Atlast.ti Training Manual Part 5: Advanced Functions

PART 5: ADVANCED ATLAS.ti These functions are advanced ATLAS.ti functions that most people will not need to know how to do. Some can cause problems if misused, so always check with the team leader before trying any of these!

What is a Network? Networks are a visual tool to map links between Codes or Families Networks are the main vehicle to construct theoretical models within ATLAS.ti

How to create Networks of Codes 1.Select a Code from the Code Manager 2.Open a Network View for this Code by clicking the network button (which looks like a network!) 3.The Code is now displayed as a Node in the Network Editor 4.Click and drag another Code from the Code Manager into the Network View

How to link Nodes in Network 1.Highlight the Node by clicking on it 2.From the menu, select LINKS and LINK NODES, and a red line appears tracking the movement of the mouse 3.Move the cursor to the other Node and click 4.A selection of possible relationships between Nodes pops up. Choose a link 5.You have created your first Network or theory!

How to save the Network 1.Select the menu option NETWORK and SAVE AS... You will be prompted for a name 2.Accept the default name or enter a new one 3.Click the OK button 4.Now go to FILE and SAVE the complete HU 5.To open a saved Network view, click the Network button in the main tool bar underneath the FILE menu

Activity: Network of Codes Create a Network of Codes on Relationships between Interviewee and Mother, Father, Grandparents, Teachers, Peers, Friends etc.

How to Search Text in PDs Text Search tool can be used to search for the occurrence of specific words, parts of words, or phrases in a PD 1.Open the PD and put the cursor at the beginning of the file 2.Click Search button on left hand menu (purple stripe with a green arrow) or click Ctrl-F 3.Enter a word, part of word, or phrase into entry field 4.Make sure that USE GREP is not checked 5.Set CASE SENSITIVE as needed 6.Start the search by clicking NEXT

How to search with Object Crawler Object Crawler can be used to search all text in an HU, i.e. in addition to primary text documents, the Object Crawler investigates the text of objects like Codes, Quotations, Memos, and Network Views 1.Open the first PD and put the cursor at the beginning of the file 2.From the main menu, select TOOLS and OBJECT CRAWLER, or click the Object Crawler button underneath the main tool bar (a pointing finger) 3.Enter a query word 4.Click SELECT OBJECTS and select the objects to be included in the search 5.Click DISPLAY RESULTS. The objects that contain the search term are listed in the top pane, and are displayed in context in the text editor below

Master Hermeneutic Unit In order that data coded by different people can be analysed together, we need to create one master Hermeneutic Unit controlled by the administrator. The master Hermeneutic Unit contains: All the Primary Documents to be coded The whole Coding Frame

Working Hermeneutic Units Then we need to create a number of working Hermeneutic Units so that different researchers can work on different Primary Documents These working HUs will have the same Primary Documents and Codes TOOLS, COPY BUNDLE, CREATE BUNDLE Click CREATE BUNDLE, give it a different name from the master HU, save in the Project folder as a working HU This working HU bundle can then be copied over to other computers via memory stick

How to merge HUs Once the Primary Documents on the working HUs have been coded, we need to merge the work in the master HU so that all the data can be analysed together: Open master HU and save under different name (in case something goes wrong!) Go to TOOLS and MERGE HU The master HU is now called the TARGET HU Browse to select the correct working HU (now called the SOURCE HU) and click NEXT

Merge Strategy In the box called STOCK STRATEGIES, select SAME PDs AND CODES On the right hand side, select ADD for QUOTATIONS Select UNIFY for PRIMARY DOCUMENTS, CODES, MEMOS, PD-FAMILIES, and CODE- FAMILIES Select IGNORE for NETVIEWS and MEMO- FAMILIES Tick MERGE REPORT for an overview of what has been done.

If HUs have different PDs/Codes If you have added new PDs to the HU, you need to select DIFFERENT PDS – SAME CODES and select ADD PDs If you have added new Codes to the HU, you need to select SAME PDs – DIFFERENT CODES and select ADD CODES If you have added new PDs and new Codes to the HU, select DIFFERENT PDS AND CODES and ADD PDs and Codes NB in each of these cases you should select ADD QUOTATIONS to merge the coded work

How to back up data NB Once they have been assigned to an HU, original PDs must not be edited, moved, or renamed – because they will be lost to the HU. NB When backing up data, do not just copy the HU (because you will lose the PDs). Instead, use COPY BUNDLE to copy the whole Hermeneutic Unit (including all of the Primary Documents, Comments, and Memos) onto the network, memory stick, or rewriteable CD/DVD. NB you should back up data every day at the end of the day, or more often if possible...

How to disconnect PDs from HUs If you have uploaded the wrong PD you may want to disconnect it from the HU: 1.Click on the PD in the PRIMARY DOCUMENT box so that the text appears on the screen 2.Go to DOCUMENTS and click DISCONNECT NB be very careful with this function not to disconnect the wrong PD (e.g. a Coded PD!) NB even if it is deleted, the number assigned to the PD will not be reused in this HU

How to edit PDs NB do not do this unless necessary as it may interfere with merging Click Edit button in tool bar (it looks like a pencil) so all the tools from the Edit tool bar become active The tools are familiar from other word processing programs. Highlight text to: Change its appearance (bold, italic, underlined) Change its colour (click Set Colour button) Increase/decrease its size (click Grow/Shrink button) Change alignment or select bullet style 3.When you are finished with editing the document, right- click on the Edit pencil button again and select SAVE AND LEAVE EDIT MODE. Save the HU

Updates and Queries: Updates: Go to Go to DOWNLOADS Click on UPDATES Click on GET LATEST UPDATE Queries: Try ATLAS.ti documents: ATLAS.ti Manual or ATLAS.ti Help ATLAS.ti website: