HR User Guide

HyperRESEARCHSoftware for Qualitative Data Analysis

User Guide

Version 2.81Copyright 19882009All rights reserved

ResearchWare, Inc.www.researchware.com

HyperRESEARCH: HyperRESEARCH User Guide

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Welcome to HyperRESEARCH

In this section, youll learn how to install or upgrade HyperRESEARCH. Youll also find out whats new in version 2.8 and 2.8.1.

If youre new to HyperRESEARCH, read the topic Installing HyperRESEARCH to find out how to complete the installation process by entering a license code.

If youre updating to a new version, read the topics Updating to a New Version and What's New in This Version to find out how to move your older files to this new version and what new features to look for.

If you have a question or problem, read the topic Using HyperRESEARCH Help to find out how to find information in this Help window.

This help window provides assistance in using HyperRESEARCH. If you encounter a problem and cant find help for it here, click Getting Technical Support in the list of topics.

Installing HyperRESEARCH

HyperRESEARCH is available for download on the ResearchWare web site. To visit the web site, go to http://www.researchware.com/hr/downloads.html or choose

Help Go to ResearchWare Web Site. You can always download the latest version of HyperRESEARCH from the web site.

System requirementsHyperRESEARCH is compatible with Windows and Mac OS X systems. (A version for classic MAc OS is available on request.) The specific requirements are as follows:

for Windows: Windows 95 through Vista 12 MB free disk space QuickTime 3.0 or later for audio and video features

for Mac OS X: Version 10.2 or later 12 MB free disk space

for Classic Mac OS (available by request): Version 8.0 or later 12 MB free disk space


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The installation processTo install HyperRESEARCH, first download the software for your platform from the ResearchWare web site at http://www.researchware.com/hr/downloads.html.

Installing on Windows:To install, double-click the downloaded Setup program, then follow the instructions to install HyperRESEARCH. After the installer is finished, youll find a shortcut named HyperRESEARCH in your Start menu for easy access.

Installing on Mac OS X:HyperRESEARCH is distributed as a disk image file. To install, double-click the downloaded file, then simply drag the HyperRESEARCH folder from the disk image window to your Applications folder.

Installing on Classic Mac OS:To install, double-click the downloaded Installer program, then follow the instructions to install HyperRESEARCH.

Once you have finished the installation process, you can start HyperRESEARCH.

Licensing HyperRESEARCHWhen you start the program, you will be asked whether you want to use it as the free Limited Edition, or enter a license code to use the full edition.

Free Limited Edition:To use the Limited Edition, you dont need a license code: just click the Free Limited Edition button in the startup dialog box every time you start up HyperRESEARCH.

The Limited Edition is limited to 7 cases and 75 codes, with no more than 50 code references per case. There are no other limitations and no timeouts: you can use the Limited Edition to create and save files, print, and use all HyperRESEARCH features.

If you create a study using the Limited Edition, and then decide to purchase HyperRESEARCH, you can continue working with your saved study files. The only difference is that once you have licensed HyperRESEARCH, the limits are removed and you can create more cases, codes, and code references.

Licensed Edition:When you purchase HyperRESEARCH, you receive a license code via email. To remove the limitations, enter your license code in the License Code box in the startup dialog box. (The Name and License Code are required; the Organization is optional.) Once you have entered the license code, you will no longer be asked for it when starting up HyperRESEARCH.

If you see an error message when entering your license code, see the Problems Entering Your License Code below.

If you have lost your license code, contact technical support at [email protected] for help. Please include as much information about your original purchase as possible in order to help us locate your customer record.


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If you have lost your license code, contact technical support at [email protected] for help. Please include as much information about your original purchase as possible in order to help us locate your customer record.

For system administrators: all-user and per-user licensingWhen you enter a license code for HyperRESEARCH, the program may be licensed for either the current user or all user accounts on this computer, depending on the privileges of the account youre using when you enter the license code.

Most users do not need to concern themselves about this feature: youll simply enter the license code and it will work. If you are an administrator installing HyperRESEARCH on a lab computer thats used by multiple people, you should be aware of the difference between licensing HyperRESEARCH as a user and licensing it as an administrator:

If you are logged into an account with administrator privileges when you enter the license code, HyperRESEARCH will place the license information in the same folder as the application. This licenses the software for all accounts on the system, allowing any user on the system to use the software in licensed mode.

If you are installing the software on a multi-user computer and want all users to be able to use it, then log in as an administrator to enter the license code.

