Importing Coded Documents and Variables from XLS

[psprof]

Dear All,

I have some excel spreadsheets that were coded by multiple coders. Each spreadsheet contains information such as the following:
ID, TEXT, Code1, Code2, Code3...

I am wondering if it is possible to import this into MAXQDA while maintaining all the information and the fact that different coders coded the data.
Right now, different coders are saved in different excel files, but I am wondering what the best format would be to import the information into MAXQDA. There are two formats that come to mind that might work, but I am looking for those who might have had experience with this to help.
Option 1:
ID, TEXT, CoderName, Code1, Code2, Code3 ...
(CoderName would represent the person who coded the data)

Option 2:
ID, TEXT, Code1-Coder1, Code2-Coder1, Code3-Coder1, Code1-Coder2, Code2-Coder2, ...
(Here we place each coder next to the other coder.

Which of these formats is most appropriate? And How can I import this information into MAXQDA without losing any of the information about who coded the data and what they coded it. Thank you for your assistance.

[Stefan Rädiker]

Hi,

for most work in MAXQDA option 1 seems to be a good solution. Option 2 could be problematic for more than 3 codes and 3 coders, because this will grow up the code system very fast, which makes a problem for activating codes for the analysis. We suggest to import the information on who coded a text at three different places the same time:
1. as a variable
2. in the text itself
3. in document groups with the coders names

To do so, please "design" your XLS table with the following headings:

document group (contains the coders names), document name (contains the ID of the text), CoderName (contains the name of the coder), Code1 (contains the text, which will be precoded with Code1), Code2, ..., $CoderName (contains the same name of the coder, but leads MAXQDA to create a variable for each document with the coders name)

After importing you can create additional Subcodes for CoderName with "CoderName1", "CoderName2," and so on.
Now you perform a Lexical Search for "CoderName1" and autocode the search results and X of the following paragraphs. This will code each whole text with the CodersName and will allow you to search for overlapping coded segments.

Could you please give some additional information why you want to have the coders name in MAXQDA?
Perhaps we have additional hints on importing the data if we know the purpose.

Best regards,
Stefan

[psprof]

Thank you very much for your reply.

I guess what I am wondering is how I can import two sets of documents as though they were coded in MaxQDA. This way, I could take advantage of all the features of MaxQDA including the intercoder reliability calculator.

I read somewhere that it would be best to perhaps use the Teamwork system of exporting and importing. If this were the case, how would I format the excel sheet? Should I use different excel sheets for each coder in that case?

I appreciate your assistance.