You can merge projects by opening a 'target' project and importing another project or selected parts of another project. For example, you could import an existing project's node structure (without the coded content) into a new project, or you could import all sources and coding created by a particular user.
Only projects created in the same version of NVivo can be merged. You can convert a project from an earlier version of NVivo to your current version, refer to Opening Projects from Previous Versions for more information.
Duplicate project items are not imported. More information
Sources (documents, pictures, media sources, externals and memos)
Text-based sources (documents, externals or memos) are duplicates when both sources have the same name, hierarchical location and text content. Any differences in text formatting are ignored.
Picture sources are duplicates when both sources have the same name, hierarchical location and the same image. Any differences in image rotation, brightness or contrast are ignored. Any differences in picture logs are ignored.
Media sources are duplicates when both sources have the same name, hierarchical location and when both contain either a matching media item, or no media item at all. Any differences in transcripts are ignored.
Links (memo links, see also links and annotations)
Memo links are duplicates when both link the same memo to the same source item.
See also links are duplicates when both link the same project item content to the same destination.
Annotations are duplicates when both have the same text and are linked to the same project item content.
Queries, query results and matrices
Queries, query results and matrices are considered duplicates when they have the same name, location and modification date.
Models are considered duplicates when they have the same name, location and modification date.
Attributes and attribute values
Attributes are duplicates when both have the same attribute name and the same data type (for example, string).
Attribute values are duplicates when both have the same attribute name, same data type and the same attribute value name.
Free nodes, tree nodes, cases and relationships
Free nodes, tree nodes and cases are considered duplicates when they have the same name and hierarchical location.
Relationships are considered duplicates when both have the same name, location and direction.
Sets are considered duplicates when both have the same name and hierarchical location.
User folders are considered duplicates when both have the same name and hierarchical location.
When you import content, you decide how you want to handle duplicates—you can choose to merge the duplicates or create new project items. More information about these options:
Choose this option to combine the content of duplicate items. If you choose this option:
Folders and sets with matching names and hierarchical locations are combined.
If a duplicate source has different linked memos, the memos from the imported item are appended to the linked memos in the target project.
If a duplicate media source contains a transcript, then the transcript entries are considered duplicates when both the timespan and text in the Content field is matched. Any unique transcript entries are added to the matching source in the target project.
If a duplicate transcript entry has different text within a custom transcript field (and the field exists in both projects), any unique custom field content is appended to the content of the matching field. For example, if the custom field 'Speaker' has the value Anne in the target project versus the value Kate in the imported project, then after import, the value in the target project will be Anne, Kate.
If an imported project contains uniquely-named custom transcript fields, these custom fields are added to the target project (until you have reached the limit of 10 custom transcript fields). The values of the custom fields are added to matching transcript entries.
If a picture source is a duplicate, any unique log entries in the imported project are added to the matching source in the target project.
If two nodes have the same name but different content coded at them, then content from the imported node is combined with the content of the target node (if the content exists in the target project or is also being imported).
Cases in the target project retain their attributes and attribute values, however if the target case has an 'Unassigned' attribute value, the value from the imported case will replace it.
Choose this option if you want to import duplicate items, renaming them so that both items exist in the target project.
The new item inherits all the content of the item in the imported project but has a sequential number appended to the name—for example, a node called Community would be imported and renamed Community (2).
Where a source, model or query is not a duplicate, but has the same name and location, the item is imported as a new item and renamed with an appended number—for example, Interview with Sally would be imported asInterview with Sally (2).
How project properties (including user profiles) are handled during import
User profiles:
Duplicate user profiles are not imported. A user profile is considered a duplicate when the name is matched.
If both projects contain a user with the same name but different initials, then they are considered to be the same user. The user profile in the target project is not changed, therefore the user initials of the target project will be used to identify the user in items that are imported into the target project.
If you import content created or modified by user profiles which do not exist in the target project, then the user profiles are imported into the target project.
Paragraph styles:
Default paragraph styles defined in the target project are not updated when you import a project. Documents created in the imported project retain their original styles, but your project properties are not updated.
When you import selected project structure and content, custom paragraph styles are not updated. Documents created in the imported project retain their original styles, but your project properties are not updated.
When you import an entire project, custom paragraph styles may be updated. If you import a project which has custom paragraph styles which do not exist in the target project, the custom styles are added to the target project. If a custom style with the same name exists in both projects, the custom style definition in the target project is not updated.
Custom transcript fields:
Custom transcript fields that are unique to the imported project are added to your project, unless you have reached the limit of 10 custom transcript fields.
The default model style of the target project is not changed when you import another project. Any imported model which uses the default model style will be updated with the default model style of the target project.
Other target project properties (for example, name and description) are not updated when you import a project.
You can choose to:
Open the 'target' project you want to import into.
On the File menu, click ImportProject.
The Import Project dialog box is displayed.
Click the Browse button and select the project you want to import.
Click the Open button.
The name of the project you are importing is displayed in the Project to import field.
Click the All (including content) option.
Choose how you want to handle duplicate items. You can choose to merge duplicates or create new project items. More information about these options:
Choose this option to combine the content of duplicate items. If you choose this option:
Folders and sets with matching names and hierarchical locations are combined.
