Chatting with Your Data

MAXQDA Tailwind’s Chat enables you to interact with your project data using conversational AI. This page will guide you through using it effectively.

💬 Starting a Chat

Before you can start a chat, upload at least one document to your project’s Data menu item icon Data dashboard. Tailwind bases its responses on the documents you select.

To start a chat:

  • Navigate to the Chat section in the sidebar.
  • If it’s your first chat in a session, you’ll see the setup screen automatically. If a chat is already active, click + New Chat to start a separate conversation.
  • Select the documents you want to include. By default, Select All is enabled for a broad overview. Toggle it off to choose specific documents.
  • Click Apply to confirm your selection.
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Note: You cannot change the selected documents once a chat has started. To chat with different documents, start a new chat.

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Tip: Once you’ve started a chat, you can review included documents by clicking the blue info icon info icon below the chat name to see a drop-down list of document names.

✏️ Using the Chat

  1. Type your prompt in the message box (up to 2,000 characters).
  2. Click blue send button Send to begin.
    • The message box will be temporarily disabled while Tailwind generates a response.
    • To cancel a response in progress, click blue send button Stop.
  3. View the AI’s reply, which may include bullet points, tables, and referenced sources.
  4. Click on copy to clipboard icon Copy to Clipboard to copy a response for use elsewhere.

🔍 Navigating References

Tailwind responses often include interactive references, which appear as green numbers, to the source document(s). These help you quickly trace the AI’s insights back to the original source text. To navigate references:

  1. Hover over a green reference number in the AI’s reply to see which document it refers to (and if applicable, the paragraph number).
  2. Click on a document reference to open it in context.
  3. The “Document View” panel will slide open, showing:
    • AI Summary (top): Provides an overview of the document. Click any reference to see where that information comes from.
      • You can use the Copy Icon Copy to Clipboard icon to copy the entire summary.
    • Original Document (below): Automatically scrolls and highlights the matching text in green when you click a reference in the summary above, as seen in the image on the left.
  4. To close the “Document View,” click the Close Icon Close icon located in the panel’s upper right corner.

🧰 Managing Chats

Tailwind Chat History

  • Each chat saves automatically in the chat history in the sidebar, sorted by “Last updated.”
    • You can have up to 100 chats in your history. To start a new one after reaching the limit, delete an older chat.
  • Use the search icon search bar to quickly find past chats.
  • Reopen chats to continue conversations, provided the original documents are still available.
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Note: If a chat is missing its original documents, it will become read-only.

Renaming a Chat

  • Click on the chat title to enter edit mode, as shown:
  • Type the new name.
  • Click checkmark icon Done to save or red cross icon Cancel to discard changes.

Exporting a Chat

To export a chat as a PDF, open the chat you wish to export, then click the Export button. Tailwind will generate a PDF of your conversation for download or print.

Deleting a Chat

To delete a chat, hover over its name in the chat history panel and click red cross icon Delete, then confirm.

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Please note that you can only delete chats via the chat history panel.

📌 Additional Notes

  • If your chat gets too long, you’ll be asked to start a new one.
  • If you return during the same session, your most recent chat will still be open and can be continued.
  • Sent messages cannot be edited.
  • Tailwind analyzes text only. Image data is removed when you import data.
  • Tailwind cannot create visualizations or images.

⚡ Best Practices to Maximize Your AI Chat Experience

  • Start a new chat when switching topics to avoid earlier conversations influencing responses. For example, if you’ve been discussing a company’s business strategy and want to ask about marketing techniques, it’s best to start fresh.
  • When relevant, specify your preferred output format or style. For instance, “bullet points” or “two sentences.”
  • Break down complex tasks into a series of simpler prompts.
  • Use clear, concise, and precise language whenever possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Are Tailwind’s chat responses accurate?
    • Generally, the chat provides accurate responses across a range of scenarios. However, it’s essential to verify the information, including checking any provided references, to ensure its reliability.
  2. Are references to the original text accurate?
    • References usually correspond to the relevant parts of the text. However, they may occasionally point to adjacent or incorrect sections, so it’s important to double-check them.
  3. Which languages does the chat support?
    • Tailwind supports most widely spoken languages. The language of the analyzed text may differ from the one used in the conversation. For example, you can ask questions in Spanish about a document written in English. The response will typically be in your query language, though English may be used for less common languages.
  4. Does the chat always give the same answer to the same question?
    • Tailwind’s responses may vary slightly. If you restart the chat and ask the same question, the answer will usually be similar in content, but the wording may differ.

Further Considerations and Usage Guidelines

  • When analyzing sensitive content (e.g., violence, hate speech, or bullying), Tailwind may decline to respond.
  • If the chat says your request doesn’t match the document content, try rephrasing it.
  • Response times can vary depending on server load and request volume.
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