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Participant Metadata
Describe the different places where user metadata is collected (distinct from surveys), who inputs the data, into what kind of system, and how that data is updated/maintained. ($zoe)
Information about each participant was gathered from a number of different sources.
In early studies, this information was collected manually by coordinators and saved in a local spreadsheet in each city. This information was then uploaded to ComputeCanada at the end of the study. Each coordinator used a slightly different nomenclature for their data, so they were converted to CSV and normalized before being ingested into the DB.
Beginning part way into Wave 2, a portal was created at Treksoft for coordinators to use for tracking participant information. This provides a consistent data format across all cities, and eliminates the data normalization step. CSV files are now downloaded directly from Treksoft at the end of each study and ingested into the DB.Treksoft generates an ID for each session. As of 2020, they also generate the INTERACT ID for eligible participants which serves to link all data source registration to one ID. At the eligibility survey step, participants provide their full name, address, phone number and email. This information is displayed on the participant management dashboard.
Participants sign up to the Ethica App with the same email they used to register for the study through the Treksoft portal. Upon signing up, Ethica assigns them an ID (4 or 5 digit ID). Participant metadata is avaialble on the Ethica dashboard (notably, name, email, operating system, phone type)
Prior to 2018, coordinators manually entered a participant's Ethica ID into a locally saved participant management spreadsheet to link registrations. Since 2020, the link between Ethica and other data sources (Treksoft, SenseDoc) is automated (see Wave 2 Metadata Collection)