Create cases automatically

NVivo provides a number of quick ways to create cases—for example, you can:

  • Create cases as you import files—in the Import Files dialog box, select Create a case for each imported file. The entire content of the file is coded to the case created for it.
  • Create cases from selected files—this is most useful when the entire file represents a single case (unit of analysis). When you create cases from your files the entire content of the file is coded.
  • Create cases based on the speaker names in a document.
  • Import a spreadsheet (called a 'classification sheet' in NVivo) containing respondent names and demographic variables.
  • Import a survey or social media dataset and automatically create and classify cases based on the content.

The approach you take depends on the type of data you are working with.

Set up cases for interviews

If you have interview transcripts saved as files in NVivo (and there is a file for each participant), you can follow these steps to set up cases:

Goal

Steps to get there...

Add a classification to your project:

A classification called Participant added under Case Classifications.

  1. In Navigation View, right-click on the Case Classifications folder, and then click New Classification.
  2. Enter a name for the classification. For example, Person, Participant, Interviewee.

Add attributes to the classification:

Attributes for Age, Gender and Occupation added to the Participant classification.

  1. In List View, right-click on the classification and click New Attribute.
  2. Enter a name for the attribute. For example, Age, Gender or Occupation.
  3. If you know the values for the attribute you can add them now. Click the Values tab (at the top of the dialog) and then click Add. For example—for Occupation, you could add Fisher and Teacher.

Create cases from your interview files:

Creating cases from selected interviews in List View.

  1. In List View, select the interview files. (Hold down the SHIFT key to select multiple files).
  2. On the Home tab, in the Item group, click Create As Cases.
  3. Assign the cases to the new classification.

Now, you have a case for each participant and the content of the interview has been coded at the case. Click on Cases in Navigation view to see the new cases.

Set the attribute values for each case:

Setting attribute values for a case in List View.

  1. In Navigation View, under Case Classifications, click the new classification.
  2. In List View, expand each case and select the attribute you want to work with.
  3. Click a value to update it. As you type, NVivo suggests a matching value—you can choose this value or enter a new one.

Set up cases for focus groups

If you have focus group transcripts saved as documents in NVivo, you can follow these steps to set up cases:

Goal

Steps to get there...

Add a classification to your project

A classification called Participant added under Case Classifications.

  1. In Navigation View, right-click on the Case Classifications folder, and then click New Classification.
  2. Enter a name for the classification. For example, Person, Participant, Interviewee.

Add attributes to the new classification:

Attributes for Age, Gender and Occupation added to the Participant classification.

  1. In List View, right-click on the classification and click New Attribute.
  2. Enter a name for the attribute. For example, Age, Gender or Occupation.
  3. If you know the values for the attribute you can add them now. Click the Values tab (at the top of the dialog) and then click Add.. For example—for Occupation, you could add Accountant and Teacher.

Auto code the files by speaker

Auto coding selected Focus Group transcripts.

  1. In List View, select the focus group files. (Hold down the SHIFT key to select multiple files).
  2. On the Home tab, in the Coding group, click Auto Code, and then choose Speaker Name in the Auto Code Wizard.
  3. Enter the name of each speaker as identified in the selected files.
  4. Assign the cases to a classification and choose where you want to store them.

Click on Cases in Navigation view to see the new cases.

Set the attribute values for each case:

Setting attribute values for a case in List View.

  1. In Navigation View, under Case Classifications, click the classification.
  2. Expand each case and select the attribute you want to work with.
  3. Click the value you want to update. As you type, NVivo suggests a matching value—you can choose this value or enter a new one.

NOTE

When auto coding by speaker, follow these guidelines for formatting the transcript:

  • The speaker name must appear at the start of a line. It cannot be proceeded by any characters—including tabs and spaces.
  • The speaker name can appear on the same line with the response or on a separate line above the response—as long as it is at the start of a line.
  • The transcript can be formatted as a table with the speaker name in the left column and the response in the right.
  • Each speaker must be identified by a unique name. NVivo creates a case for each unique speaker name and codes all content by that speaker at the case.

Create cases from audio or video transcripts

If you are analyzing audio or video transcripts—and you have added a custom field for speaker—you can auto code to automatically create a case for each speaker.

Goal

Steps to get there...

Add a classification to your project

A classification called Participant added under Case Classifications.

  1. In Navigation View, right-click on the Case Classifications folder, and then click New Classification.
  2. Enter a name for the classification. For example, Speaker, Participant, Interviewee.

Add attributes to the new classification

Attributes for Age, Gender and Occupation added to the Participant classification.

  1. In List View, right-click on the classification and click New Attribute.
  2. Enter a name for the attribute. For example, Age, Gender or Occupation.
  3. If you know the values for the attribute you can add them now. Click the Values tab (at the top of the dialog) and then click Add. For example—for Occupation, you could add Fisher and Teacher

Use the Auto Code Wizard to create cases from the speaker column in an audio or video file:

Auto coding selected interview transcripts.

  1. In List View, select the audio or video file,
  2. On the Home tab, in the Coding group, click Auto Code.
  3. In the Auto Code wizard, click Use the style or structure.
  4. Add the custom speaker field to the Selected transcript fields (it may already be there by default).
  5. Choose where you want to store the cases and click Finish

Classify the cases

Setting the classification of a case by right-clicking on it.

  1. In List View, select the new cases.
  2. Right-click, then click Classification, then choose a classification.

Set the attribute values for each case:

Setting attribute values for a case in List View.

  1. In Navigation View, under Case Classifications, click the new classification.
  2. Expand each case and select the attribute you want to work with.
  3. Click the value you want to update. As you type, NVivo suggests a matching value—you can choose this value or enter a new one.

Create cases from a survey dataset

When you import responses from SurveyMonkey or Qualtrics, or import data from spreadsheets or text files—the Survey Import Wizard automatically creates and classifies cases for each respondent in a survey.

Surveys and datasets

Approaches to analyzing survey results

Create cases from a social media dataset

If you are working with datasets containing social media data imported from NCapture, NVivo creates cases to represent each user when you auto code by Username. So, you can create classified cases at the same time as you auto code the dataset.

When you auto code by Username, the cases are assigned to the classification 'Facebook User', 'Twitter User' or 'YouTube User', and profile information about the user is stored as attribute values on the cases.

  1. In List View, right-click on the social media dataset, and then click Auto Code.
  2. Click Use the style or structureand follow wizard steps to
    • Code at cases for each value in a column.
    • Choose the column that contains the Username.
    • Choose the content you want to code at the case. For example, Post and Comment Text or Tweet.
    • Choose a location for the new cases.

Create cases by importing a classification sheet

You can create cases by importing them from a text file or spreadsheet. For example, you can import a file containing respondents and their attributes and automatically create (and classify) the cases. Classification sheets

Import cases from another NVivo project

You can import the case structure from another NVivo project. You can choose to import cases with or without the coded content. Merge projects or import items from another project