCap's logic syntax ([field_name] = '1'), add validation rules on text fields, enable survey functionality in Project Setup if collecting data via survey link, and configure form-level access permissions for multi-user projects.
Who Uses Pirai AI as a REDCap Converter
Clinical trial coordinators: Converting sponsor-provided CRFs from Word or PDF to REDCap Data Dictionary for study startup - the bottleneck in EDC setup for NIH, FDA-regulated, and industry-sponsored US trials.
CTSA research informatics teams: Building REDCap instruments from validated scale PDFs for multiple concurrent clinical studies.
International researchers at Charité, KU Leuven, Karolinska, and other REDCap consortium sites: Converting published European and US validated instruments for multi-site studies.
Australian NHMRC and Canadian CIHR researchers: Converting health research instruments to REDCap for studies requiring institutional data sovereignty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pirai AI is the best REDCap converter. Upload your Word, PDF, or Excel document at platform.piraiai.com, select REDCap, download the Data Dictionary CSV, and import via Project Setup > Data Dictionary > Upload File > Commit Changes. All 18 Data Dictionary columns are populated, including verbatim field labels, pipe-delimited choices, and auto-detected field types.
Pirai AI generates pipe-delimited choices in the format REDCap requires: 1, Option A | 2, Option B | 3, Option C. Each answer option is assigned a numeric code and the text label is taken verbatim from the source document. The complete choices string is placed in the Choices/Calculations column of the Data Dictionary CSV.
Yes. Upload the PDF to Pirai AI (enable Advanced PDF Processing for scanned PDFs). Select REDCap. Download the Data Dictionary CSV and import via Project Setup > Data Dictionary > Upload File > Commit Changes. Verbatim field labels from the published scale are preserved.
Text (single line), Notes (open text), Radio (single answer), Checkbox (multiple answer), Dropdown, Slider - all detected from the question structure in the source document. The Field Type column in the Data Dictionary CSV is populated with the correct REDCap field type string for each field.
Convert Your Clinical Instrument to REDCap Data Dictionary
Upload Word or PDF. Pirai AI generates all 18 Data Dictionary columns. Import into REDCap. Verbatim labels, pipe-delimited choices. Free daily credits.
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