RKStudio can automatically export participant survey results and sensor data from your project so you can perform detailed analysis on the data, or archive it.
Understanding Exports
This section covers several of the basic concepts needed to understand and use RKStudio's data exports.
Data Storage Locations
RKStudio uploads exported data to its secure, encrypted data storage system. You can access past exports through the "Project Settings -> Export History" screen and download them for archive or analysis.
Licensed projects can optionally configure RKStudio to also upload a copy of the data to your own private Secure FTP server using SFTP. You are responsible for setting up and maintaining the SFTP server.
Incremental Exports
RKStudio's data export feature performs only incremental exports. Your first export will contain all project data so far, but subsequent exports will contain only new data generated since the last export. For example, if you set your export interval to weekly, each export (after the first) will include only data for the prior week.
We advise enabling data export before you start collecting data, to cut down on the size of your first data export. If you are ever in need of a full data backup, contact CareEvolution's support team.
Export Scheduling
You can configure your project to perform daily, weekly, or monthly incremental exports. For weekly and monthly exports, you may also select the day of week/month when the export will occur.
Data exports will begin at the next scheduled interval. For example, if you set up your project to export data monthly on the 1st, and it's currently the 2nd, your next export will not occur for almost a month.
Export Configuration and Data Formats
RKStudio can export data in either Comma-Separated Value (CSV) or JSON format.
- CSV format is easy to import into common spreadsheet applications.
- JSON format is well-suited for programmatic analysis.
You can select which files are included in your data export, and what format each file will use. See Export File Type and Format Summary for detailed information about the data files, including example data.
Using Exported Data
Most projects use the exports for data analysis. Export files contain detailed participant information, survey results, sensor data, and more—everything you need to dive deep into analytics for your projects.
To analyze your data, you will need to download the exported data files to another computer. If you are using SFTP upload, your data export files will be uploaded to your private server. You can also download data exports from the project screen.
- Go to the "Projects" screen and select the "Project Settings" tab.
- Select "Export History."
- Select a specific export.
- Click the download button to save the export file to your local PC.
The downloaded export file is a ZIP archive containing each of the data files (in CSV or JSON format) you selected in your export settings. The "Manifest" file lists all files included in the export. See Export File Type and Format Summary for detailed information about the data files, including example data.
Data Export Settings
To set up data exports:
- Go to the "Projects" screen and select the "Project Settings" tab.
- Select "Data Export."
- Select your export settings, described below.
- Click "Save" to save your settings. (You will need to scroll down to see the button.)
Available options include:
| Setting | Function | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Incremental Exports |
The interval when incremental exports will be generated. See Incremental Exports for more information. Note: Selecting "None" will disable exports entirely. |
None, Daily, Weekly, Monthly |
| UTC Offset |
By default, exports are performed at midnight UTC on the selected interval (daily/weekly/monthly). You can select a different time of day by changing the UTC Offset setting. Note: RKStudio will never export less than 24 hours worth of data. If you're using daily exports, changing the UTC Offset may push your next export back a day. |
00:00 (midnight) UTC |
| Upload to SFTP Server | Whether the data exports should also be uploaded to your private SFTP server. (Available to licensed projects only.) | Yes/No |
| SFTP Settings | SFTP server information. See below for details. | ---- |
| Allow Data File Uploads | Allow auxiliary data files to be uploaded directly to your export location. | Yes / No |
| Export Configuration |
Select which data files you want to include in your data exports. See Export Configuration and File Formats for more information. |
---- |
SFTP Upload
If SFTP upload is enabled, you will need to enter information about your SFTP server so that RKStudio can upload export files.
To set up SFTP upload:
- Check "Upload to SFTP Server."
- Enter all the required server information. See below for details.
- Click "Test Upload Settings" to perform a test upload to the server.
- Check the specified directory on your SFTP server to ensure the upload was successful.
When setting up SFTP uploads, you can choose from several authentication methods:
- Password
- User Key
- Password and User Key
The "User Key" option allows you to connect to your SFTP server using a private SSH key, which is more secure than a password. For an additional layer of security, you can enable both a password and a user key with an optional passphrase.
Whatever authentication setting you select must match the configuration on your SFTP server.
You may also enter the public key fingerprint (in MD5 format) so that RKStudio can verify your server identity before transferring files.
In addition to the security options, you will need to configure the server host name, port, and a directory where the files will be stored.