Statistical & Qualitative Data Analysis Software: About NVivo

What is NVivo?

NVivo is a software program used for qualitative and mixed-methods research. Specifically, it is used for the analysis of unstructured text, audio, video, and image data, including (but not limited to) interviews, focus groups, surveys, social media, and journal articles. It is produced by Lumivero (formerly QSR International). It is available for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems.

Why use NVivo?

• Organize and analyze text, audio, video, or image data through the process of qualitative coding.
• Output a project's codes as a codebook in Word or Excel format for easy sharing.
• Playback ability for audio and video files, so that interviews can be transcribed in NVivo.
• Import citations from EndNote, Mendeley, Zotero, Citavi, or other bibliographic management software.
• Perform simple text analysis queries (such as text search or word frequencies) for text data in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, or Simplified Chinese.
• New in NVivo 15: New "AI Assistant" feature leverages generative AI to summarize text or documents and suggest child codes.
  • As of this writing, you can try AI Assistant for free, with a limited number of uses (source: Lumivero AI Assistant Subscription documentation). If you reach the free use limit and wish to continue using the AI Assistant features, you can purchase an annual subscription to AI Assistant through Lumivero as an add-on. (You do not need to subscribe to AI Assistant in order to continue using NVivo 15; you only need to subscribe if you want continued access to its generative AI features.)
  • Kent State's licenses for NVivo do not include the AI Assistant add-on subscription.

What file types are associated with NVivo?

• *.nvp - An NVivo for Windows project file.
• *.nvpx - An NVivo for Mac project file.
• *.qpdx - An open, inter-operable file format for qualitative data analysis software that conforms to the REFI-QDA Standard. Beginning with NVivo 12, it is possible to convert an NVivo project to the *.qpdx format so that it can be ported to other qualitative data analysis software. (Some content in NVivo projects cannot be preserved when converted to *.qpdx format; see the NVivo documentation on the REFI-QDA Standard for limitations.)

What version of NVivo does Kent State currently use?

As of January 2025, Kent State has Windows and Mac licenses for the two most recent versions of NVivo: NVivo 15 and NVivo 14.

If you are not sure which version you should use, we recommend:

• If you already have NVivo 14 installed and are debating whether to install NVivo 15:
  • The main difference between NVivo 14 and 15 is the addition of new AI Assist features. If you are already using NVivo 14 and do not want to use or try out the new AI Assist features, you do not need to update to NVivo 15.
• Use the most recent version of NVivo (NVivo 15) if you are:
  • Using NVivo for the first time
  • Starting a new project in NVivo
  • Collaborating with colleagues who are already using NVivo 15
• Use an older version of NVivo (NVivo 14 or NVivo R1) if you are:
  • Collaborating with colleagues who are using an older version of NVivo and cannot upgrade
  • Have an existing project file that cannot be converted to one of the newer versions
  • Need to maintain the version of an NVivo project in the older format

Is there a way to try NVivo for free?

At this time, Lumivero offers free 14 day trials of NVivo, which you can download from their website. To download the installer for NVivo, you must create a myNVivo account on the Lumivero website.

Kent State University has a limited-seat license for NVivo for Windows and NVivo for Mac. All currently-employed faculty and staff, as well as currently-enrolled graduate students are eligible to request a license at no charge through the software.kent.edu portal. Additionally, undergraduate students who need NVivo for a formal research project or for work as a Kent State research assistant should have their faculty advisor contact software@kent.edu to request a license on their behalf.

University-Owned Computers

Faculty and staff can request a license for NVivo on their university-owned computers, or renew their license for those programs, from software.kent.edu.

Personally-Owned Computers

Faculty/Staff and Currently enrolled students

You may request a license (for first-time users) or renew your license (for continuing users) through software.kent.edu.

For more information, contact Information Technology at software@kent.edu.

General Reference

NVivo Tips

Tiny screen? Undock open source and node panes for ease of reading

In NVivo for Windows, you can "undock" the views of open sources, nodes, queries, or other project items by right-clicking on the item's tab and selecting Undock. This will open the item in its own viewer window. This is particularly useful if you have dual monitors: you can open a data source on one monitor, and have the node view on the other.