If a duplicate source has different linked memos, the memos from the imported item are appended to the linked memos in the target project.
If a duplicate media source contains a transcript, then the transcript entries are considered duplicates when both the timespan and text in the Content field is matched. Any unique transcript entries are added to the matching source in the target project.
If a duplicate transcript entry has different text within a custom transcript field (and the field exists in both projects), any unique custom field content is appended to the content of the matching field. For example, if the custom field 'Speaker' has the value Anne in the target project versus the value Kate in the imported project, then after import, the value in the target project will be Anne, Kate.
If an imported project contains uniquely-named custom transcript fields, these custom fields are added to the target project (until you have reached the limit of 10 custom transcript fields). The values of the custom fields are added to matching transcript entries.
If a picture source is a duplicate, any unique log entries in the imported project are added to the matching source in the target project.
If two nodes have the same name but different content coded at them, then content from the imported node is combined with the content of the target node (if the content exists in the target project or is also being imported).
Cases in the target project retain their attributes and attribute values, however if the target case has an 'Unassigned' attribute value, the value from the imported case will replace it.
Choose this option if you want to import duplicate items, renaming them so that both items exist in the target project.
The new item inherits all the content of the item in the imported project but has a sequential number appended to the name—for example, a node called Community would be imported and renamed Community (2).
Click the Import button.
The project is imported and the Imported Project report is displayed.
Print the report to keep a record of the import results—you cannot access this report once it is closed.
Import selected project structures
Open the 'target' project you want to merge into.
On the File menu, click ImportProject.
The Import Project dialog box is displayed.
Click the Browse button and select the project you want to import.
Click the Open button.
The name of the project you are importing is displayed in the Project to import field.
Click the Selected (excluding content) option.
Click the Options button.
The Import Options dialog box is displayed.
Select the structures you want to import.
Click OK.
Click the Import button.
The selected structures are imported and the ImportProject report is displayed.
Print the report to keep a record of the import results—you cannot access this report once it is closed.
Import selected project structures and content
Open the 'target' project you want to merge into.
On the File menu, click ImportProject.
The Import Project dialog box is displayed.
Click the Browse button and select the project you want to import.
Click the Open button.
The name of the project you are importing is displayed in the Project to import field.
Click the Selected (including content) option.
Click the Options button.
The Import Options dialog box is displayed.
Select the items you want to import. More information
The Import Options dialog box allows you to:
Select the type of project items you want to import—for example, sources and coding
AND
Refine your selection to import only items which were created or last modified by particular users
When selecting items, note that:
Only items you select are imported. For example, if you select only sources, only sources are imported—any associated coding, see also links, and annotations are not imported.
If you select annotations or see also links, these are only imported if the associated source exists in the target project or is also being imported.
If you select coding, it is only imported if the source containing the coding, and the node containing the coding reference, exist in the target project or are also being imported.
When you select sources or nodes, memo links will be preserved if the linked memo exists in the target project or is also being imported.
If you select sources which are located in a folder that does not exist in the target project, then the folder (and any necessary hierarchical structure) is also imported.
If you select tree nodes or cases that are located in a hierarchical structure that does not exist in the target project, then the necessary hierarchical structure is also imported.
If you select attributes and attribute values, they are imported without cases, unless you also choose to import nodes and cases.
When you import cases, attribute values are only imported when the same attribute already exists in the target project or is also being imported.
When an imported case has an attribute value for an attribute that exists in the target project, the attribute value is imported.
Click OK.
Choose how you want to handle duplicate items. You can choose to merge duplicates or create new project items. More information about these options:
Choose this option to combine the content of duplicate items. If you choose this option:
Folders and sets with matching names and hierarchical locations are combined.
If a duplicate source has different linked memos, the memos from the imported item are appended to the linked memos in the target project.
If a duplicate media source contains a transcript, then the transcript entries are considered duplicates when both the timespan and text in the Content field is matched. Any unique transcript entries are added to the matching source in the target project.
If a duplicate transcript entry has different text within a custom transcript field (and the field exists in both projects), any unique custom field content is appended to the content of the matching field. For example, if the custom field 'Speaker' has the value Anne in the target project versus the value Kate in the imported project, then after import, the value in the target project will be Anne, Kate.
If an imported project contains uniquely-named custom transcript fields, these custom fields are added to the target project (until you have reached the limit of 10 custom transcript fields). The values of the custom fields are added to matching transcript entries.
If a picture source is a duplicate, any unique log entries in the imported project are added to the matching source in the target project.
If two nodes have the same name but different content coded at them, then content from the imported node is combined with the content of the target node (if the content exists in the target project or is also being imported).
Cases in the target project retain their attributes and attribute values, however if the target case has an 'Unassigned' attribute value, the value from the imported case will replace it.
Choose this option if you want to import duplicate items, renaming them so that both items exist in the target project.
The new item inherits all the content of the item in the imported project but has a sequential number appended to the name—for example, a node called Community would be imported and renamed Community (2).
Click the Import button.
The selected structure and content is imported and the ImportProject report is displayed.
Print the report to keep a record of the import results—you cannot access this report once it is closed.
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It is a good idea to make a copy of the target project before importing all or part of another project into it. Refer to Copying and Backing Up Projects for more information. |
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