NVivo

Creating a Sub-folder

Different kinds of data (such as interview transcripts, surveys, observation notes, focus group transcripts, etc.) can be classified by adding sub-folders to the system folder for files. Folders can also be used to classify the data from different groups of participants. 

This step is optional. If you do not need to create a sub-folder skip to the next step of importing files/surveys.

• Right-click on the system folder, Files in the navigation panel, to open a menu of actions. 
• Select the option titled New Folder. 
• Enter a folder title in the dialog box for creating a new folder and click OK to confirm. 

Importing files (MS Word, Text files, and PDFs)

• Click on the appropriate folder/sub-folder in the navigation panel on the left. 
• Click on Import in the action panel at the top. 
• Select Files in the Import Tab. 
• In the new dialog box that opens, navigate to the correct folder and highlight the file you wish to upload. (Multiple files can be selected at once by holding down the CTRL button on the keyboard while selecting the files.)
• Click Open at the bottom-right edge of the dialog box. 

Completing the Import Process

• Click on the Import button to complete the process. 
• The files will appear as indicated in the second image below. 

Importing Surveys (MS Excel)

• Click on Import in the action panel at the top. 
• Click on Survey and select Excel. 

Selecting the Survey from the Computer

In the new dialog box that opens, navigate to the correct folder and highlight the file to be uploaded to NVivo. 

• Click Open at the bottom-right end of the dialog box. 

Survey Import Wizard: Steps 1 and 2

• Step 1: Click Next on the Survey Import Wizard.
• In Step 2, you will see the format in which the data will be imported with one column each for the survey respondents' ID and questions, respectively. You can sort the responses according to the day, month, or year in which the responses were received. 
• Click on the drop-down menu marked in the second image below to sort the responses according to the day, month, or year if needed (optional). 
• Click Next. 

Survey Import Wizard: Step 3

NVivo will create a separate case for each survey respondent. These cases will be saved in the system folder for Cases, which can be accessed from the navigation panel on the left.

• You may choose to edit the name of the Case Classification by typing in the box adjacent to Create New Classification (optional). 
• Click Next to continue. 

Survey Import Wizard: Step 4

In Step 4 of the Survey Import Wizard, NVivo will ask to confirm the identification of close-ended and open-ended questions. You can also select questions you do not wish to import to NVivo. This may be relevant for questions about the participants' personal identificatory details. 

• Check the dotted circles to ensure that the identification of close-ended and open-ended questions is accurate by NVivo
  • If the classification is inaccurate, click on the correct circles to make the necessary corrections. 
• Click Next to continue. 

Survey Import Wizard: Step 5

In this step, NVivo will offer to autocode themes and sentiments. Autocoding of themes and sentiments cannot be used for academic research for violation of academic integrity. Additionally, autocoded themes will only pick commonly occurring words from the survey responses without any context and may not be helpful for analysis. 

• Uncheck the boxes for Autocode Themes and Autocode Sentiment. 
• Click Finish to complete the import process.
• Click Close once the import process completes, as shown in the second image below. 

Different Ways of Viewing a Survey

• To view the survey responses, double-click on the survey from the folder/sub-folder of Files. 

The responses will open on the right. Clicking on a row will highlight it in blue (as shown in the second image below). 

View Surveys as Form

• To view individual responses separately in the layout of a form, click on Form placed horizontally on the right. 
• To navigate to the responses of other participants, click on the arrows toward the bottom of the screen. 

Viewing Participants' Attributes as Classifications

• To view the case classifications NVivo creates during the import process, click on the small arrow pointing right next to Case Classifications on the navigation panel on the left. 
• Click on Survey Responses. This will open a list of all the survey respondents. 
• Click on the + sign next to a respondent's ID. That will open the list of the chosen respondent's answers to the closed-ended questions in the survey as shown in the image on the right. 

View Open-ended Questions as Codes

• To view the responses to each open-ended question separately, click on the folder for Survey Responses under the system folder for Codes. It will contain a list of all the open-ended questions as codes. 
• Click on a code to view the responses from all the participants to that question as references (as shown in the second image below).  

Maximizing the View of Survey 

• Click on the Undock icon to maximize the view of the survey, as indicated in the two images below. 
• Click on the Dock icon highlighted in the second image below to restore the normal view of the survey. 

Editing Transcripts

Word files can be edited on NVivo to remove personal identificatory details from transcripts, to edit any errors in transcriptions, or to format the files to make them reader-friendly. 

• Double-click on a file in the files list to open it. 
• Once the file opens on the right side of the screen, check the Edit box on the left side of the opened file. 

OR

Click on the pen icon on the top-right corner of the screen. 

• Uncheck the Edit box once the edits are complete. Remember to do this so that no inadvertent changes are made to the files. 

This option is only available for files in the following format - Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx), text files (.txt), and PDFs (.pdf). 

Using Find and Replace to Assign Pseudonyms

• Click on Find & Select under the Edit tab (this tab is only visible when the Edit option has been checked). 
• Select Replace from the menu under Find & Select.

Assigning Pseudonyms to Participants

This step is only needed if the data has not been anonymized before importing it to NVivo.

• Type the name of the participant/word you wish to replace in the option for text under Find What.
• Type the pseudo name/word you wish to use instead in the option for text under Replace With. 
• Check the box for Find Whole Word at the bottom left of the dialog box. 
• Click Replace All or click on Find Next and then Replace. 
• Click Close upon completion of the process as shown in the second image below.