Most clinical research instruments are drafted in Word - for PI review, ethics committee submission, and protocol documentation. After approval, the same instrument needs to be in REDCap as a Data Dictionary CSV. Pirai AI converts the Word document directly to REDCap Data Dictionary format: upload the .docx, review extracted questions in the workspace, download the 18-column CSV, and import into REDCap. Verbatim text from the approved Word document is preserved in every field label.
Word to REDCap: The Exact Steps
1. Upload your Word document at platform.piraiai.com. Pirai AI reads every question, answer option, section heading, and instruction from the document and identifies the field type for each question.
2. Review in the workspace. Every extracted question appears with its detected field type (radio, checkbox, text, notes, dropdown, slider) and answer options shown in REDCap's pipe-delimited format. Edit field types, adjust question text, or add/remove options before generating the Data Dictionary. The workspace shows you exactly what will appear in the REDCap CSV.
3. Select REDCap and download. Click REDCap as the output. Download the Data Dictionary CSV. All 18 columns are populated including auto-generated variable names (lowercase, underscored, prefixed by form name), correctly formatted choices, and verbatim field labels from your Word document.
4. Import into REDCap. Go to your REDCap project > Project Setup > Data Dictionary > Upload File. Select the downloaded CSV and click Commit Changes. All fields appear in the Online Designer immediately.
5. Complete configuration. In the Online Designer, add branching logic, set required fields, configure text validation, and flag identifier fields. These are protocol-specific settings configured per instrument after import.
What Transfers From Word to REDCap
| In Your Word Document | In REDCap Data Dictionary |
|---|---|
| Question text | Field Label - verbatim from Word document |
| Multiple choice options (A, B, C, D) | Radio field with pipe-delimited choices: 1, A | 2, B | 3, C | 4, D |
| Select all that apply options | Checkbox field with pipe-delimited choices |
| Open text / short answer | Text field (single line) or Notes field (multi-line) |
| Rating scale (1-5, 1-7, 1-10) | Radio field with numeric choices or Slider field with end labels |
| Section headings / subheadings | Section Header column - displays as bold divider above field group |
| Instruction text | Descriptive field - display-only text visible to data entry users |
Why Verbatim Text Matters in REDCap
IRB/HREC-approved protocols specify exact instrument wording. In FDA-regulated clinical trials, the Case Report Form must match the protocol exactly - any deviation requires a protocol amendment. In academic research, validated scale wording must match the published instrument to maintain psychometric validity. Pirai AI extracts field labels verbatim from the source Word document without paraphrasing. The REDCap field labels match the approved Word document character for character.
Word Document Structures That Convert Well
- Numbered questions (Q1, Q2, Q3) with bulleted or lettered answer options below each question
- Heading-separated sections (Heading 1 or Heading 2) that become Section Headers in REDCap
- Word tables with Likert/rating scale response options across columns and row items as questions
- Instruction paragraphs before question groups that become Descriptive fields
- Consistent formatting conventions (bold for questions, indented for options)
Frequently Asked Questions
Upload your Word (.docx) document to Pirai AI at platform.piraiai.com. Review the extracted questions in the workspace. Select REDCap and download the Data Dictionary CSV. Import via REDCap Project Setup > Data Dictionary > Upload File > Commit Changes. All 18 columns are populated with verbatim field labels and correctly formatted pipe-delimited choices.
Yes. Pirai AI extracts field labels verbatim from the source Word document without paraphrasing. Field labels in the REDCap Data Dictionary match the source document exactly - important for IRB/HREC compliance and validated instrument integrity.
Radio (single-answer), checkbox (multi-answer), text (single-line open text), notes (multi-line open text), dropdown (single-answer dropdown), slider (rating scale), and descriptive (display-only instruction text) - all auto-detected from question structure in the Word document.
Upload and processing: 1-3 minutes. Workspace review for a 40-field instrument: 8-12 minutes. REDCap import: under 1 minute. Total: 15-20 minutes. Versus 4-6 hours of manual Data Dictionary entry in Excel.
Convert Your Word Instrument to REDCap
Upload your Word document. Pirai AI generates the REDCap Data Dictionary CSV with all 18 columns. Import and go. Free daily credits.
Start Converting Free