While the REDCap software development and consortium growth model have been successful, core components of our model may not be suited to all groups. Foremost, although REDCap is available at no cost, it is not open source software. Eligible partners must be non-profit or government institutions (not individuals), comply with U.S. export regulations, and agree to the EULA terms, which include not sharing the codebase with third parties and not offering REDCap “reseller” services. The EULA restrictions had several motivating factors. Many institutional leaders showed greater willingness to adopt software with a closed codebase, given the sensitive nature of the data stored on REDCap platforms (such as individually identifiable health information) and the perceived security risk of open source code. Given the extensive Vanderbilt investment required for code generalization and sharing, we also wanted to ensure early Consortium partners were committed to be active participants rather than “software window shoppers.” Finally, this licensing model ensured REDCap’s sustainability as a software platform. By limiting Consortium membership to non-profit and government organizations, Vanderbilt reserved the right to market REDCap in the commercial