If you are logged into an account that does not have write permission in the HyperRESEARCH folder, HyperRESEARCH will place the license information in the accounts preferences area instead. This means that the application will be licensed only for that account. If a user with another account starts up HyperRESEARCH, it will run in free limited mode and request a license code on startup, as described in the previous section Licensing HyperRESEARCH.

If you want only a particular user to have full access, log in as that user to enter the license code.

Whenever HyperRESEARCH starts up, it searches for the license key first in the application folder, and then in the users preferences. If it is found in neither place, HyperRESEARCH asks for a license key (and reverts to demo mode if no key is entered).

Problems Entering Your License CodeIf the license code you enter is not recognized as valid, HyperRESEARCH displays an error message. Usually, this error message is caused by mistyping the license code or by including extra characters when you copy and paste it.

When possible, we recommend copying and pasting the code directly from your licensing email, instead of typing it. This reduces the chance of making an error.

Make sure all letters are lowercase. (Valid codes have no uppercase letters.)

Be careful to differentiate between letters and numbers that look similar, such as number 0 and letter capital O, or number 1, letter l, and capital I. In some fonts, these characters are hard to tell apart.

If youre not sure, follow the rule of alternating letters and digits. A valid code starts with a letter, followed by alternating letters and digits, like this:


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If youre not sure, follow the rule of alternating letters and digits. A valid code starts with a letter, followed by alternating letters and digits, like this:

a2a2-a2a2a2

For example, if your code has a p followed by 1, you know that the 1 is the number one, not letter I.

If you have followed all these suggestions, and still get an error message, please contact technical support at [email protected] for help.

Updating HyperRESEARCH to a New Version

If youve used any earlier version of HyperRESEARCH, you can continue to use your sources and study files in this new version.

If you're updating from HyperRESEARCH 2.0 or later, the file format is the same, so you can simply continue your work in this new version. If you were using any version of HyperRESEARCH earlier than 2.0, you will need to convert your study files this version.

Updating from version 2.02.7If you've previously used HyperRESEARCH versions between 2.0 and 2.7, your study files and source files will work without modification. You can simply install the latest version of HyperRESEARCH, open your existing study files, and resume working.

Converting study files from versions before 2.7:When you open a study file that was last saved in version 2.02.6, HyperRESEARCH automatically converts the file to the version 2.7/2.8 format.

First, it makes a backup copy of the original file. (The backup copy has the same name as the original, with the phrase -v2.6backup added to the name.) This is a precaution to ensure that if theres any problem converting the file, you still have the original file available.

You can throw away the backup file once youre sure that your study file is working in version 2.8.

New features:Most of the features in HyperRESEARCH 2.8 work just as they did in earlier versions. To find out about new features and other changes, see the topic What's New in This Version. In addition to these improvements, many features, such as displaying codes in context in the source window, have been optimized to work much faster.

Updating from versions before 2.0If youre making the transition from a version of HyperRESEARCH earlier than 2.0, the main difference youll see is the new ability to select cases and codes to work with.

The internal file format has also changed, so you will need to convert your study files into the new file format.


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The internal file format has also changed, so you will need to convert your study files into the new file format.

Converting a study file:

To use a study file that you created in a version before 2.0, choose File Convert Older Study, then select your study file. A new study file is created in the new file format.

Once you save your study, you will be able to open the saved study file in the normal

way in future sessions, by choosing File Open Study (or double-clicking the study file). This process only needs to be done once for each pre-2.0 study file.

Selecting cases and codes:In early versions of HyperRESEARCH, there were three distinct modes of operation: generating codes, analyzing codes, and hypothesis testing. In HyperRESEARCH 2.8, you generate codes in the same manner as before (though now other media types are supported). You open a source file and select a portion of the material. Choosing

Codes Encode displays a list of codes, where you either choose an existing code or create a new one.

In HyperRESEARCH 2.8, you can select a subset of your cases and code references to view, without going into the Analysis mode and creating a report. This allows you to have a very good idea of what a report is going to contain before you creaate the report.

Near the top of the study window, youll find a Select Cases menu. You can select the cases you want to view manually from a list, or build a Boolean expression and let HyperRESEARCH select the cases based on your criteria.

Near the bottom of the study window, youll find a Select Codes menu. This lets you do something very similar for codes. You can either select the codes you want to view manually from a list, or use a proximity function and let HyperRESEARCH choose the codes to view based on your criteria.