Choosing between Word or PDF formats? Microsoft Word documents and plain text files are easier to code in NVivo than PDFs

In general, it is easier to code plain text and Word documents in NVivo than it is to code PDFs. If you have a choice between the two formats and your analysis only requires the text, choose plain text.

Headers, footers, and page numbers in Microsoft Word documents are hidden when viewing the file in NVivo

If your Word source document has headers, footers, and page numbers, they will be hidden when the document is imported into NVivo. This makes it easier to code long passages of text. This is NOT true of PDFs: headers, footers, and page numbers can not be ignored, and can interfere with coding sentences or paragraphs that carry over a page.

Need line numbers? Save your source as a PDF

If you have a Microsoft Word document with line numbers, those line numbers will not be visible after the file is imported into NVivo. If you wish to be able to see the line numbers while coding the file in NVivo, save the Word document as a PDF, and import that PDF into NVivo.

To avoid corrupting your NVivo project files, do not store them on a network drive, external hard drive, or cloud-synced directory

Because of how NVivo saves project data, it is generally not recommended to keep your NVivo project file (*.nvp or *.nvpx) on a network drive, on a folder that is synced to the cloud, or on an external hard drive or USB drive. If your connection to a network drive or external drive is severed at any time while your NVivo project is still open, the file will become corrupted.

• If you want to keep your NVivo project file on a network drive, change the "Update projects on networks drives" setting to On save.
• If you are keeping your project file in a folder that is synced to a cloud storage service (such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, etc.), it is recommended to pause syncing while you have the project open.

Digitizing Documents, Audio Recordings, and Video Recordings

The Student Multimedia Studio, located on the first floor of University Library, has hardware and software for converting VHS and audio cassette tapes into digital formats. There are also flatbed scanners and document cameras that can be used for scanning oversized papers and objects.

• Audio and video digitization equipment
• Document/object digitization equipment

Highlights of QDA Software Packages

NVivo

NVivo has a mixture of qualitative and quantitative analysis features: in particular, it can compute inter-coder reliability and use cluster analysis to examine text or coding similarities.

• User interface and text analysis capabilities available for English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese, and Chinese Simplified
• Integration with Evernote: import anything from an Evernote notebook (including OCR'd text, clipped websites, and recordings made using the mobile apps) into an NVivo project for analysis
• Easy, code-free web scraping of social media data from Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube using the NCapture browser plugin for Google Chrome and Internet Explorer

Unlike MAXQDA and Atlas.ti, NVivo does not have a dedicated mobile app; however, NVivo's ability to import from Evernote can act as a substitute.

Atlas.ti

• User interface available in English, Spanish, and German
• Integrates all functionality of Google Earth
• Export project data in XML format: projects are fully portable
• Free dedicated companion apps for iOS and Android devices: useful if using tablet or mobile device to collect data in the field
  • Note: It is not possible to work on an existing Atlas.ti desktop project in the Atlas.ti mobile app

MAXQDA and MAXQDAplus

• User interface and text analysis capabilities available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Russian, Turkish, Thai, Polish, and Czech
• Free dedicated companion apps for iOS and Android devices (MAXApp): can code and add content from your mobile device; integrates with Dropbox so work can be transferred from the mobile application to the desktop program
  • Note: It is not possible to work on an existing MAXQDA desktop project in MAXApp
• Free MAXReader application allows others to open and read MAXQDA projects, even if they do not have MAXQDA
• MAXQDAplus contains quantitative content analysis tools (MAXDictio)

Dedoose

• Cloud-based - work on your project from any computer connected to the internet, regardless of operating system
• Easy to collaborate
  • Multiple users can work on the same project simultaneously
  • Browser-based service: teams with Mac and Windows users do not have to worry about cross-compatibility
• Subscription-based service

Limitations of Modern QDA Software

• Lack of support for languages with right-to-left scripts: While most of the major QDA software packages have Unicode character support (which allows the programs to correctly display non-English character sets), many of them have difficulty parsing right-to-left languages such as Arabic. Characters will display correctly, but the word order may not be correct.