REDCap imports surveys through a data dictionary CSV - a structured spreadsheet that defines every field in a project. Pirai AI reads your Word, PDF, or Excel survey document and produces a correctly structured data dictionary CSV for direct import into a new or existing REDCap project. Field types, labels, answer choices, branching logic, and validation rules are all mapped from your source document.
What REDCap's Import Requires
REDCap does not import Word documents or PDFs directly. Survey instruments must be entered through REDCap's Online Designer (one field at a time) or uploaded as a data dictionary CSV through Project Setup > Data Dictionary > Upload File. The data dictionary format has 18+ columns defining every aspect of each field. Building this manually for a 40-item validated instrument takes hours and introduces transcription errors.
Pirai AI generates the data dictionary CSV automatically from your source document - preserving exact item wording required for validated instrument fidelity.
Supported Input Formats
The REDCap Data Dictionary: Key Columns
The REDCap data dictionary CSV defines every field in a project. Pirai AI populates the critical columns from your source document:
| Column | What Pirai AI Populates From Your Document |
|---|---|
| Variable / Field Name | Generated from field label (lowercase, underscored). Editable in the editor. |
| Form Name | Mapped from survey sections or document blocks. |
| Field Type | radio, checkbox, dropdown, text, notes, calc, slider - mapped from question structure. |
| Field Label | Exact question text from your document, preserved verbatim. |
| Choices / Calculations | Answer options formatted as "1, Strongly Agree | 2, Agree | ..." per REDCap syntax. |
| Required Field | Mapped where marked as required in source document. |
| Branching Logic | Converted from skip logic annotations in source document where present. |
| Text Validation | Date, integer, number formats mapped where specified in source. |
REDCap Field Types Pirai AI Produces
How to Convert Your Document to REDCap
Upload your document
Go to platform.piraiai.com. Upload your Word, PDF, or Excel file. For scanned documents, enable Advanced PDF Processing for OCR extraction.
Review in the AI Survey Editor
Pirai AI extracts all fields with types, labels, and answer choices. Review the extracted structure, correct any field type assignments, and edit variable names before exporting.
Download the data dictionary CSV
Select REDCap as the target platform. Download the data dictionary CSV. Every field is in the correct column structure with answer choices in REDCap's pipe-delimited format.
Import into REDCap
In your REDCap project, go to Project Setup > Data Dictionary > Upload File. Upload the CSV. Click Commit Changes. All fields appear in the Online Designer instantly.
Format-Specific and Migration Guides
Format-Specific Conversion
Migration Into REDCap
REDCap Guidance
Frequently Asked Questions
REDCap imports surveys via a data dictionary CSV through Project Setup > Data Dictionary > Upload File. Upload your Word, PDF, or Excel document to Pirai AI, select REDCap as the target, and download the pre-formatted data dictionary CSV. Upload it into your REDCap project and click Commit Changes.
The REDCap data dictionary is a CSV file with specific columns defining every survey field: Variable/Field Name, Form Name, Field Type, Field Label, Choices (for radio/checkbox/dropdown), Branching Logic, Required Field, and Text Validation Type among others. Pirai AI populates all critical columns from your source survey document automatically.
Yes. Upload the instrument document (Word or PDF) to Pirai AI, select REDCap, and download the data dictionary CSV. The exact item wording and scale labels from the validated instrument are preserved verbatim - critical for maintaining the published psychometric properties when deploying in REDCap.
Yes. Export your REDCap instruments as a data dictionary CSV. Upload to Pirai AI and select Qualtrics as the target. The REDCap field types are mapped to the closest Qualtrics question types and a QSF file is produced for import.
Convert Your Survey Document Now
Upload once. Export to any platform. No manual re-entry. No Drive access required.
Start Free - 2 Conversions/Day