NVivo introduction

Annotation, coding, queries

Jeremy Buhler
Data Librarian, Koerner Library
jeremy.buhler@ubc.ca

https://bit.ly/nvivo-2025

Learning objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to

find your way around the interface
import files into NVivo
create annotations and memos
create and use codes
run basic queries

Pre-session setup

NVivo installed
A text document to analyze

If you don't have a text document visit
https://ubc-library-rc.github.io/nvivo
and download the Interview sample

Outline

0:05	Why use NVivo?
0:10	Menus, navigation
0:20	Importing data
0:30	Annotations and memos
0:40	Coding
1:00	Queries
1:15	Questions, discussion

Why use NVivo?

In the data analysis process you're looking for relationships, identifying themes, exploring patterns in your source material, sometimes working with material collected in different ways and indifferent formats. NVivo is designed around the processes involved in doing this kind of work.

It gives you many ways of taking notes and recording your comments and notes as you're working, linking those notes so they're easier to find later. Stress the importance of recording notes about your process, of telling the story of your project, of tracking how your observations and thinking evolves as you work.

And it keeps everying in one place - your NVivo project is just one file, but that single file can contain your source material, your observations, any work you might to to code the text for themes - ideally in a way that's easier to keep track of.

Designed around the QDA process
Keep source material and notes in one place
Code and query to find patterns and relationships

Nvivo assists, it doesn't tell you how to analyze

How to think about NVivo?

An "audit trail" for your research

A way to isolate & recombine parts of your material

Open NVivo...

This workshop uses NVivo 15, the most recent version available from UBC.

Selected learning resources

Qualitative coding videos
QDA readings
NVivo instructional videos
NCapture plugin to import web pages
Zotero for citation management