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Manage classifications

 

You can create classifications to record information about the sources and cases in your project. This topic explains how you manage the classifications that have been created in your project—for example, you might want to merge two classifications together or add new attributes to an existing classification.

If you have NVivo Pro or NVivo Plus, you can work with source classifications.

What do you want to do?

 

Change the name and description of a classification

  1. In Navigation View, click Classifications, and click Source Classifications or Case Classifications.

  2. Select the classification you want to update.

  3. On the Home tab, in the Item group, click the Properties image.

The Classification Properties dialog box opens

  1. Enter the name and description you want to use for the classification.

  2. Click OK.

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Copy classifications

You can copy a classification (along with its attributes and attribute values) within the same classification folder. This can be useful when classifications share the same attributes—for example, the attributes age, sex and date of birth might be appropriate in a number of case classifications.

  1. In List View, select the classification you want to copy.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Copy.

Keyboard shortcut  To copy, press CTRL+C.

  1. In Navigation View, select the Classifications folder.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click the Paste image.

Keyboard shortcut  To paste, press CTRL+V

NOTE

  • You cannot copy a classification between the Source Classifications and Case Classifications folders.
  • If you want to copy a classification without the attribute values, use paste special (on the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click the arrow under Paste, and then click Paste Special).

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Merge classifications

If two classifications are very similar you may decide to merge them. For example, since they share similar attributes, you could merge the respondent case classification into the person case classification.

CAUTION  Merging source classifications can cause problems if you intend to export your bibliographical data to reference management tools such as EndNote or Zotero.

To merge classifications:

  1. In List View, select the classifications you want to merge into a destination classification.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Cut or Copy.

Keyboard shortcut  To copy, press CTRL+C

  1. Select the destination classification.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Merge and then click Merge Into Selected Classification.

The Merge Classifications Options dialog box opens.

  1. Select the check boxes for the required options:

  • Append attributes to add any attributes that do not exist in the destination classification.

  • Append attribute values for duplicate attributes, add any attribute values that do not already exist.

  • Reassign classified items to reassign sources or cases to the new destination classification.

NOTE

  • Attributes are considered to be duplicates when they have the same name and data type.

  • You can also merge existing classifications into a new classification—on the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Merge and then click Merge Into New classification.

  • You cannot merge source and case classifications together.

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Delete a classification

CAUTION  If you delete a classification that has been assigned to sources or cases in your project, the sources/cases are declassified and any attribute values you have set are lost. To see the sources or cases assigned to a classification, double-click the classification (the classification sheet opens in Detail View).

  1. Select the classification you want to delete.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Editing group, click Delete.

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Add attributes to a classification

  1. In Navigation View, click Classifications, and then click Source Classifications or Case Classifications.

  2. In List View, select the classification.

  3. On the Create tab, in the Classifications group, click Attribute.

The New Attribute dialog box opens

  1. Enter a name for the attribute—for example, age.

  2. (Optional) Enter a description.

  3. In the Type list, select the data type for the attribute values. For example, the attribute values for location are alphanumeric so the data type is text. Refer to Valid data types for more information.

  4. Click the Values tab, to add extra attribute values—by default there are only two attribute values (Unassigned and Not Applicable).  

  • Click Add to create a new attribute value

  • Use the Sort or the Move Up and Move Down buttons to change the order of attribute values—refer to Reorder Attribute Values for more information.

  • Select the Default check box, to automatically assign this value when you add a case or source to the classification.

  1. Click OK.

NOTE

  • The 'Unassigned' attribute value is used to indicate that the value of this attribute has not been assigned yet. This is the default value for the attribute, unless you select another attribute to be the default.

  • The 'Not Applicable' attribute value is used to indicate that the value is not applicable for the source or case that you are classifying.

  • Any attributes you add to a source classification cannot be exported to reference management  tools such as EndNote or Zotero.  If you intend to export bibliographical data, we recommend that you use only attributes provided by default in the predefined bibliographical classifications.

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Remove attributes from a classification

CAUTION Removing attributes could result in the loss of data if the attribute values have been assigned to the sources or cases in your project. To see if an attribute has been assigned to the sources or cases in your project, double-click to open the classification sheet.

  1. In List View, select the attributes you want to remove—click the show icon to see the attributes for a classification.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Editing group, click Delete.

  1. Click Yes to confirm.

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Reorder the attributes in a classification

You can move the attributes in a classification—the order you define is reflected in the classification sheet and in charts and other visualizations. To reorder attributes:

  1. In List View, expand the classification to display its attributes.

  2. Select the attribute you want to move.

  3. On the Layout tab, in the Rows & Columns group, click Move Up  or Move Down  .

Keyboard shortcut  To move up, CTRL+SHIFT+U, to move down CTRL+SHIFT+D

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Copy attributes between classifications

You can copy attributes between classifications. For example, create the attributes age and sex for the classification Teachers and copy them to the classification for Students.

  1. In List View, select the attributes you want to copy—click the show icon to see the attributes for a classification.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Copy.

Keyboard shortcut  To copy, press CTRL+C.

  1. Select the classification you want to copy into.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click the Paste image.

Keyboard shortcut  To paste, press CTRL+V

NOTE When you copy an attribute the attribute values, including the default settings, are also copied.

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Change the name or description of an attribute

  1. In List View select the attribute you want to edit—click the show icon to see the attributes for a classification.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Item group, click the Properties image.

The Attribute Properties dialog box opens

  1. Enter the new name and description for the attribute.

  2. Click OK.

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Change the data type of an attribute

The attribute values for an attribute have a specific data type. For example, values for the attribute location might be rural, urban, suburban—since these are text-based values, the attribute's data type is text.

NVivo provides the following data types: text, integer, decimal, date/time, date, time, boolean—for more information refer to Valid data types.

CAUTION  Attribute values that are not compatible with the new data type are removed. For example, if you change date/time to date, all time values are automatically removed—this could result in the loss of data if the attribute values have been assigned to the sources or cases in your project.

  1. In List View select the attribute you want to edit—click the show icon to see the attributes for a classification.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Item group, click the Properties image.

The Attribute Properties dialog box opens

  1. In the Type list, select the data type of the attribute values.

  2. Click OK.

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