Compound Queries

To combine a text search and coding query you can create a Compound Query. This query enables you to search for specified text in or near coded content.

To define the criteria for a compound query:

  1. On the Main toolbar, click the New button:

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  1. Click the Compound Query in This Folder option.

The Compound Coding Query dialog box is displayed.

  1. To define the first part of the query, select the query type from the Subquery 1 drop-down list.

  2. Click the Criteria button and enter the required options. The available criteria depends on the type of query you have selected.

Refer to Text Search Queries, Simple Coding Queries and Advanced Coding Queries for information about defining the relevant criteria.

  1. Click OK.

  2. From the NEAR Content drop-down list, select the required operator

    Operator

    Description

     

    AND

     

    OR

    AND NOT

    Where coding at the selected node is not present at another node in the criteria list.

    NEAR Content

    Where coding at the selected node is near coding at another node in the criteria list.

    Preceding Content

    Where coding at a node comes before the coding at another node in the criteria list.

    Surrounding Content

    Where coding at a node (already added to the list) surrounds coding at another node.

     

For example, you could find the text community where it is near content coded at civic responsibility. If required, click the Options button to select the criteria for proximity and retrieval

Option

Description

 

Proximity

To define what you mean by Near or Preceding, select an option from the drop-down list:

Overlapping: displays content that  has been coded at both nodes.

In Custom Context: displays content that is within a specified context. Click the Specify button and define the required context for text, audio/video and pictures. For example, for documents you might define Near as within 5 words while for audio/video it is within a 5 second timespan.

From the Find Matches drop-down list you can also choose the In Broad Context or In Narrow Context options. When you choose either of these options, the values default to those defined in Application Options. You can update the values for this specific query.

In Same Scope Item: displays the content that has been coded within the same source or node. For example, community is considered near motivation when they are found in the same source.

In Same Coding Reference: displays the content within the same occurrence of coding. For example,community is considered near motivation when they are both codedat helping people.

Finds for first search item

Displays content matching the criteria defined for first search item

Finds for second search item

Displays content matching the criteria of second search item

Content between finds

Displays content between first and second search items. This option is only available if both of the above check boxes are selected and Overlapping is not the chosen Proximity option.

Compare proximity between text and non-text items

Determines how proximity is evaluated in video, audio and picture sources.

By default,  the matching content must be contained in the same component of a source. For example, coding in text is matched only with coding in other transcript text and not with video. Thus, video coding would not be matched with transcript coding for the same timespan and vice-versa.

If you click this option, matching content can be in either the media or the transcript, the picture or the log.

 

  1. To define the second part of the query, select the query type from the Subquery 2 drop-down list.

  2. Click the Criteria button and define the required options.

  3. From the In drop-down list, select the items you want to include in the search.

  4. Determine how the query results are stored in the Query Options tab  

    Option

    Description

     

    Option

    From the drop-down list, select how you would like to save the results of the query:

    Preview Only

    Displays matching content in a preview node.

    Create Results as New Node

    Creates a new node, codes all matching contents at the node, and saves it in the selected node folder.

    Merge Results into Existing Node

    Codes all matching content at an existing node. Click the Select button and choose the required node.

    Create Results as New Set

    Creates a new set that includes all project items matching the search criteria.

    Add Results to Existing Set

    Saves the matching items in an existing set. Click the Select button and choose the destination set.

    Create Results as New Node Hierarchy

    Saves the results as a tree using the node name as the parent and matching items as the children.

    Location

    If you are saving the results as a new node, click the Select button to define the location. For example, to save the results as a new free node, select the Free Nodes folder.

    Name

    If you are saving the results as a new node or set, enter a name for the new item.

    If you are merging the results into an existing node or set, click the Select button and choose the destination item.

    Description

    If required, enter a description for the new node or set.

    Spread to

    Refer to Spread Coding to the Context for more information.

    Open results

    Click this checkbox to display the query results in Detail View.

    Create results if empty

    If the query does not return any results, click this option if you want to create an 'empty' node.

    This option is only available if you have chosen to save the results as a new node, set or node hierarchy.

     

  5. Click the Run button.

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