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RDLA User Guide · Stage 3a of 6
This stage is where you maintain the questions on the database request form — the questions a faculty member answers when requesting access to a database. You review the questions in use, retire ones you no longer need, and add new ones.
Maintaining the database request form questions
Before any faculty member can request access, someone has to decide what they are asked. The database request form is that set of questions — the very answers you will later review and approve in Stage 3b, Managing Database User Access.
You work on a single screen headed with the instruction: "Review and edit existing database request form questions, expire ones no longer needed by setting Valid To Date/Time, or add new ones below." The questions that are currently in effect are listed for you to edit in place (questions that have already expired are not shown), and you can add new ones underneath.
Adding or editing a question
For each question you add or edit, you can set the following. Required fields are marked.
- Question Type — pick the kind of question from the dropdown. Required.
- Question Display Text — a friendly label shown to the faculty member. Optional.
- Question Text — the actual question wording. Required.
- Picklist Options — appears only when the Question Type is Picklist, Radio Buttons, or Multiselect Picklist. Enter one option per line, each in the form LABEL:VALUE, with no extra spaces. Optional.
- Valid From Date/Time — when the question starts appearing on the form. Required.
- Valid To Date/Time — when it stops appearing on the form (see the Golden rule below). Required.
- Order — the position of the question on the form, as a number; lower numbers appear first. Optional.
- Required — tick if the faculty member must answer this question.
- Display on Form — tick to show this question on the form.
Golden rule
To retire a question, set its Valid To Date/Time to now or a past date. The question simply stops appearing on the request form from that point on, while its record and any answers already given stay intact. Removing a question's row from the list has the same effect — the tool expires it rather than deleting it. For a question that should keep showing, set a Valid To Date/Time well in the future.
Finishing
When you finish, you'll see the confirmation "Database request form questions have been successfully updated." Your edits, expirations, and any new questions are all saved together.
Tip: The questions you set here are exactly what a faculty member answers when requesting access. You review those answers and approve or deny the request in Stage 3b, Managing Database User Access.
Walkthrough: