NVivo

Creating a Codebook

Codes are collections of references from your data about a specific theme, topic, concept, idea, or experience, and can be descriptive or analytical. You can create codes before you start coding and/or as you code your data.

Creating Codes Before Coding

1. In the Navigation View panel, click on Nodes
2. In the List View panel, right-click and select New Top Level Node
3. Enter a name (required) and a description (optional) 
4. OPTIONAL: If you're going to create hierarchical codes with parent and child codes, check the box, "Aggregate coding from child nodes," to have NVivo automatically double-code at the parent code when coding child codes
5. OPTIONAL: Use the color drop-down menu to assign colors to your codes
6. Click Done and you'll see the new code added in the List View panel
7. OPTIONAL: To create a child code, right-click on a code you previously created, click New Node, and repeat the process

Creating Codes During Coding

1. In the Navigation View panel, click on Files. Then, in the List View panel, open a data source
2. Select the text you would like to code and highlight it when your cursor
3. Right-click and select Code Selection, then At New Node
4. Enter a name (required) and a description (optional)
5. OPTIONAL: If you're going to create hierarchical codes with parent and child codes, check the box, "Aggregate coding from child nodes," to have NVivo automatically double-code at the parent code when coding child codes
6. OPTIONAL: Use the color drop-down menu to assign colors to your codes
7. Click Done and you'll see the new code added in the List View panel

Coding Data

1. In the Navigation View panel, click on Files. Then, in the List View panel, open a data source
2. Select the text you would like to code and highlight it when your cursor
3. Right-click and select Code Selection, then At Existing Nodes or Cases
4. Check the applicable code(s) and then click Select

Quick Coding

1. In the Navigation View panel, click on Files. Then, in the List View panel, open a data source
2. Select the text you would like to code and highlight it with your cursor
3. Use the keyboard shortcut (Windows: CTRL + Q; Mac: ⌘ + /) and then search for the applicable code
4. Select the applicable code

Uncoding Data

1. Select the text you would like to uncode and highlight it with your cursor
2. Right-click and select Uncode Selection, then select At Existing Nodes or Cases

Coding Stripes

Coding stripes are a visual indicator of the segments of coded data. You can display coding stripes to see the content that is coded at specific themes or nodes, or you can display coding stripes to show the data that has been coded by specific users.

1. In the List View panel, select a data source that has been coded or that you'll be coding
2. In the Menu Bar, click on View, then select Coding Stripes
3. Select an option from the menu, such as all nodes coded or specific nodes

Exporting a Codebook

1. In the Menu Bar, click on the Data tab
2. Click on Codebook
3. Select the Nodes folder
4. Choose a location on your computer to save the document