When creating information fields in your participant categories, you can choose whether an information field should allow duplicate entries or not. This setting helps control the quality of the data you collect during registration.
When to allow duplicates
If multiple participants should be able to enter the same value in a specific field, you should allow duplicates.
Examples where duplicates may be acceptable or necessary:
- First and last name – several participants may have the same name.
- Dietary preferences – several participants may choose the same dietary preference.
- Department – employees from the same department may register.
When to disallow duplicates
If each value in a field must be unique across all registrations, you should not allow duplicates.
Examples where you should consider if duplicates should not be allowed:
- Email address – ensures that each participant only registers once with their personal email.
- Phone number – prevents multiple registrations with the same contact number.
- Membership number – ensures each ID is used only once.
Always consider the purpose of the field and the type of data it collects. If the field is meant to identify a participant uniquely, you should disallow duplicates. If it is general information that many participants may share, allowing duplicates is convenient.
