Fields

When designing a study form, survey, or questionnaire, you can choose from several field types depending on the type of research information you want to collect. Each field includes configurable settings that control its validation, location, and exported study data.

1. Text

A single-line input field for short text responses.

Also known as: Short Answer, Single-Line Text

When to use: Use it to collect short study information such as a user ID, study site, occupation, diagnosis code, interviewer name, or other brief responses.

Text Field Settings

Required: Makes the field mandatory.
Hide label: Hides the field label while keeping the field available in the form.
Field label: Defines the text displayed above the field.
Alias name: Defines an alternative name to use when exporting data to Excel. If no alias is entered, the field label will be used.
Placeholder: Displays temporary guidance or an example inside the field.
Default value: Automatically inserts an initial value into the field.
Help text: Provides additional instructions or clarification about the field.
Help text position: Determines whether the help text appears above or below the field.
Field location: When dealing with a multi-step form, this option allows you to copy the field from one page to another.
Length counting: Determines whether the entered value is counted by characters or words.
Show count indicator: Displays a message showing how many characters or words have been entered or remain available.
Minimum length: Defines the minimum number of characters or words that must be entered.
Maximum length: Defines the maximum number of characters or words that can be entered.

2. Textarea

A multi-line input field for longer text responses.

Also known as: Long Answer, Multi-Line Text, Open-Ended Response

When to use: Use it to collect detailed user responses, interview notes, qualitative feedback, symptom descriptions, explanations, observations, or other open-ended study information.

Textarea Field Settings

Required: Makes the field mandatory.
Hide label: Hides the field label while keeping the field available in the form.
Field label: Defines the text displayed above the field.
Alias name: Defines an alternative name to use when exporting data to Excel. If no alias is entered, the field label will be used.
Placeholder: Displays temporary guidance or an example inside the field.
Default value: Automatically inserts an initial value into the field.
Help text: Provides additional instructions or clarification about the field.
Help text position: Determines whether the help text appears above or below the field.
Field location: When dealing with a multi-step form, this option allows you to copy the field from one page to another.
Length counting: Determines whether the entered value is counted by characters or words.
Show count indicator: Displays a message showing how many characters or words have been entered or remain available.
Minimum length: Defines the minimum number of characters or words that must be entered.
Maximum length: Defines the maximum number of characters or words that can be entered.
Allow HTML: Converts the standard textarea into a rich-text editor.

3. Number

A field that accepts numeric values only.

Also known as: Numeric Field, Number Input

When to use: Use it to collect numerical study data such as age, household size, weight, height, blood pressure, laboratory results, questionnaire scores, number of visits, or duration of symptoms.

Number Field Settings

Required: Makes the field mandatory.
Hide label: Hides the field label while keeping the field available in the form.
Field label: Defines the text displayed above the field.
Alias name: Defines an alternative name to use when exporting data to Excel. If no alias is entered, the field label will be used.
Placeholder: Displays temporary guidance or an example inside the field.
Default value: Automatically inserts an initial value into the field.
Help text: Provides additional instructions or clarification about the field.
Help text position: Determines whether the help text appears above or below the field.
Field location: When dealing with a multi-step form, this option allows you to copy the field from one page to another.
Minimum: Defines the lowest numeric value that can be entered. For example, an age field may have a minimum value of 18 for an adult study.
Maximum: Defines the highest numeric value that can be entered. For example, a percentage field may have a maximum value of 100.
Step: Defines the interval between accepted values. For example, a step of 1 can be used for completed years of age, while a step of 0.1 can be used for body weight measurements.

4. Range

A slider that allows users to select a numeric value within a defined range.

Also known as: Range Slider, Numeric Slider, Visual Scale

When to use: Use it to measure pain severity, symptom intensity, confidence, agreement, perceived health, stress level, or another study outcome that can be represented on a numeric scale.

Range Field Settings

Required: Makes the field mandatory.
Hide label: Hides the field label while keeping the field available in the form.
Field label: Defines the text displayed above the field.
Alias name: Defines an alternative name to use when exporting data to Excel. If no alias is entered, the field label will be used.
Placeholder: Displays temporary guidance or an example inside the field.
Default value: Automatically inserts an initial value into the field.
Help text: Provides additional instructions or clarification about the field.
Help text position: Determines whether the help text appears above or below the field.
Field location: When dealing with a multi-step form, this option allows you to copy the field from one page to another.
Minimum: Defines the lowest available value on the scale. For example, 0 may represent no pain.
Maximum: Defines the highest available value on the scale. For example, 10 may represent the worst possible pain.
Step: Defines the amount by which the selected value increases or decreases when the slider is moved.

