Download these notes as a Word document: N6_setup.rtf
· Headers
- are indicated by an asterisk at the start of each line occurring before the first line without an asterisk
- cannot be searched or coded
- store reference information e.g. info about the subject and circumstances of the interviewee, source of the document, etc. You may wish to add who did the interview, and later, who did the coding.
· Subheaders and Sections
- subheaders divide documents into sections
- subheaders are indicated by an asterisk at the beginning of the line
- include information wanted with each retrieval in the subheaders, e.g. speaker name, question number, specific context
- use subheaders as means of automatic coding for sections of text – include keywords within them that can be picked up by text search
· Text units
- are the smallest unit of analysis
- are indicated to N6 by hard returns
- use paragraphs for documents with mostly short, single focus responses or units of text
- use lines if responses tend to be long and multi-focused
- use sentences where these are clearly marked by appropriate punctuation.
Because your documents have to be saved in text file format, you will need to use other techniques to show emphasis etc. Some ideas are outlined:
· to indicate emphasis, use CAPITALS, or _underscores_ or *asterisks*
· to include contextual statements (such as when granny walks in in the middle of the interview about caring for her), insert the statement with some marker on either side, such as (context), or <<context>>.
· you may wish to include your ((personal reflections)) in the text of the document to be coded ((at the time, this seemed to be a good idea))
Careful editing of documents before they are imported is important:
· editing may need to include removal of identifying information
· use templates for typing data from structured interviews/questionnaires
· use 'search and replace' to correct formatting for speaker names, etc.
· Note: there is no spell check in N6!
Documents recording unstructured or semi-structured interview:
*JUDITH: SOCIAL SCIENCE, BEGINNING RESEARCHER
*TELEPHONE INTERVIEW BY PAT on 1/6/93
*JUDITH
But it's exciting. I think the main part I play in all of
these is to put stuff on the computer and churn it
out in different ways so that the whole team can
then interpret it and they'll say, "Well, what if we
looked at it this way," and then I go back and throw
it around a bit more and bring back ...
*PAT
And so you have a significant role to play within
the team?
*JUDITH
Yes, - so they keep telling me. (both laugh) No - I
never see what I do as significant - I suppose that's a
self esteem thing, I don't know, but ... It's intense. I
design the forms originally. I usually put the drafts
together and then we go back to the team because it
is all collaborative - what's been going on thus far
and we all contribute our own little bit of expertise.
*PAT
You each had a quite distinct bit that you could
contribute
*JUDITH
And that's obviously what makes the team work so
well, because we do work well together. We
* ABC Industries, Melbourne
* 24 Feb, 1997: a week after no-smoking rule imposed.
* Open-ended interview re smokefree workplace: interviewer Julie.
* "Sue", senior secretary, non-smoker.
*Q.1: CAN YOU TELL ME HOW PEOPLE RESPONDED DURING THE WEEK?
Well it's been a bit of a non-event for the office. Not like there was
nothing else to talk about. The smokers did a bit of grandstanding
when they were going outside there, and the non-smokers did a bit of
quiet rejoicing once they were out, at how nice it was, but it went
much more smoothly than I expected.
*Q.2: HAS IT MADE ANY DIFFERENCE FOR YOU PERSONALLY?
Wow! I just felt like it was a whole new start, but I didn't say that
to anyone here. Funny that. It shouldn't have beens uch a big deal,
because it's not that I went home every night complaining: it's more
like a background niggle has gone. We weren't a very heavy smoking
office anyway, if we were I wouldn't have stayed. I really can't stand
N6 works with text files which can be created in any word processor. Text files do not retain formatting such as font types (e.g. Times New Roman) or styles (e.g. bold, underline). N6 reads paragraph breaks as markers for the end of text units, the smallest unit of analysis allowed for text. If the paragraphs are long and discursive, it is often more appropriate to choose a shorter unit of analysis, such as a sentence or a line. N5/N6 will format your plain text document with lines, sentences or paragraphs as text units on import, depending on the option you have selected (Project menu > Preferences > Text Unit Type).
¨ To save files in plain text
Þ Insert subheadings etc in the text where appropriate.
Þ From the File menu, choose 'Save As'
Þ Ensure you are located in your desired directory, and provide a name for the document.
Þ In the 'Save file as type' slot, scroll and select 'Text Only' (Word) or 'Generic word processor' (WordPerfect).
Þ Click on 'Save'.
Þ Close your file: Do not re-save it if prompted. (If you do make further changes, ensure that it continues to be saved as a text only file.)
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