A role is a set of permissions. Every user has one on the platform, and one in each study they join, so the role decides what they can see and do. Datacapt ships with seven default roles; when none of them fits, you create your own.
🔑 Prerequisite: Roles (Edit) permission to create or edit roles. By default, only the ADMIN role has it.
Know where a role applies
A user holds roles at two levels:
Platform role: set when you invite the user. It controls the global settings (users, centers, templates, audit trails) and is the default role when this user joins a study.
Study role: set in each study. It controls what the user can do inside that study, and can differ from one study to the next.
Both levels use the same list of roles, managed in Settings › Roles.
Review the default roles
Seven roles exist on every platform: ADMIN, PROJECT_MANAGER, DATA_MANAGER, INVESTIGATOR, MONITOR, AUDITOR and MAIN_INVESTIGATOR. You can open them to read their permissions, but you cannot change them: only custom roles can be edited.
[Screenshot to add: settings-roles-monitor-ecrf-permissions.png, the MONITOR role open on the eCRF block]
🛠️ Step by step guide
Go to Settings › Roles.
Open the role you want to review.
Expand a permission block, for example eCRF. Each feature is listed with its description and its actions. A green dot means the action is granted; an empty circle means it is not.
The full list of what each default role can do is in Default permissions at a glance, at the end of this article.
Create a custom role
Create a custom role when a default role grants too much or too little, for example a Clinical Research Associate who raises queries but never edits data.
[Screenshot to add: settings-roles-add-new-role.png, the Add new role window]
🛠️ Step by step guide
Go to Settings › Roles.
Select Add new role.
Enter the Role name and select Submit. The role is created with every permission turned off.
Open the new role and select Edit.
Expand each permission block and turn on the actions this role needs.
Select Save.
To change a custom role later, open it, select Edit, change the permissions and select Save. Changes apply immediately to every user who holds this role, in every study.
💡 Tip: to check what a role really sees, invite yourself a second time with an email alias, such as yourname+monitor@yourcompany.com, give that account the role, and log in with it in a private browser window. Since role changes apply immediately, reload the private window after each change to see the result.
Restrict which roles a user can assign
A user who can invite or edit users can also choose their role. The Role Assignment Restrictions block limits that choice, so that, for example, a project manager can invite investigators and monitors but cannot make anyone an administrator.
[Screenshot to add: settings-roles-assignment-restrictions.png, the Role Assignment Restrictions block]
🛠️ Step by step guide
Go to Settings › Roles and open a custom role.
Select Edit.
In Role Assignment Restrictions, select the roles this role is allowed to assign.
Select Save.
Users with this role can then assign only the selected roles. By default, only ADMIN can give another user the ADMIN role; the six other default roles can assign every role except ADMIN.
Default permissions at a glance
This table lists every permission, grouped as on the role page, with the default roles that hold each action. ADMIN holds every permission and is not repeated in the table.
Abbreviations: PM = PROJECT_MANAGER, DM = DATA_MANAGER, Inv = INVESTIGATOR, Mon = MONITOR, Aud = AUDITOR, MI = MAIN_INVESTIGATOR.
Feature | Action: also granted by default to |
GLOBAL SETTINGS | |
Global Users Management | Access: Aud |
General settings | Edit: ADMIN only |
Privacy | Edit: ADMIN only |
Roles | Edit: ADMIN only |
Centers | Access: Aud, MI |
Templates | Access: DM, MI |
Audit trails | Access: Aud |
API credentials | Access: ADMIN only |
Customization | Edit: ADMIN only |
Recruitment settings | Edit: ADMIN only |
Medical dictionaries | Access: ADMIN only |
Participant statuses | Edit: ADMIN only |
STUDY | |
Study list | Add: PM, DM, MI |
Draft study | Access all: DM, MI |
STUDY ADD-ONS | |
Participant status | Edit: PM, Inv, MI |
Analytics | Access: PM, DM, Inv, Mon, MI |
Document management | Access: PM, DM, Inv, Mon, Aud, MI |
Subject management | Access: PM, Inv, MI |
Translations | Access: PM, DM, MI |
Study audit trails | Access: PM, DM, Inv, Mon, Aud, MI |
Automation | Access: PM, DM, Inv, MI |
Study user management | Access: PM, Aud, MI |
Study settings | Edit: PM, DM, MI |
Randomization configuration | Access: PM, DM, MI |
Randomization list | Access: ADMIN only |
Kit inventory | Access: ADMIN only |
Allocation configuration | Access: ADMIN only |
Allocation | Add: ADMIN only |
Coding mappings | Access: PM, DM, MI |
Medical coding coder | Access: PM, DM, MI |
Side-by-side | Access: ADMIN only |
ECRF | |
eCRF Builder | Edit: DM, MI |
eCRF Record List | Access: PM, DM, Inv, Mon, Aud, MI |
eCRF Records | Access: PM, DM, Inv, Mon, Aud, MI |
eCRF files | Export: PM, DM, Inv, MI |
Monitoring | Access: PM, DM, Inv, Mon, Aud, MI |
EPRO | |
ePRO dashboard | Access: PM, DM, Inv, Mon, Aud, MI |
ePRO record list | Access: PM, DM, Inv, Mon, Aud, MI |
ePRO builder | Edit: PM, DM, MI |
ePRO settings | Access: PM, DM, MI |
ePRO files | Export: PM, DM, Inv, MI |
ECONSENT | |
eConsent dashboard | Access: PM, DM, Inv, Mon, Aud, MI |
eConsent signature | Access: PM, Inv, Mon, MI |
eConsent builder | Edit: DM, MI |
ECONSULT | |
eConsult | Access: Inv, MI |
ANALYSIS | |
Data analysis | Access: PM, DM, Inv, Aud, MI |
SUBJECT DATABASE MANAGEMENT | |
Subject repository | Access: ADMIN only |
Repository builder | Access: ADMIN only |
Repository campaigns | Add: ADMIN only |
Repository actions | Import: ADMIN only |
RECRUITMENT | |
Recruitment | Access: ADMIN only |
Recruitment builder | Edit: ADMIN only |
Recruitment records | Invite: ADMIN only |
PAYMENTS | |
Payments | Access: ADMIN only |
Payment orders | Access: ADMIN only |
CALENDAR | |
Calendar | Access: ADMIN only |
Visit | Update: ADMIN only |
REPORTS | |
Reports | Access: ADMIN only |
Good to know
ADMIN holds everything. It is granted every permission, including the ones added in future releases.
Some modules are ADMIN-only by default: Subject Database Management, Recruitment, Calendar, Payments, Reports, Side-by-side, Randomization list, Kit inventory and Allocation. To open them to other users, create a custom role.
Draft study (Access all) grants every permission inside any study still in draft. This is why DATA_MANAGER and MAIN_INVESTIGATOR can build a study before it goes live.
Frequently asked questions
Can I duplicate a role?
Can I duplicate a role?
No. To start from an existing role, create a new one and turn on the same permissions.
Can I edit a default role?
Can I edit a default role?
No. The seven default roles are view-only. Create a custom role with the permissions you need instead.