Importing data via the Import tab 

The Import tab provides numerous functions for importing different data types. When you create a new project, the tab is automatically opened so that you can start importing data directly:

How to import standard data such as texts, PDF documents, tables, images or audio / video files:

1. Go to the Import tab and click on the appropriate icon for your data type on the left, e.g. Transcripts to import interview transcripts and Texts, PDFs, Tables to import Word files, PDF documents or Excel files.
2. A dialog window will appear, in which you can select the files to be imported. Press Ctrl (Windows) or cmd (Mac) to select multiple files at the same time.

After making your selection, the files are inserted into the open MAXQDA project and displayed in the "Document System" window. The following image shows that seven texts ("Kim", "George", etc.) have been added.

By default, all inserted texts, PDF documents, tables and images are saved in the project file. This means that you can modify or delete the source file with no effect on the file in the project. Conversely, if you make changes to a file in MAXQDA, e.g. improving typing errors, without changing the source file. Exceptions are audio and video files, they are not stored in the project because of their size but in a special folder for external files. The same applies to PDF documents and images that exceed an adjustable file size. For more information, see "External Files".

When inserted, MAXQDA takes the filename as a document name, it can be modified later, avoiding duplication. Depending on the type of document, the documents are given different symbols.

Ordering the documents in document groups 

Once you’ve imported your documents you’re ready to start your analysis. Most people don’t start with the analysis immediately, though, and prefer to organize the documents in folders, as they might do on their computer’s hard drive. Rather than using folders, MAXQDA uses document groups. They work just like folders do on your computer – you can name them and drag documents into them.

There are two ways to create a new document group:

• Click the New Document Group icon in the "Document System" toolbar.
• Right-click on the root folder in the “Document System“ and select New Document Group from the context menu.

MAXQDA then creates a new document group at the current position and automatically assigns a name and number. To give the document group a meaningful name, click on it with the right mouse button and select Rename. Alternatively, click the name once with the mouse button to select the line, and then click the name again.

Suitable names for document groups are e.g. the data types (individual interviews, group discussions, document analyses, etc.) or differentiation criteria resulting from the sampling (first survey wave, second survey wave, ecclesiastical organizations, public-law organizations, etc.).

You can change the order of the document groups at any time using drag-and-drop. In addition, the assignment of documents to document groups can be changed at any time by clicking on the document symbol in the "Document System" with the mouse and, holding down the left mouse button, moving it to where you want to assign the document. You do not have to specify the document group to which it is to be assigned when importing the document.

Moving and sorting documents

Moving individual documents

You can arrange the order of the documents in the "Document System". Just click and drag the document to the desired position.

Moving multiple documents

You can select multiple separate documents by holding down the Alt key (Windows) or option key ⌥ (Mac) and then move this selection while holding down the mouse button. To select a range of documents, first click on one document and then click on a second document while holding down the Shift key ⇧. This then selects all the documents between these clicked documents.

Moving multiple documents by activating them

To move multiple documents at once, first activate these documents by, for example, holding down the Ctrl key (Windows) or the cmd key (Mac) and then clicking on them. Now click on a document group with the right mouse button and select Move Activated Documents Here.

Sorting documents

To sort the documents in a document group, choose Sort Documents from the context menu of the document group and then the required sorting order in the drop-down menu. Sort criteria include Document Name, Last Edit, and Text Length (only text, table, and PDF documents are taken into account).

To sort document groups by their names, right-click on the root folder of the documents, and choose Sort in Ascending Order to sort them from A - Z or Sort in Descending Order for the reverse order.

More data import options

You can import documents not only from Import tab but also through several other functions:

• Click the Import Documents icon on the toolbar of the "Document System".
• Or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+D (Windows) or cmd+D (Mac).
• Or click on the root folder in the "Document System" with the right mouse button and select Import Documents.
• Or, right-click the document group to which the document is to be assigned. From the context menu, choose Import Documents.

As described above, a dialog window opens in which you can select which file to import.

Importing documents via drag and drop

Files can be imported via drag and drop: Select one or several documents in the Windows Explorer or Mac Finder and simply drag the documents into the "Document System" with the mouse. Then drop the documents in the desired position.

Document sets

MAXQDA makes it possible for you to create and save a temporary grouping of documents. While each document can only be in one document group, it can be in as many document sets as you wish, because document sets are only made up of shortcuts to the documents. In other words, a document set can be deleted without it having any effect on the document. If that same document were deleted from a document group, however, it would be deleted from the project along with all of its memos, coded segments, links, etc.

Document sets can be created via activation. You can activate a document by right-clicking on it and selecting Activate from the context menu. You can see that a document has been activated, because it turns red and a red arrow appears just to the left of the document symbol.

After activating all the documents that you want to create a set out of, you can create that set as follows:

1. Right-click on the word Sets at the bottom of the “Document System”.
2. Select New set.

MAXQDA then creates a new set with the name “Set 1” and adds all activated documents to this set. You can click on the name with the right mouse button and choose another that is more appropriate. Document sets are manipulated like document groups; you can activate all the documents in a document set at the same time and use all the options for working with document groups (Codes, Memos, Variables, Links, etc.).

Modifying document sets at a later stage

Individual documents can be deleted from a document set: Right-click on a set and select Remove document from set. Or drag and drop documents to move them from set to set.

Document sets are very practical when you want to analyze a certain selection of documents. Forming a document set is also an easy way to save the result of a complex variable activation process.

Document variables generated automatically during the import process

Each document contains a data record of variables (“document variables”). When you import a document, a record is simultaneously generated – much like during your first visit to a new doctor. If at the time of import a data record containing variables is generated, firstly only certain internal MAXQDA variables will be saved.

You would like to know which variables? Then click on Variables ("System Fields") in the context menu of the document to see these internal variables. MAXQDA will display the number of coded segments and memos available for this document in the columns Coded Segments and Memos.

Some information will appear at the cursor if you hover the mouse over a document name in the "Document System" window and wait a moment.