In this way, you can select only the codes and cases you want to work with at any given time. For example, you can select 4 of 8 cases to work with, and additionally limit your viewing to 5 of 25 codes, based on a particular set of selection criteria you choose. This lets you select and work with a subset of your study. You can create a report based only on such a subset, working with only the data you select.

To return to viewing your entire study, choose All Cases from the Select Cases menu and All Codes from the Select Codes menu.

For more information, see the Selecting Cases and Selecting Codes topics.

Upgrading from the Free Limited Edition

ResearchWare offers the Free Limited Edition of HyperRESEARCH for unlimited use. The Free Edition includes all the capabilities of HyperRESEARCH, but is limited to 7 cases and 75 codes, with no more than 50 code references per case.


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ResearchWare offers the Free Limited Edition of HyperRESEARCH for unlimited use. The Free Edition includes all the capabilities of HyperRESEARCH, but is limited to 7 cases and 75 codes, with no more than 50 code references per case.

You may continue using the Free Limited Edition as long as you wish; there is no time limit. However, if your work requires more cases and codes than are allowed by the Free Edition, you will need to upgrade to the full, licensed edition.

When you start the program, you are asked whether you want to use it as the free Limited Edition, or enter a license code to use the full edition. To upgrade to the licensed edition and remove the limitations, you will need to purchase a license key.

Purchasing a license codeTo upgrade to the licensed edition, you will need to purchase a license from ResearchWare. You can do so by visiting http://www.researchware.com and clicking the Buy Now link under HyperRESEARCH.

When you purchase HyperRESEARCH, you receive your license code via email. To remove the limitations:

1 Choose Help Enter License Key. The license dialog box appears.

(The same dialog box appears when you start the Free Limited Edition, and you can enter your license key here instead.)

2 Enter your Name and License Code in the dialog box. (The Organization is optional.)

Once you have entered the license code, you will no longer be asked for it when starting up HyperRESEARCH.

Using files created with the Free EditionOnce you have entered your license code, you can continue working with study files that you saved with the Free Edition. Simply open your saved file and begin working. The only difference you will see is that, with the licensed edition, the number of codes and cases is no longer limited.

Whats New in Version 2.8 and 2.8.1

Check this section for quick information about whats changed in this version. (For complete information about the changed features, see the topics on those features.)

HyperRESEARCH 2.8 and 2.8.1 include these new features and enhancements:

Code frequency report:HyperRESEARCH now generates a frequency report showing how many times each code has been used in the study. Optionally, the frequency report can also display the maximum, minimum, mean, and standard deviation of each codes distribution among the cases in your study, along with a bar graph showing the codes frequency.


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As of version 2.8.1, the frequency report respects code selections and case selections. (In version 2.8, the frequency report always showed all codes, even if only a subset of codes was selected.)

For more information about the Code Frequency Report feature, see the topics Frequency Report Window and Analyzing Code Frequencies.

Report pagination:In the Report window, you can now choose to display the report as a single page, using the Pagination pop-up menu at the bottom of the window.

For more information about report pagination, see the topics Report Window and Running Reports.

Universal Binary for Mac OS X:On Mac OS X, HyperRESEARCH now ships in Universal Binary format. This significantly improves performance on Intel-based Macs.

Improved appearance for Windows Vista:HyperRESEARCHs user interface has been improved to conform more closely to user-interface standards for Windows Vista. The appearance is modernized and more familiar for Vista users.

Improved copy & paste access:

You can now copy text from the Source window by selecting it and choosing EditCopy.

There is now a Copy item in the contextual menu for the Source window, allowing you to copy the selected text. (To display the contextual menu, right-click (on Windows) or Control-click (on Mac) in the Source window.)


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There is now a Copy item in the contextual menu for the Source window, allowing you to copy the selected text. (To display the contextual menu, right-click (on Windows) or Control-click (on Mac) in the Source window.)

There is now a Paste item in the contextual menu for the Annotation window, allowing you to paste text into an annotation.

License code change:The way HyperRESEARCH stores the license key has changed in version 2.8.1. On operating systems (such as OS X and Vista) that allow multiple accounts on one computer, the extent of the license depends on what type of account you are using when you enter your license code:

If you are using an administrator account that can modify the applications folder, your copy of HyperRESEARCH will be licensed for any user who uses that computer.

If you are using an account that cannot modify the applications folder, your copy of HyperRESEARCH will be licensed only for the account you were using when you entered the license code.

