Where to Begin?

A qualitative project may seem very open-ended, with messy data, no specific starting tasks to do, tests to perform or samples to acquire. In NVivo, there is no reason to delay starting. The software is designed to assist you in managing dissimilar sources of data and seemingly uncoordinated ideas.

Start a project as soon as you have any reflections on the topic (your correspondence about research design, grant application, thesis proposal or literature notes). These materials can be used to set up the project and to create early themes or topics for analysis.

What is a Project in NVivo?

To do research using NVivo, you create a project to hold all the data and ideas that you bring to the task or will generate as you work.

Your NVivo project is the container for everything you bring to the study of this research topic—your data, ideas and the connections between them.

When Should I Start a Project?

You can start your project in NVivo as soon as you start your research. There is no need to wait until you are confident of the shape of the project, since an NVivo project can change and grow flexibly.  There is no advantage in waiting until ”all the data are in”. Qualitative projects often commence with a very limited design, reshaping as they are driven by discoveries in the data.

You do not need to have done any prior planning or design before starting a project in NVivo. But if you have designed your research you can set up sources, cases and nodes to support that design and NVivo folders to organize the material.

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