A: First steps in MAXQDA

1. Starting MAXQDA

As with all Windows programs you can start MAXQDA by double-clicking on the program icon. The MAXQDA –logo will appear briefly and then you will see the following start-up screen.

MAXQDA will now ask you if you would like to create a new project or open an existing one. So, what exactly does Project mean? A project is the basic unit in MAXQDA just like a DOC-file represents the work unit in word.

You can enter your user name in the empty field of the dialog box. If you are working on a project with multiple persons it is useful to credit the user in order to document who wrote a certain memo or created which codings. The different registered users will be saved by MAXQDA, accessible through a list at the top of the window.

Now select that you would like to create and open a new project and confirm by clicking OK. A Windows File browser Window will appear wherein you will enter a file name, e.g. “Test project”, and choose (in the “Save” column) the folder where you would like to save the project (see Screenshot).   

ATTENTION: All files of a project are saved into a single file. Project files are easy to trace by the “.mx3” extension. Therefore the entire data capture can be conducted via the Backup of the project file!

From the moment you start the program, MAXQDA will save every single step automatically. Therefore constant backup saving, as in WORD, is not necessary. It is still recommended that you secure your project from time to time with the function “Backup Project” (in the project menu). It makes sense to keep the project name and add the given date (e.g. “Myproject_12-20-06”). This way you are always able to access earlier stages of your project.

Additional MAXQDA projects can be created by selecting Project > New Project in the taskbar. You can create an infinite number of projects.

MAXQDA 1 and MAXQDA 2 projects can be selected if you change file type in your dialog box according to the version of your old project. These projects will then automatically be converted into the new file format and saved as a MX3 file. 

What belongs to a project?
A project consists of text groups, texts, codes, codings, memos, attributes, text links, and many more. Technically speaking a project is administered as a single file (file extension .mx3).

 

2. The Desktop and windows in MAXQDA

As soon as you have clicked save in the windows file dialog MAXQDA will open the new project “Test project” which, of course, holds no data. At the same time the window “Tip of the Day” will appear which gives you useful information about the program.

Take a look at the MAXQDA-screen. You will notice that it is constructed just like the Windows programs you are used to. Similar to the Microsoft Office programs the file name of the current project can be found in the title bar.

Beneath the menu bar is a toolbar, allowing quick access to the frequently used program functions. To the right of the toolbar you will find the code bar, offering you different functions for coding and editing the current text. All three toolbars can be dragged and moved; just as it is common practice with Windows programs.



Underneath the toolbar you will recognize the four main windows of MAXQDA. All four of them can be faded in or out, either through the “Windows” menu or the toolbar. Furthermore you can scale all windows by dragging the window corners.

The four main windows have the following functions:

  • The Document System Window (top left) creates an overview of all the texts in your project. Your entire text material is collected here and can be sorted into multiple text groups

  • The Code System Window (bottom left) consists of the category system with the created codes and sub codes, as well as the number of administered codings and the color of the codes

  • In the Text Browser Window (top right) one text from the Document System appears and can be edited, which means that you can mark text segments, attach codes or create memos.

  • The Retrieved Segments Window (bottom right) allows you to look at a selection of coded text segments (text retrieval).

GENERAL INFORMATION: All windows grant you direct access onto the management functions: simply right-click onto the icon or directly into the grey (blank) sections.

Beneath the menu bar is a bar with quick buttons which allow you to access frequently used program functions.

 

3. Simple text import

With MAXQDA you can enter new texts, copy texts over the windows clipboard, or import texts as a file. In most cases you will want to import an existing text file. MAXQDA will import text files only when they were saved in Rich Text-Format (*.rtf). Texts can contain all sorts of objects, e.g. word charts, pictures, graphics, or others…

If you would like to import a normal word file (doc), convert it into the Rtf-format first. To do this simply select “Rich Text Format (*.rtf)” when saving the file in word.

Attention: When importing a text file into MAXQDA make sure that it is not open in another program (e.g. Word)!

To import texts into MAXQDA is intuitive and easy: simply drag as many RTF texts as you like from the Windows-Explorer and drop them into the Document System Window. Alternatively you can also right-click the “Root” of the Document System, which is the writing “Text Groups”, and select “Import Text(s)” from the emerging pop-up menu. The following file dialog allows you to select the text of your choice – strikingly similar to opening a file in word.

By moving the mouse onto the name of a text you will see a tool tip which gives you information about the size of the text, the author (the user that imported the text), and the date of the import.

Much more than this dragging is not necessary in order to start the analysis. Oftentimes – just with the drive on your computer – it is preferable, however, to give things a certain structure and appoint the texts to different folders. In MAXQDA these folders are called “Text Groups”.

4. Creating a text group

In principle, text groups function like folders in Windows Explorer. To create a new text group, right click “Texts“ in the Document System Window and select “New Text Group”.  MAXQDA will always suggest a name: first Group 1, then Group 2, Group 3, etc. You can accept this suggestion or, even better; choose a more meaningful name (see screenshot). For this tutorial you should call your first text group “Interviews Students”.

It is possible to rename your text groups at any time by right-clicking on an existing text group and selecting the option “Rename Text Group“. There is no restriction on the number of text groups in MAXQDA.

 


5. Opening a text for editing

In order to look at or edit a text, it has to be loaded into the Text-Browser Window first. There are two possibilities to do so:

  • Either you double-click the name of the text in the Document System Window or

  • you right-click the name of the text and select the option “Open Text“ from the context menu.

The opened text will be signified by a specific symbol (horizontal pen) in the Document System Window.

After opening the text will be loaded into the Text-Browser Window. Appearing in the title bar behind the word “Text” will be the name of the text group and the current text. Immediately in front of the text will be a column with the paragraph numbering.