Bug fixes:All reproducible issues from earlier versions have been addressed in v2.8.1.

Using HyperRESEARCH Help

The Help system built in to HyperRESEARCH is a context-sensitive hypertext manual that covers all aspects of using the program.

You can always access the Help system by choosing Help HyperRESEARCH Help. In addition, you can display specific help about most windows by clicking the ? button in the upper right corner of the window.

Using the Help windowThe Help system contains several features to make it easier to navigate and use the information.

To scan the available topics: Scroll through the list of topics on the left. Click a topic to view it. The Next and Previous arrows above the list of topics can be used to go to the next or previous topic in the list.

To browse through your session history: To return to the previously-viewed topic, click the Back arrow at the top of the Help window. The Back and Forward buttons work like the similar controls in your browser, letting you move backward and forward through the topics youve viewed.

To search for a word or phrase: Enter the word or phrase in the Search field at the top of the Help window, then press Enter. To search for the next occurrence, simply press Enter again.


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To print a topic: Go to the topic you want to print, then click the Print button at the top right corner of the Help window. You can print a single topic, a section, or the entire Help contents.

Boldfaced, colored text is linked. You can click linked text to go to a topic or web page, open a file, or open a new email message.

Help organizationThe Help includes five sections.

Welcome to HyperRESEARCHThis section describes the process of installing or updating HyperRESEARCH, how to get technical support, and how to use the HyperRESEARCH help system.

IntroductionThis section describes the basic concepts involved in starting to use HyperRESEARCH. If you are new to HyperRESEARCH, read this section after you install the program.

How to...This section describes how to perform the most common procedures youll use when working with HyperRESEARCH. If you need to know how to perform a specific action, this is the right place to look.

Reference TopicsThis section explains background information that helps you understand HyperRESEARCHs capabilities.

HyperRESEARCH WindowsThis section describes the functions of the main windows in HyperRESEARCH, along with the buttons and controls they contain. (These topics refer you to a more detailed topic where necessary.)

HyperRESEARCH MenusThis section describes the menus and menu items in HyperRESEARCH. The descriptions are designed to help you quickly identify a general function. (These topics refer you to a more detailed topic where necessary.)

PDF user guideThe contents of the Help system is also available as a PDF file. This file can be found in the HyperRESEARCH folder installed on your system, along with the tutorials and tutorial examples.

PDF Help File: HR User Guide.pdfYou can print the PDF file, or use it if its not convenient to use the help inside HyperTRANSCRIBE.


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Getting Technical Support

If you need help or if you have a question thats not answered in this documentation,

please visit our Technical Support pages by choosing Help Go to ResearchWare Web site.

ResearchWare web siteOn the web site, youll find answers to frequently asked questions, subscription information for the HyperRESEARCH mailing list, and contact information for ResearchWare technical support.

Mailing listThe HyperRESEARCH mailing list is made up of HyperRESEARCH users like you. Its a good place to ask questions about using the program, and talk about using it in real-world situations.

You can subscribe and unsubscribe on the HyperRESEARCH technical support page at the Researchware web site.

Technical supportRegistered users of HyperRESEARCH are eligible for free technical support. If you encounter a problem thats not discussed in this documentation, or if you have a question, send email to ResearchWare technical support at [email protected].

Problems and bug reports:When seeking help for a problem with HyperRESEARCH, please include the following information:

Description of the problem List of steps needed to reproduce the problem Your computer model Your operating system and version Amount of memory installed Exact wording of any error message you see

Here's a example of a helpful bug report.

EXAMPLE BUG REPORT:OS X 10.4.4, MacBook, 1GB memory

Problem: Code Stripes don't printRecipe:1. Turn on Codes in Context in the source window.2. Select File->Print.Result: Codes are shown on the printout, but the graphical code stripes aren't

included


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Result: Codes are shown on the printout, but the graphical code stripes aren't included

The more detailed your report, the faster we can help you find a resolution to the problem.

Getting Started

In this section, youll get a basic overview of working with HyperRESEARCH and learn how to most effectively use the program.

For an overview of how HyperRESEARCH works, read the topic What is HyperRESEARCH? first.

If youre starting out with HyperRESEARCH, next try out the HyperRESEARCH tutorials. These tutorials will guide you through all phases of working with the program, and youll create an actual study as you go.

If youve used an earlier version of HyperRESEARCH and you want to find out about new features and capabilities, read the topic What's New in This Version for more information. You may also want to read the Analyzing Code Frequencies topic to find out about the new code frequency features.