5. Email

A field for entering an email address with format validation.

Also known as: Email Address Field

When to use: Use it when a study requires an email address for user follow-up, questionnaire invitations, appointment reminders, study communication, or communication with researchers and data collectors.

Email Field Settings

Required: Makes the field mandatory.
Hide label: Hides the field label while keeping the field available in the form.
Field label: Defines the text displayed above the field.
Alias name: Defines an alternative name to use when exporting data to Excel. If no alias is entered, the field label will be used.
Placeholder: Displays temporary guidance or an example inside the field.
Default value: Automatically inserts an initial value into the field.
Help text: Provides additional instructions or clarification about the field.
Help text position: Determines whether the help text appears above or below the field.
Field location: When dealing with a multi-step form, this option allows you to copy the field from one page to another.

6. URL

A field for entering a web address with format validation.

Also known as: Website Field, Link Field

When to use: Use it to collect links to study documents, published research, research profiles, data repositories, online consent materials, project websites, or other resources relevant to the study.

URL Field Settings

Required: Makes the field mandatory.
Hide label: Hides the field label while keeping the field available in the form.
Field label: Defines the text displayed above the field.
Alias name: Defines an alternative name to use when exporting data to Excel. If no alias is entered, the field label will be used.
Placeholder: Displays temporary guidance or an example inside the field.
Default value: Automatically inserts an initial value into the field.
Help text: Provides additional instructions or clarification about the field.
Help text position: Determines whether the help text appears above or below the field.
Field location: When dealing with a multi-step form, this option allows you to copy the field from one page to another.

7. Select

A dropdown list that allows the user or data collector to select one or more predefined options.

Also known as: Dropdown Menu, Single-Select Dropdown, Multi-Select Dropdown

When to use: Use it for study questions with a predefined list of responses, such as country, study site, education level, occupation, diagnosis, user group, or type of healthcare facility.

Select Field Settings

Required: Makes the field mandatory.
Hide label: Hides the field label while keeping the field available in the form.
Field label: Defines the text displayed above the field.
Alias name: Defines an alternative name to use when exporting data to Excel. If no alias is entered, the field label will be used.
Placeholder: Displays temporary guidance or an example inside the field.
Default value: Automatically inserts an initial value into the field.
Help text: Provides additional instructions or clarification about the field.
Help text position: Determines whether the help text appears above or below the field.
Field location: When dealing with a multi-step form, this option allows you to copy the field from one page to another.
Selection type: Determines whether users can select one response or multiple responses.
- Single select: Allows the user to select only one response, such as one study site or one education level.
- Multi-select: Allows the user to select more than one response, such as multiple symptoms or sources of health information.
Options: Allows you to add, edit, reorder, and delete the response choices displayed in the dropdown.
Option label: Defines the response text displayed to users.
Enable value: Allows you to assign a separate coded value to an option. When enabled, the assigned value appears in exported study data instead of the displayed response label. For example, “Yes” may be exported as 1 and “No” as 0.

8. Radio

A group of options from which the user can select only one response.

Also known as: Single Choice, Radio Button Group

When to use: Use it for study questions that require one clearly visible response, such as yes or no questions, user sex, intervention group, smoking status, vaccination status, or level of agreement.

Radio Field Settings

Required: Makes the field mandatory.
Hide label: Hides the field label while keeping the field available in the form.
Display options horizontally: Displays the radio-button responses next to each other instead of placing each response on a separate line.
Field label: Defines the text displayed above the field.
Alias name: Defines an alternative name to use when exporting data to Excel. If no alias is entered, the field label will be used.
Help text: Provides additional instructions or clarification about the field.
Help text position: Determines whether the help text appears above or below the field.
Field location: When dealing with a multi-step form, this option allows you to copy the field from one page to another.
Options: Allows you to add, edit, reorder, and delete the radio-button responses.
Option label: Defines the response text displayed to users.
Enable value: Allows you to assign a separate coded value to a response. When enabled, this value appears in exported study data instead of the displayed response label.

9. Checkbox

A group of options that allows the users to select one or more responses.

Also known as: Multiple Response, Checkbox Group, Select All That Apply

When to use: Use it for “select all that apply” study questions, such as symptoms experienced, existing medical conditions, medications used, sources of information, barriers to healthcare, or services received.