RTF-texts arrange themselves into a certain number of paragraphs. A paragraph equals a paragraph in word, meaning that every paragraph ends by pressing Return. Therefore a paragraph represents the text in between two bookmarks, which becomes visible if you choose “show Bookmarks” in the Word menu Tools > Options.

In front of the paragraph numbering column you will see a light-greyish column that is, for now, empty. Later on this column will signify the existence of text memos. There is another empty, grey column that will later serve to visualize codings. This column can also be shifted to the right or left of the text by means of dragging it with the left mouse button.

 
 

6. Inserting texts into text groups

In the aforementioned step you have created a text group; now you will be able to insert texts into this text group. To do this right-click the concerned text group (“Interviews Students” in our example) and select the command insert texts from the menu. You will find the sample texts in the program folder “MAXQDA2007/Examples/Ger”. Now import all four interviews.

After importing you can open each text by simply double-clicking on it. The text will now be available in the text browser and can be edited. The following should be considered when importing RTF-files:

  • Text formatting, such as bold or italics, is imported.

  • Text fonts and font size are imported.

  • Paragraph formatting such as right and left indentation is imported.

  • MAXQDA will, however, import objects like pictures and graphics if this option has been selected in the Options menu (Projects > Options).

  • MAXQDA is now able to import Word tables without a problem.

Although the improved RTF handling capabilities of MAXQDA enable the user to import graphics in JPG and GIF format, this capability should be used with some care. MAXQDA converts these graphics into bitmaps, and since these formats are highly compressed, when converted they may be quite large. Thus, you should only import graphics that are necessary. MAXQDA is not a picture archiving program – a single photograph from a modern digital camera can contain a few megabytes, and including such pictures can slow down the program significantly.

Tip 1:
Every text can be edited in MAXQDA by opening the concerned text and pressing the EDIT-Mode on/off-symbol in the coding toolbar (the icon with the capital “A” ). Then you can change, edit, or add to your text.

Tip 2:
It is possible to import other texts or text-segments (e.g. PDF, PowerPoint, Internet pages, etc.) by using the clipboard (copy and paste), when the EDIT MODE is on.

 

7. Transcribing/writing text directly into MAXQDA2007

It is also possible to create a new text in MAXQDA, either by writing or transcribing (therefor you need the costfree transcription tool f4 from audiotranscription.de) directly into the Text Browser or via copy and paste from a different source (Internet, Word, Wordstat, Excel, etc.).

In order to enter a new text an empty text has to be inserted into the Document System first. Right-click on the text group of your choice (or the root of the Document System) and select the option Create Text. This creates a new text with the name “Text n” (“n” represents a continuous number in the Document System). In MAXQDA there are two modes for text-editing available:

  • the Code Mode allows you to attach codes to selected text passages, and to write memos and attach them to text lines

  • the Edit Mode allows you to edit the text, add or delete text, correct mistakes, and mark text passages

The Code Mode is active by default when a text is opened in the Document System. Click the Edit Mode Button, as shown in the screenshot, to switch to Edit Mode. When working in Edit Mode you will be familiar with many features from Word: you can choose the font type, size, and color, as well as formatting characteristics such as bold, italics, or underline.

Open the inserted, empty text via double-click and press the Edit Mode Button. You can now start entering your text.

When you switch back to Code Mode the modified text will be saved automatically. The same happens when another text is opened in the Document System. You can tell if you are in Code or Edit Mode by looking at the window bar: the Code Mode shows you a quick list of the last used codes while the Edit Mode gives you a list of the available fonts.

 

While editing your text in Edit Mode you can nullify your changes with the Undo or the Undo all function; however, only as long as you remain in the Edit Mode. As soon as you leave the Edit Mode MAXQDA will save the edited text. It is recommended that you do not code in Edit Mode but rather use it exclusively for the editing of texts and change back to Code Mode when you are done.

If you would like to transcribe an interview which is digital or which you would like to digitalize, it is possible to transcribe directly into MAXQDA using the free transcription software f4 and a foot switch which allows you to control the sound file with your foot – very comfortable and time-efficient.

Tip 2:
A new text can be created with the shortcut „CTRL+T“. This shortcut creates a new text at the top position of the Document System and simultaneously opens it in the Text Browser, enabling the Edit Mode, so that you can immediately start writing or importing. Of course, you can move this newly created text to any place in your document system (even into another text group).

 

8. Texts or objects from the Clipboard

Text passages from PDF, PowerPoint, Word, etc. can be inserted into MAXQDA via the clipboard (Copy & Paste) as well as with Drag & Drop.

In order to do so it is mandatory to open a text (empty or existing text) into which you would like to import the passage and go into the Edit mode. Now select the text segment or the object (e.g. audio file in Windows Explorer or text from the Internet) and copy it into the clipboard by pressing CTRL+C. It is now possible for you to import the text into the Text Browser Window of MAXQDA by pressing CTRL+V.

An even easier alternative is Drag & Drop: select the text segment of your choice and drag it, by pushing down the left mouse button, into the MAXQDA window.

IMPORTANT: Consider that audio- and graphic-files could enlarge your project considerately. You should always consider the possibility of using external links.

External links can easily be integrated into existing texts. Mark the location where the link is supposed to be inserted (e.g. a word), right-click and select the option “Insert External Link” from the context menu. Now you just have to select the concerned file from the windows file dialog.
Tip:

To import internet pages with graphics and images copy them to Word first and save them in Rich Text-Format (*.rtf) or select the text segments of your choice and copy them to the clipboard. Now, as usual, you can import the text into MAXQDA or paste it from the clipboard. Due to the fact that a lot of web pages consist of very large and complicated tables, many programs fail to give an adequate image of them after importing. This is also true for MAXQDA.
   

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