Introducing HyperRESEARCH

HyperRESEARCH is ResearchWares software for qualitative analysis. With HyperRESEARCH, you can code and retrieve, build theories, and conduct analyses of your data. You can work with text files, audio (sound), video, and pictures.

HyperRESEARCHs features include:

Case-based approach that presents your data the way you collected it Advanced multimedia capabilities for audio and video data Sophisticated reporting and theory-building features Full cross-platform capabilitytrade files between Mac and PC

The process of qualitative analysisQualitative analysis is a technique that can be used either with hand methods, or more easily with computer assistance.

Traditional methods of qualitative analyis:Traditional qualitative analysis is labor-intensive. After gathering data, researchers transcribe the source material with a typewriter or word processor, make multiple photocopies of the text, painstakingly read through and assign codes to the material, cut the pages up into coded passages, and then manually sort the coded text in order to analyze the patterns they find.


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Traditional qualitative analysis is labor-intensive. After gathering data, researchers transcribe the source material with a typewriter or word processor, make multiple photocopies of the text, painstakingly read through and assign codes to the material, cut the pages up into coded passages, and then manually sort the coded text in order to analyze the patterns they find.

Using HyperRESEARCH:With HyperRESEARCH, your workflow will be similar, but each step will be made easier by the computers capability for data storage, automated searching, and display.

You can use audio or video source files directly, if you prefer, without needing to transcribe them first. (You can also use text and pictures.)

You can assign codes manually to any section of text, audio, video, or part of a picture. You can also use the Autocode feature to automatically search for and code particular phrases in your text source files.

Analysis is easy with the Report feature, where you can select a subset of cases and codes to work with, choose what data to use, and sort your reports automatically.

Some basic termsHyperRESEARCH, and this help file, use some terminology that you should be familiar with. Understanding these terms will help you understand how to use the program. (Some of these terms are general ones that pertain to all qualitative analysis, while some are specific to computer-aided qualitative work.)

What's a study file?A study file is created by HyperRESEARCH to hold your study data. The study file contains your list of codes, your cases, and all the references to source material that youve coded. (The study file does not contain your source files, but does contain the name and location of each source file youve used.)

What's a source file?A source file is a file that contains data youre analyzing. Source files might consist of interview transcripts, audio or video recordings of a subject, questionnaire answers, snippets of television commercials, or anything else that youre studying. HyperRESEARCH can use text, audio, video, and pictures as sources.

What's a case?A case is the atomic unit of your study, the basic unit of analysis you are studying.

How you define what a case is will depend on the nature of your study, but some examples are:

a study of student outcomes in different classes, where each class is a case

an exploration of how political views influence achievement, where each subject is a case

a study of survey results, where each survey-taker is a case

You can use any number of source files in a single case, and share source files across cases.


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You can use any number of source files in a single case, and share source files across cases.

What's a code?A code is a word or phrase that designates an idea. You create new codes in the Code List Editor, which holds your master code listthe list of all codes used throughout your study. When you find a portion of source material that relates to one of your codes, you code that source material, marking it with the code you choose.

What's a code reference?A code reference is a reference to a portion of source material thats been coded. The code reference includes the code you used, the name of the source file, the type of source (text, audio, video, or picture), and where the coded portion is in the source file.

For example, if you code a paragraph of text, the code reference includes the code, the name and location of the text file, and the character number where the paragraph begins and ends.

Code references for each case are displayed in the study window. For more information about how code references are shown, see the Study Window topic.

Coding with HyperRESEARCHHeres how you might conduct a typical study. You open a media file (text, graphic, audio or video) that contains material for your study. When you select a portion of the

media and choose Codes Encode, HyperRESEARCH presents you with a list of code names you have created. You can choose an existing code name, or add a new one.

HyperRESEARCH records the exact location of the selected media, along with the specified code name. It automatically stores this code reference on a virtual index card as you work. This index card is referred to as a case. With a single mouse click on a code reference, you can display any media in context that you have previously coded. In this way, you can easily review and modify your coding.

You can also code your text source material automatically. The Autocoding feature automatically codes all occurrences of any word or phrase across all your textual source materials. You can then easily browse through and rename, modify or delete the code references as necessary. (For more information about the Autocode feature, see the Autocode Window topic.)