Checkbox Field Settings

Required: Makes the field mandatory.
Hide label: Hides the field label while keeping the field available in the form.
Display options horizontally: Displays the checkbox responses next to each other instead of placing each response on a separate line.
Field label: Defines the text displayed above the field.
Alias name: Defines an alternative name to use when exporting data to Excel. If no alias is entered, the field label will be used.
Help text: Provides additional instructions or clarification about the field.
Help text position: Determines whether the help text appears above or below the field.
Field location: When dealing with a multi-step form, this option allows you to copy the field from one page to another.
Options: Allows you to add, edit, reorder, and delete the checkbox responses.
Option label: Defines the response text displayed to users.
Enable value: Allows you to assign a separate coded value to a response. When enabled, this value appears in exported study data instead of the displayed response label.

10. Grid

A table-based field containing rows and columns. The response type can be configured as radio buttons, checkboxes, dropdowns, text fields, textareas, email fields, URL fields, or file uploads.

Also known as: Matrix, Questionnaire Matrix, Input Grid, Response Grid

When to use: Use it to collect repeated or structured study information across multiple questionnaire items, users, measurements, visits, categories, or time points.

A grid can be used to:

Ask users to rate several questionnaire statements using the same Likert scale.
Record repeated clinical or laboratory measurements at baseline and follow-up visits.
Collect information about multiple household members or study users.
Enter monthly or weekly values for several study indicators.
Compare symptoms, behaviours, exposures, or outcomes across different time points.

A radio-button grid may also be called a radio matrix or Likert matrix, while a text-based grid may be called a text-entry grid.

Grid Field Settings

Required: Makes the field mandatory.
Hide label: Hides the field label while keeping the field available in the form.
Field label: Defines the text displayed above the field.
Alias name: Defines an alternative name to use when exporting data to Excel. If no alias is entered, the field label will be used.
Help text: Provides additional instructions or clarification about the field.
Help text position: Determines whether the help text appears above or below the field.
Field location: When dealing with a multi-step form, this option allows you to copy the field from one page to another.
Type: Determines the response format displayed inside the grid. Available types include:
- Radio: Allows one response to be selected in each row.
- Checkbox: Allows multiple responses to be selected in each row.
- Select: Displays a dropdown list in each grid cell.
- Text: Allows short study responses to be entered.
- Textarea: Allows longer notes or qualitative responses to be entered.
- Email: Allows validated email addresses to be entered.
- URL: Allows validated study-related web links to be entered.
- File: Allows supporting study files to be uploaded within the grid.
Rows: Defines the study items, questionnaire statements, users , household members, measurements, or time points displayed vertically in the grid.
Columns: Defines the response options, assessment periods, visits, categories, or input areas displayed horizontally in the grid.
Row and column options: Allows you to add, edit, reorder, and delete rows and columns.
Option label: Defines the row or column text displayed to users or data collectors.
Enable value: Allows you to assign a separate coded value to a row or column. When enabled, this value is used in exported study data instead of the displayed label.

11. Date and Time

A date or date-and-time picker used to select a calendar date and, when enabled, a specific time.

Also known as: Date Picker, Calendar Field, Date-Time Picker

When to use: Use it to record a user ’s date of birth, enrollment date, interview date, sample collection date, diagnosis date, study visit, follow-up appointment, or the date and time of an assessment.

Date and Time Field Settings

Required: Makes the field mandatory.
Hide label: Hides the field label while keeping the field available in the form.
Field label: Defines the text displayed above the field.
Alias name: Defines an alternative name to use when exporting data to Excel. If no alias is entered, the field label will be used.
Default value: Automatically inserts an initial value into the field.
Help text: Provides additional instructions or clarification about the field.
Help text position: Determines whether the help text appears above or below the field.
Field location: When dealing with a multi-step form, this option allows you to copy the field from one page to another.
Type: Determines whether the field collects a date only or both a date and time.
- Date: Collects a calendar date only, such as the user ’s date of birth.
- Date and time: Collects both a calendar date and a specific time, such as the date and time of sample collection.
Date format: Determines how the selected date is displayed. Available formats may include:
- Month / Day / Year
- Year / Month / Day
- Day / Month / Year
Time format: Determines how time is displayed when the Date and Time type is selected.
- 12-hour format: Displays time using AM and PM.
- 24-hour format: Displays time using the 24-hour clock.
Start date: Defines the earliest date that can be selected. For example, it can prevent dates before the beginning of the study period from being entered.
End date: Defines the latest date that can be selected. For example, it can prevent future dates from being entered for a completed interview.

12. File

A field that allows users, researchers, or data collectors to upload one or more files.

Also known as: File Upload, Attachment Field

When to use: Use it to collect signed consent forms, laboratory reports, medical documents, study images, interview recordings, completed questionnaires, data collection sheets, or other supporting research files.

