How do I create the locking function for an input form? (Step 3)

Learn how to set the locking function so that no new data can be entered or changes can be made.

Step 1:

1. After logging into the system, click on the "Study" module.
2. Now you will see the study to be edited. Click on the "Settings"-button.

Step 2:

1. The editing overview of your study opens. Now click on step "3. Forms".
2. Click on the tab "Scheduled Event Forms" and the input form you wish to edit or on "Create new form". You can add the locking function both during the initial set-up (when creating a form) or add it later.

Step 3:

1. When setting the toggle for “Locking required”, the “Locking roles” can be added from the drop-down. Make sure, however, that you also assign the right to lock to this role in the role configuration under "data verification". Read more about role configuration here: How can I set up user roles?
2. There is no limit to potential “Locking roles” and there is only one level of locking, i.e. a form can either have the status “locked” or “unlocked”, no matter how many roles have the right to (un)lock the form. If more than one role is assigned, any of those roles can lock/unlock that form. At least one role needs to be added here, otherwise the setting cannot be saved.
3. The locking function is irrespective of whether the fields in the form are set to required or not. Incomplete forms can be locked. Locking a form prohibits further data entry or data changes.

⭐ Fun facts:

1. You can set the locking function on forms that will be added to an ePRO scheduled event, e.g. to forbid further data entry or data changes to an ePRO completed by the subject before the ePRO weblink expires. To do so, a user with access to the subject data within the study must lock the form in the ePRO manually. The subject does not have or see the option to lock the ePRO form(s).
2. If you combine locking function with the (hierarchical) signature function, the form(s) will need to be locked first to allow signing. A role can both lock and sign a form. Read more about the signature function here: How do I set up the signature function for an input form? (Step 3)
3. At the moment, the locking function is only available for Scheduled Event Forms despite the presence of "Locking required" option on every form. Setting up this option on (S)AE Forms, Unscheduled Event Forms and Samples Forms will not be saved.
4. The actual locking takes place on the respective input forms within the scheduled events of each subject. You can see whether a form is locked or not in either the subject overview or in the individual input forms during data entry. Find more details on this in the following article: How do I lock/unlock an input form?
5. Unlike with signatures, the user password is not required to lock forms.
6. It can be very useful to use our "bulk locking" feature. Read more  in the following article: How do I create and edit a study workflow (Step 4)

Workaround:

If you want to prevent additional data entry or data updates for the entire subject without locking each form separately, you can do so by changing the subject's status in the general subject overview to "complete". However, we only recommend this status change in cases where the data entry and review has been finalized for this subject or no more data or review is required. If you want to know more about changing the status of the subject, read the following article: Subject overview in a study