Analysis with HyperRESEARCHAt any time during the coding process, you can begin to analyze your data. HyperRESEARCH allows you to select the cases that contain certain combinations of codes. There is no typing or syntax involved; you simply chose your codes from a pull-down menu and then the appropriate Boolean operator (and, or, not) to build as complex an expression as is necessary to select a set of cases. An example of the kind of query you can make is:

Select any cases that have one or more references to (Code A OR Code B) AND CODE Y


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You can do something similar with codes. Either across the entire list of cases or only on the cases which you have currently selected, you can choose to select only certain codes which you pick from your master code list or which match a criteria you devise.

Once you have identified a set of cases and codes, you can display a report with a list of the code references specified by your case and code selections. The references in the reports are hyperlinked to the source material so that you can review each reference to its source material in context. You may also elect to have HyperRESEARCH gather the referenced textual source material and include it in the report.

Building and testing theoriesHyperRESEARCH has a unique theory-building feature called the Hypothesis Tester. Using expert systems techniques, this analysis engine provides powerful tools for testing hypotheses you may have about the themes in your data. (For more information about the Hypothesis Tester, see the Hypothesis Window and Testing Hypotheses topics.)

Getting Started: the HyperRESEARCH Tutorials

The tutorials take you through the steps of creating and analyzing a pair of example studies: QDA Study and Cinderella Study. Each tutorial is a PDF file located inside the Documentation folder in the HyperRESEARCH folder on your disk.

Tutorial filesClick a tutorial name to open that tutorial file.

Tutorial 1: Beginning a Study Tutorial 2: Working with Codes Tutorial 3: Working with Cases Tutorial 4: Analysis Tutorial 5: Graphic, Video and Audio Sources Tutorial 6: Advanced Code and Retrieve Features Tutorial 7: The Hypothesis Tester

Example study and source filesThese two sample studies are used in the tutorials. Click a study file to open it. If you want to look at all the files for a sample study, click a folder to open the folder containing the study file and all the source material.


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These two sample studies are used in the tutorials. Click a study file to open it. If you want to look at all the files for a sample study, click a folder to open the folder containing the study file and all the source material.

QDA Study

QDA Study folder

Cinderella Study

Cinderella Study folderTutorial 5 also uses a set of supplemental media files. To make the download as small as possible, these files are not included in the main HyperRESEARCH package. You can download the Multimedia Samples file from the HyperRESEARCH download page at http://www.researchware.com/hr/downloads.html.

Quick Start to Coding

To begin the coding process with HyperRESEARCH, follow these basic steps:

1 When the program starts up, choose the Create New Untitled Study option, then click New to create a new study window.

The Study window appears (on the left) along with the Code List Editor (to the right of the Study window).


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2 Choose Cases Rename to name your first case.

The case is your basic unit of analysis. You can create more cases by choosing CasesNew, and move between them using either the Cases menu or the left and right arrows near the top left of the study window.

Whenever you code a selection from a source document, the code reference is added to the current case.

3 Choose Sources Open Source Text to choose a text file to code. The text file you choose appears in the Source window (text) on the right side of the screen.


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4 Select a passage in the text by dragging over it. Then choose Codes New Code and enter the code name. (The code should be a word or two encapsulating the significance of the passage youre coding.) The code appears in the Code List Editor and becomes part of your studys code list.

5 Click Apply Code at the top of the Code List Editor, or press Enter, to attach the code to the selected passage. The code appears next to the passage, and the code reference appears in the Study window.


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6 Continue coding your source file in the same way.

To add codes directly to the Code List Editor, choose Codes New for each code. You can add a code to the Code List Editor without selecting a passage first.

To code a passage using a code thats already in the Code List Editor, first select the code in the list, then select the passage in the source window and either press Enter or click Apply Code.

To switch to another text file, chose Sources Open Source Text and choose the new file, then resume coding. You can include as many source files as needed in a case, and you can use the same source file in more than one case.

For more information about coding source files, and to learn about coding images, audio, and video, see the topic Coding Source Material.

Working with HyperRESEARCH

This section describes the practical tasks of coding and analysis, and how you accomplish each of them using HyperRESEARCH.

If youre starting out with HyperRESEARCH, first try out the HyperRESEARCH tutorials. These tutorials will guide you through all phases of working with the program, and youll create an actual study as you go.


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Setting Up Your Study

HyperRESEARCH keeps track of your coding scheme and all references to your source materials in a document called a study.

Before you create a study in HyperRESEARCH, you should know the basic unit of your study (each of these units will constitute a case), you should have your source files prepared and completed, and, if youre working in a team, you should consider how you and your team members will work together.

