A. REDCap training portal (Login with your UCT credentials)
https://redcap.uct.ac.za/index.php?action=training
About this portal: REDCap is a mature, secure web application for building and managing online surveys and databases. Using REDCap's stream-lined process for rapidly developing projects, you may create and design projects using 1) the online method from your web browser using the Online Designer; and/or 2) the offline method by constructing a 'data dictionary' template file in Microsoft Excel, which can be later uploaded into REDCap. Both surveys and databases (or a mixture of the two) can be built using these methods. REDCap provides automated export procedures for seamless data downloads to Excel and common statistical packages (SPSS, SAS, Stata, R), as well as a built-in project calendar, a scheduling module, ad hoc reporting tools, and advanced features, such as branching logic, file uploading, and calculated fields.
B. Online courses
1. Understanding Clinical Research: Behind the Statistics by Prof Juan Klopper from UCT Dep of Surgery (create a Coursera account)
https://www.coursera.org/learn/clinical-research
About this course: If you’ve ever skipped over the results section of a medical paper because terms like “confidence interval” or “p-value” go over your head, then you’re in the right place. Greater confidence in understanding statistical analysis and the results can benefit both working professionals and those undertaking
research themselves.
2.Data Management for Clinical Research by Vanderbilt University (create a Coursera account)
https://www.coursera.org/learn/clinical-data-management
About this course: This course presents critical concepts and practical methods to support planning, collection, storage, and dissemination of data in clinical research. Understanding and implementing solid data management principles is critical for any scientific domain. Regardless of your current (or anticipated) role in the
research enterprise, a strong working knowledge and skill set in data management principles and practice will increase your productivity and improve your science.
C. UCT Research Data Management Resources
About these links: As of 2019, UCT researchers and postgraduate students will be required to submit a Data Management Plan (DMP) alongside their research proposals. The links
below contain important information for UCT students and researchers to consider when developing data management plans for research projects. The links include UCT systems and services to support research data management, UCT’s new DMPOnline tool for generating DMPs, UCT’s institutional data repository ZivaHub, and guidelines surrounding open access and data sharing.
- To read the UCT Research Data Management policy, visit http://www.digitalservices.lib.uct.ac.za/dls/rdm-policy
- To read more about general data publication guidelines, visit http://www.digitalservices.lib.uct.ac.za/dls/data-sharing-guidelines
- For Data Management planning, visit UCT DMPOnline (https://dmp.lib.uct.ac.za/). Please note that this platform is currently undergoing an upgrade.
- For general project management, UCT provides an institutional instance of the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/). Ensure you sign in using the ‘sign in through institution’ option.
- For data publication, visit UCT’s data repository, ZivaHub (https://uct.figshare.com/). To access, please ensure you login using your UCT single sign-on (i.e., click 'log in') rather than ‘sign up’. For First-time users, please read the ZivaHub user guide (https://tinyurl.com/yb33jwdq)
D. Eight steps in developing a database
About this document: A database can be a powerful tool to observe the course of a disease; understand variations in treatment and outcomes; examine factors that influence prognosis and quality of life; describe care patterns, including appropriateness of care and disparities in the delivery of care; assess effectiveness; monitor safety and harm and; measure the costs and quality of care. This document provides eight basic steps in developing such a database