Can I still change the forms when my study is live?

It is possible to make changes to the study forms after a study has been live, but the study status must be changed to "not live" before you can make adjustments to the study form. It is important to remember that existing data may be affected by changing the study forms. To make sure that the changes you make will not affect existing data, please consider the following points:

Adding

• Adding phases, steps, fields throughout the study can be done without concern.
• Adding an option in an option group can be done without any consequences.

Modifying

• Changing the text in a question (the field label) or the variable name can also be done.
• Changing the name of any report, study or survey form, or report instance can be done safely.
• Modifying the configuration of the grid field leads to data loss, if the data has been collected for the grid field.
• Moving a field to a different step is possible, even if the data contained for example signatures/queries (these will be moved along with the field).
• Changing the option group values will lead to data loss if data was already collected for the field using that option group.
• Replacing an option group can be done without any problems if the new option values correspond to the option values of the original option group. For example, if the original option groups contained options 'Yes' with the value 1, 'No' with the value 2, and 'Maybe' with the value 3 and it should be replaced with an option group 'A' with the value 1,  'B' with the value 2, and 'C' with the value 3, the data will be preserved, just the label will be changed.
• Replacing an option group where the new option values differ from the original option group values will lead to data loss.

Deleting

• Removing a phase, step or field will cause data loss if data has been collected for that variable. 

For implications of any other changes, please consult our helpdesk article: Can I still change the forms when my study is live?