Setting up casesA case is the basic unit of analysis in a study. One case may represent an individual or a group such as a department, school district or corporation. In your study window, you will see each case as a separate pane. You can navigate between cases, or temporarily exclude some of your cases so that you can work with a subset of your data.

When creating your study, you should first consider what a case will consist of. When deciding what a case will consist of, consider how your study naturally breaks down. What are you comparing or contrasting?

Also consider the number of code references you will be adding to each case. If you will be adding more than several hundred code references to any case, this may be a sign that you should consider defining your cases differently.

You can add new cases to your study at any time, so you dont need to decide on your complete list of cases at the beginning. But you should decide on the basic unit of your study so that you can set up your initial cases accordingly.

Source filesYour source files contain the raw data that will be used for your study. Typical sources might include interview transcripts, video tape segments, survey results, photos, and other data.

Source formats:To use a source in a HyperRESEARCH study, it must be located in a file on your computer, in one of the many formats that HyperRESEARCH can use. If your source is not in this format, you will need to convert it before beginning to code the source.

For example, HyperRESEARCH can use text files, but not Microsoft Word files. If your

interview transcripts are in Word format, you must first use the File Save As command in Word to save each file in Text format. HyperRESEARCH can use the resulting text files as source material.

If you have audio or video material that is not in the form of computer filessuch as actual videotapeyou must first convert this material so that it can be stored in the form of a file. HyperRESEARCH will then be able to access the file so that you can code the material.


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For a complete list of formats HyperRESEARCH supports, see the File Types topic.

Changing source files:In general, you should avoid changing your source files after you begin coding. HyperRESEARCH maintains its code references by counting the number of characters from the start of a text source file to the beginning of the quoted portion. Because of this, if you change the source file (and therefore change the count of characters), HyperRESEARCH will no longer be able to locate the referenced quotations in that source file.

If you do need to change a source file after coding itfor example, to add attribution data to the fileits best to add the data at the end of the file. Any code references that come after the change will need to be re-coded, so adding information at the end of the file avoids the need to re-code.

Naming and placing source files:Your source files can have any name and be placed in any convenient location on your disk. The only exception to this is that you cannot have two source files with the same name. If you use two sources with the same name, HyperRESEARCH will not be able to tell which code references should be assigned to which file.

For convenience, it is suggested that you keep all source files for your study in the same folder. This will make it easier for HyperRESEARCH to locate the files if you move them to another computer or to another location on your computer.

Working with large source files:HyperRESEARCH does not impose any limit on the size of your source files. Sources may be of any size.

However, if text source files are very large, certain functionsin particular, viewing a source with Codes in Contextmay become slow as coding progresses, particularly if you have more than a thousand code references in a single source file. To avoid this, if any of your text sources are very large (several hundred K or more), consider splitting them into multiple files before you begin coding. Since you can use as many source files as needed for each case, doing so generally will not change your study schema, and it may prevent an annoying slowdown.

Image, audio, and video files may be of any size that your computers memory will accommodate, and the above discussion does not apply to any but text sources. Large image, audio, and video sources will not cause HyperRESEARCH to slow down when viewing.

Planning for collaborative workHyperRESEARCH is designed to be used by one person at a time, and only one person can work on a single study file at one time. However, several researchers can do coding for the same study, each working on a separate copy of the study file. When coding is completed, the study files can be merged by hand into a single study file, ready for reporting and analysis.


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The recommended process requires that only one person work on any given case. Because of this, you and your colleagues should decide, before beginning work, how you will divide up the cases so that each case will be changed by only one person.

For more information about merging study files, see the Working Collaboratively topic.

Backing Up Data

Despite all efforts to the contrary, sometimes things go wrong. Computers crash, disks fail, software errors occur, people make mistakes. For this reason, ResearchWare, Inc. strongly suggests you regularly back up all your data.

The two most important pieces of your work with HyperRESEARCH are your source files and your study file.

Your source files should be backed up before you begin work in HyperRESEARCH. You should not alter any source files after you begin coding them in HyperRESEARCH; changes to source files may alter the data associated with any given code reference.

