Outline of Nvivo workspace with three different views

In the preceding article, we discussed the uses of Nvivo and how to open it. In this article, the aim is to understand the Nvivo workspace outline and its key elements. Such an understanding will enable analysts to import data and process large datasets in a convenient way. In addition, Nvivo comprises three separate windows with the ‘ribbon’ below containing additional tools. The ribbon represents the Quick Access toolbar (just like MS Excel).

The Ribbon (toolbar) in the Nvivo workspace

The ribbon enables access to various commands required to manage and analyse data. Quick toolbar access, known as Ribbon of Nvivo, looks like represented in the above figure. Further, what each of these parameters signifies is also given in the below figure.

• File option in the ribbon will allow us to open an existing project or create a new project. Also, the file option will lead to options like copy projects, print projects, Help and other options.
• Home provides options of “Go”, “Refresh”, “Properties of document” and “Edit”. Tab Go will redirect to the “Sources”, “Nodes”, “Classification”, Collection, Queries. Similarly, the “Folder Properties” option allows filling the information about the folder such as name, description, item and date (figure 3). Furthermore, “Option Edit” allows to edit the documents imported to Nvivo as a transcript.
• External Data allows for commands relating to the activity to perform.
• Analyze has options for analyzing the data.
• Query indicates the queries that have assembled while working on the project.
• Explore helps to explore the different ways for the exploration of data.

Using the main menu in the Nvivo workspace

The workspace of Nvivo consists of a ‘main menu’ given in the lower-left corner of the screen (zoomed in below figure).

The main menu of Nvivo contains Sources, Nodes, Classifications, Collections, and Queries, Reports, Model and folders.

• Source is a menu to save all research materials including interviews, surveys, pictures, audios and any other type of files.
• Nodes contain the theme of the research or the analytical framework user can use for research.
• Classification is used for classifying details about responses. For example, demographic attributes of research participants.
• Collection offers different ways to organize material.

For example; you can gather different sources or Nodes at one folder. The Annotation tab allows to determining all the commons, reminders and observations about your content.

• Queries tab allows saving queries with Nvivo.

Apart from the Main menu and ribbon, Nvivo contains the Sources window, Internals window and Details window, respectively.

Three different views of the Nvivo window

Nvivo workspace is divided between three main windows namely:

1. Navigation View,
2. List View
3. and Detail View.

Each view has been discussed below separately.

Navigation view of Nvivo

The Sources window also acts as a Navigation view and looks like the figure above. The Navigation view displays the folders and subfolders related to the data imported. For instance, the navigation of Sources (from the main menu) is represented in the figure below (encircled red).

List view of Nvivo

List View displays the list of documents stored in a particular folder. For instance, after clicking on the “Internals” folder within “Sources“, the list of documents contained therein will open (figure 9).

Detail view of Nvivo

The detail view is the extension of the Internal window. It is represented in the figure above. The detail view will open while selecting one of the interview documents and double click on the same. For example, if you select interview transcripts of Dorothy, Dorothy’s document will appear on the right-hand side of the window (see figure below).

 The ‘robustness’ of analysis depends upon the accuracy of the data inserted in the software. In the next article, we will explain the specific designing or formatting of data to fit the requirement of NVivo and generate desired nodes and representations.