Automatic coding in document sources

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You can auto code document sources—as well as memos and externals—based on paragraphs or paragraph styles. If you are working with structured documents (like interviews that ask the same set of questions) then auto coding can help you to organize the material into nodes for further exploration.

What do you want to do?

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Understand automatic coding in document sources

NVivo provides ways for you to auto code your documents. You can auto code based on:

• Paragraph styles  If you have applied paragraph styles in your documents you can use them to automatically code the content. You can apply paragraph styles in Word before you import the source, or you can apply them in NVivo. For more information, refer to Format text (Apply a paragraph style).

For example—if you have a collection of question/answer interview documents, you could auto code to create a node for each question (based on heading 1 [H1] and heading 2 [H2] styles) and code all respondent answers at the nodes:

• Paragraphs.  You can auto code 'by paragraph'  if one or more documents are tightly structured—for example, paragraph 1 in each document is about fossil fuel and paragraph 2 is about government policy. NVivo makes a node for each paragraph and uses the paragraph number as the node name. You can rename the nodes as required.

• Existing coding patterns  You can also code using existing coding patterns.

For example, if you have already coded some sources to the nodes Water quality and Habitat, then you can automatically code additional content containing similarly worded text passages to the nodes Water quality and Habitat.

For more information, refer to Automatic coding based on existing coding patterns.

• Themes or sentiment  Identify themes or sentiment in documents, and code the results to theme or sentiment nodes. Refer to About automated insights for more information. (NVivo Plus only)

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Use consistent paragraph styles to auto code

To auto code using paragraph styles:

1. In List View, select the documents you want to auto code.

2. On the Analyze tab, in the Coding group, click Auto Code.

The Auto Code Wizard opens. Follow the steps on the Wizard.

 

Wizard step	What to do
Step 1	Click Use the source style or structure.
Step 2	Click Paragraph styles. From the Available paragraph styles list, select the styles you want to use for coding. Click the right arrow button >> to add the styles to the Selected paragraph styles list. A node is automatically created for each paragraph that is formatted in the selected style, and the text under the style is auto coded at the node. The order of the styles in the list determines how they are nested in the node hierarchy—the first style is the parent of the second and so on.
Step 3	Select where you want to store the newly created nodes. Choose: Existing Node to store the created nodes under an existing parent node—click Select and choose the parent node. New Node to store the created nodes under a new parent node—in the Name field enter a name for the new parent node. Click Select to choose a different location for the new parent node. Existing Folder to store the created nodes in an existing folder—click Select and choose the existing folder. New Folder to store the created nodes in a new folder—in the Name field, enter a name for the new folder. Click Select to choose a different location for the new folder. (Optional) Select the Aggregate coding from child nodes check box, if you want the content coded at child nodes to be shown in the parent node.

 

NOTE  

• If a heading contains reserved characters such as   ( \ / : * ? " < > |   they are replaced by a tilde symbol (~) in the newly created node name.

• To indicate that auto coding is successful, a confirmation message is briefly displayed in the NVivo status bar.

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Auto code to make a numbered node for each paragraph

To auto code by paragraph:

1. In List View, select the documents you want to auto code.

2. On the Analyze tab, in the Coding group, click Auto Code.

The Auto Code Wizard opens. Follow the steps on the Wizard.

 

Wizard step	What to do
Step 1	Click Use the source style or structure.
Step 2	Click Paragraph.
Step 3	Select where you want to store the newly created nodes. Choose: Existing Node to store the created nodes under an existing parent node—click Select and choose the parent node. New Node to store the created nodes under a new parent node—in the Name field enter a name for the new parent node. Click Select to choose a different location for the new parent node. Existing Folder to store the created nodes in an existing folder—click Select and choose the existing folder. New Folder to store the created nodes in a new folder—in the Name field, enter a name for the new folder. Click Select to choose a different location for the new folder. (Optional) Select the Aggregate coding from child nodes check box, if you want the content coded at child nodes to be shown in the parent node.

NOTE  

• To indicate that auto coding is successful, a confirmation message is briefly displayed in the NVivo status bar.

• You can edit the node names in the Node Properties—select the node in List View, then on the Home tab, in the Item group, click Properties.  

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Auto code documents based on existing coding patterns

You can also use pattern-based auto coding in conjunction with the other automatic coding techniques. For example, you could auto code your structured interview documents to create nodes for the responses to each question. Then, you could use pattern-based coding to 'code on' from a question node.

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Related topics

• About coding

• About automatic coding techniques

• Range code your sources

• Basic coding in documents, externals and memos

• Aggregate nodes