File Field Settings

Required: Makes the field mandatory.
Hide label: Hides the field label while keeping the field available in the form.
Allow multiple files: Allows more than one study file to be uploaded through the same field.
Field label: Defines the text displayed above the field.
Alias name: Defines an alternative name to use when exporting data to Excel. If no alias is entered, the field label will be used.
Help text: Provides additional instructions or clarification about the field.
Help text position: Determines whether the help text appears above or below the field.
Field location: When dealing with a multi-step form, this option allows you to copy the field from one page to another.
Allowed extensions: Restricts uploads to selected file types. Supported categories include:
- Documents: Research protocols, consent forms, reports, or completed questionnaires.
- Spreadsheets: Study datasets, user lists, or data collection sheets.
- Presentations: Study presentations or research dissemination materials.
- Images: Clinical images, field photographs, scanned forms, or supporting study images.
- Text and CSV files: Exported study data or structured research records.
- Archives: Compressed folders containing multiple study files.
- PDF files: Published articles, reports, consent forms, or supporting documents.
Maximum file size: Defines the largest file size that users or data collectors are allowed to upload.

13. Tag

A field that allows users or researchers to enter multiple tags, labels, codes, or keywords.

Also known as: Keywords, Labels, Study Codes, Tag Input

When to use: Use it to classify study records by research topic, diagnosis, symptom, exposure, population group, study site, intervention, outcome, or another research category.

Tag Field Settings

Required: Makes the field mandatory.
Hide label: Hides the field label while keeping the field available in the form.
Field label: Defines the text displayed above the field.
Alias name: Defines an alternative name to use when exporting data to Excel. If no alias is entered, the field label will be used.
Default value: Automatically inserts an initial value into the field.
Help text: Provides additional instructions or clarification about the field.
Help text position: Determines whether the help text appears above or below the field.
Field location: When dealing with a multi-step form, this option allows you to copy the field from one page to another.

14. Rating

A field that allows users to provide a rating using stars, faces, like or dislike buttons, or a Net Promoter Score scale.

Also known as: Star Rating, Satisfaction Rating, Feedback Score, Experience Scale, NPS

When to use: Use it to assess user satisfaction with a study intervention, healthcare service, training activity, research questionnaire, digital health tool, study visit, or overall participation experience.

Rating Types

Star rating: Allows users to rate a study service, intervention, training session, or experience by selecting a number of stars.
Face rating: Allows users to select a face representing their satisfaction, emotional response, or experience.
Like or dislike: Allows users to provide a simple positive or negative assessment of a study activity or resource.
Net Promoter Score: Allows users to indicate how likely they are to recommend a study-related service, training activity, intervention, or digital tool.

Rating Field Settings

Rating type: Determines whether the field uses stars, faces, like or dislike buttons, or a Net Promoter Score.
Required: Hides the field label while keeping the field available in the form.
Hide label: Hides the field label from users.
Field label: Defines the text displayed above the field.
Alias name: Defines an alternative name to use when exporting data to Excel. If no alias is entered, the field label will be used.
Placeholder: Displays temporary guidance or an example inside the field.
Help text: Provides additional instructions or clarification about the field.
Help text position: Determines whether the help text appears above or below the field.
Field location: When dealing with a multi-step form, this option allows you to copy the field from one page to another.

15. Heading

A non-editable heading used to organize a study form or questionnaire into clearly identified sections.

Also known as: Questionnaire Heading, Section Heading, Form Heading, Title

When to use: Use it to add titles for questionnaire sections such as user information, demographic characteristics, medical history, exposures, symptoms, outcomes, laboratory results, or follow-up information.

Heading Field Settings

Heading text: Defines the title displayed for the questionnaire section.
Heading type: Defines the HTML heading level used to display the heading.
- H1 – Main study form or questionnaire title.
- H2 – Major questionnaire section, such as Demographic Information.
- H3 – Subsection, such as Household Characteristics.
- H4 – Lower-level subsection within a study section.
- H5 – Small heading for a specific group of related study questions.
- H6 – Smallest heading level for detailed questionnaire organization.
Field location: When dealing with a multi-step form, this option allows you to copy the field from one page to another.

16. Note

A non-editable text block used to display study instructions, explanations, warnings, definitions, or other information.

Also known as: User Information, Read-Only Text, Instruction Block, Study Note

When to use: Use it to provide questionnaire instructions, explain a recall period, define a medical term, display an eligibility message, present user guidance, describe confidentiality requirements, or add context without collecting a response.

Note Field Settings

Note content: Defines the study instructions, explanation, definition, warning, or other information displayed to users or data collectors.
Field location: When dealing with a multi-step form, this option allows you to copy the field from one page to another.

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