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
- In the Navigation View panel, click on Nodes
- In the List View panel, right-click and select New Top Level Node
- Enter a name (required) and a description (optional)
- 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
- OPTIONAL: Use the color drop-down menu to assign colors to your codes
- Click Done and you'll see the new code added in the List View panel
- 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
- In the Navigation View panel, click on Files. Then, in the List View panel, open a data source
- Select the text you would like to code and highlight it when your cursor
- Right-click and select Code Selection, then At New Node
- Enter a name (required) and a description (optional)
- 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
- OPTIONAL: Use the color drop-down menu to assign colors to your codes
- Click Done and you'll see the new code added in the List View panel