Merging NVivo Project Files - working in teams

This short video shows the steps for merging NVivo project files. The steps are the same in both Windows and MAC versions of NVivo. This process is useful for researchers collaborating remotely on NVivo projects. The link to the blog mentioned in the video is available here: www.qsrinternat...
Summary
This video discusses the process of merging NVivo project files for collaborative work, especially when working across different locations or institutions. It explains how to combine separate project files to enable collaboration, emphasizing the importance of not editing sources in remote copies to prevent duplication during merging.
Highlights
📂 NVivo for Teams allows network-based collaboration, but it requires an additional license.
🏠 When working remotely or across different institutions, merging project files is a common method for collaboration.
🔄 Merging involves combining multiple project copies with changes into a single master file.
📝 Detailed protocols and best practices for collaborative work are available on the QSR website.
🚫 Avoid editing sources in remote copies to prevent duplication during the merging process.
🛠️ Structural changes, like adding or deleting nodes, should be made in the master copy before merging.
📚 Refer to the linked blog for more in-depth information on collaboration protocols.

[@davidnacipucha8470]

Thanks, Ben!

[@sarahj8463]

Thank you for your video. Can I move separate projects into the same project.i.e we have coded for different age groups on different projects. How do I bring them all( including the existing codes) onto a single project?

[@qdatraining]

Yes, you can import several projects into one master project following the same steps as outlines in the video for each project.

[@tanyasaraiya2648]

Hi Ben, Thank you for your video. I'm using Nvivo for Mac. My team is coding on their respective files, and every time I try to merge my team's files after downloading from the cloud, I get two duplicate files with codes for each respective coder. Do you know how I can merge the files so that the codes are all on one file?

[@qdatraining]

Hi Tanya, I'm afraid you can't. Those two files were edited in a remote copy. This is a no, no in a team project. When you import one project into another, NVivo compares both files to see if they are the same file. If one file is different, it duplicates rather than merge. The way to correct typos in a remote copy is to annotate and make the corrections in the merged master. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news :(.

[@tanyasaraiya2648]

@@qdatraining Hi Ben, that stinks, but thank you so much for your quick reply! Would it be okay if I clarify a few things? The team members are only coding (not editing the files themselves). Does coding on remote files and then merging create duplicates? Or is it because the team members may have made changes to the files (e.g., editing something in the transcript) which then led to duplicates? If the latter, I could convey this to my team, and maybe then it would still be doable to have them code the project and merge their codes into one file? Sorry if this is convoluted. I'm trying to prevent this from happening in the future and see how we can troubleshoot. I'm happy to chat offline by email if you're available.

[@qdatraining]

@@tanyasaraiya2648 Hi Tanya, yes, someone clicked the 'Edit' option at the top of the transcript, perhaps to fix a typo, and that's what did the damage. Once they don't do this, it should be perfectly straightforward for them to code their agreed workflows and merge their coding. I hope this is helpful.

[@freddy1140]

Very useful video, thank you. Do you know the best way to do it if you want to daily copy a project for collaboration and merging that includes video files over 40 MB?

[@qdatraining]

One option is to use an 'NVivo for Teams' licence which allows multiple users work concurrently on a single NVivo project file which avoids the need for merging projects completely. However, this option only works if all collaborators are on, or have remote access to, the same network. I'm afraid there is no quick way to merge projects and if you have media files, they should reside in the same shared folder as the project file. Remote users will still need to reorientate the file path after merging from the master copy. this is a simple process of right clicking on the media and selecting 'Update File Location' from the menu. I hope this response is helpful, but do let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

[@freddy1140]

@@qdatraining Thank you for the quick reply! Unfortunately, my university does not have a license for either teams or collabo cloud. So I will have to do with the manual approach. The trick with updating the file location could work, although a bit tedious as the project contains 20 videos. One other solution is that I convert the video files to a lower resolution so they become under 40 MB in size and then embed them in the project? Do you think that would work or does 20 files at around 40 MB make the project too slow? I do have a fast computer. Thanks again, Ben!

[@qdatraining]

@@freddy1140 It would make the file quite big for copying but it could work and if your NVivo project file runs okay on your device with this much embedded content it would certainly save you the hassle of updating file locations every time you merge.

[@jinpyon4134]

Thank you for the video! If you create a master file of 3 users' coding, and then those three users continue independently coding (e.g., code additional entries, or revise previously coded entries), will NVivo know to overwrite the user data when it comes time to re-merge the files?

[@qdatraining]

NVivo merges rather than synchronising NVivo project files so your coders could add codes and coding to existing codes but not make structural changes such as deleting a code. A deleted code in a remote copy still exists in the master so would reappear after merging. Structural changes must be done in the master copy. They could attach a memo saying 'delete me' for example and the structural changes could be completed after merging the remote copies before redistributing the updated master copy to remote coders. Another option is to purchase a licence for NVivo for teams. This would allow multiple coders work on the same NVivo project file concurrently, but they must share the file on the same network. I hope this response is helpful, but do let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

[@jinpyon4134]

@@qdatraining Thank you so much for your response! This is helpful. Now does this 'deleting rule' apply only to deleted nodes? Or also to actual coding within text? For example, if someone uncodes text that was previous coded for in the master project, would importing this user's data also update the text coding in the master (assuming it was the same user in the master)? Or would this also need to be flagged?

[@qdatraining]

@@jinpyon4134 No, same issue, the uncoded passage would still be in the master so when the codes merge the passage would still be there. If you annotate passages for removal they can be easily removed in the master after merging.

[@jinpyon4134]

@@qdatraining Makes sense. Thank you so much!

[@HealthbeautyluckyshahBlogspot]

Hi, I have one question. I have windows version of nvivo 12 plus and my client has Mac version. Now when he is opening the project and open the code he can't see the material under that code which is visible in windows version. Now I don't get it either Mac is not fully compatible or there is some other issue? Can you help?

[@qdatraining]

The most likely cause of the problem as described, is that your client does not understand how to expand parent and child codes. I am assuming that when you say that "he can't see the material under the codes", that you are referring to child codes? See the screenshot at this link for a more detailed explanation of a common problem with novice users of NVivo: qdacloud.myqnapcloud.com/share.cgi/expand-collapse%20MAC.png?ssid=eb811664bd0549a0bf59827fd165bd94&fid=eb811664bd0549a0bf59827fd165bd94&open=normal&ep= Let me know if this assumption is incorrect, and I will investigate further.

[@HealthbeautyluckyshahBlogspot]

@@qdatraining thank you but he can do that. When we open the code in one tab you can see the words/sentences we have coded. It's not showing in Mac. Infact when I ask him to make new code in his Mac, he couldn't see the sentences he coded with new code

[@qdatraining]

@@HealthbeautyluckyshahBlogspot Make sure he has all his updates. He should be on 12.7 if he is on version 12 and 1.6 if he is on NVivo 2020 but sometimes referred to as R1. These are free updates. Let me know if this worked.

[@HealthbeautyluckyshahBlogspot]

@@qdatraining I have NVivo 12 plus so he should have NVivo 12.7 in his Mac?

[@qdatraining]

@@HealthbeautyluckyshahBlogspot Yes, you need to check that you also have all updates. You should be on 12.6 and he should be on 12.7 on the MAC. Conversions between Windows and MAC project files can fail sometimes and QSR's official position is that they don't support cross platform projects but sometimes checking you both have all updates can solve the problem.