Having one copy of each source file on your hard disk for use in your study and another copy backed up on permanent media such as floppy disks or removable storage disks (CD-R, CD-RW, Zip, etc.) should be sufficient. For maximum protection, you may want to keep two back-up copies, with one copy of everything off-site (in case of fire or other unrecoverable disaster). Your study file should be backed up regularly (after each session with HyperRESEARCH, daily, or weekly). Ideally, you should keep multiple backups, and include the date in the name of every backup study file. Sometimes an error will occur that will go undetected for a few sessions; having multiple backups with an easily recognizable dating system will aid in recovering data from before the error occurred.

Tip: HyperRESEARCH can store an automatic backup every time you save your study file. For more information, see Backups in the Options/Preferences Window topic.

The easiest way to back up a study file is to save the file under another name at the end of a session. First, make sure you save the file to its normal location on your hard

drive by choosing File Save. Then choose File Save As to save a copy of the file to another location (a floppy disk or other removable storage media). Include the date into the backup files name. Other files you may wish to back up include saved report settings, hypothesis tests, exported reports and tests, and exported master code lists.

If you keep your study file, the folder containing your source files, and your settings files in one folder, you can simply copy the folder to your removable media to back up everything in one step.

Preparing Source Material


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HyperRESEARCH support a wide variety of source material formats, including text, audio and video, and graphics. The first thing you need to do with your data is to get it into a format that HyperRESEARCH can read.

Setting up your source filesFirst, make sure your source materials are in a format thats listed below under File formats you can use with HyperRESEARCH. For more technical information, see the topic File Types.

You may need to convert the format of some source files to make them compatible with HyperRESEARCH. For example, if you have text in a Microsoft Word (.doc) file, make sure to open it in Word and save it as Plain Text, Text Only, or ASCII Text (the exact wording may vary depending on your version of Word). The plain text version of the file is the one you will use in HyperRESEARCH.

Important: Changing the filename extension does not change the format of the file, so simply renaming Interview.doc to Interview.txt will not change it to a plain text file. To convert a files format, you must use the Save As command to save it as a new file. In Microsoft Word, you must choose Text Only from the Format popup menu in the Save As dialog box. This will ensure your file is in the correct format.

Organizing source files:Its a good idea to keep all source files, regardless of type, in the same folder on your hard drive. You can place this folder anywhere, but it is convenient to put it in the same place as your study file. Each file should also have a name that readily identifies its contents.

Source files do not need to be in the same folder for you to use them, but putting them in the same folder makes it easier to find, move, and back up all your source files at once, and makes it less likely that youll misplace or accidentally delete a file.

Editing before starting to code:Make sure you complete your proofreading and editing of each source file before coding it in HyperRESEARCH. Once you begin coding, you should not alter the coded source files in any way. (However, you can move the source file, make back-ups of it, print it out using your word processor, or do anything other than change its contents.)

The reason for this is that HyperRESEARCH keeps track of which passages have been coded in a text source file by counting the number of characters to the start of the coded passage. If you change the filefor example, by adding a header to the start of the fileall these locations will change, so the location of your codes will no longer correspond to the parts of the text you selected.

For the same reason, if more than one researcher is coding the same source files, make sure each researcher has the same version of the files. Otherwise, if two researchers are each using a slightly different version of a file, their codes will be incompatible.

Protecting your source files


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To protect your text source files from being edited, you can make them read-only or lock them.

Windows:In Windows, you do this by right-clicking the icon of the file and choosing the Properties item. Click the read-only check box near the bottom of the General dialog that appears.

OS X:

In OS X, select the files icon, then choose File Get Info. Check the Locked box in the Info window to lock the file.


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Classic Mac OS:

In classic Mac OS, select the files icon, then choose File Get Info General Information. Click the Locked check box in the Get Info window to lock the file.


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Text filesHyperRESEARCH can read any text file - interview transcriptions, e-mail messages, etc. - provided the file is in Plain Text (or ASCII) format. Use your favorite word processor to prepare the data. You can type the material in, or scan it with any of the OCR (optical character recognition) programs available, or import the material from other computer programs (especially in the case of text materials procured via e-mail), etc.

Once youve prepared your text data, you must save it in Plain Text format (sometimes called Text Only or ASCII format). Refer to your word processors user guide if you do not know how to save a file in Plain Text format.

Tip: For best results, do not choose Text Only with Line Breaks or its equivalent. This will insert a paragraph mark at the end of every line, and your text file may not display properly when opened in HyperRESEARCH. (The line lengths will differ between your word processor and the HyperRESEARCH source file window.) It's better to have paragraph marks occur only at the end of true paragraphs.


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If you wish to control where the HyperRESEARCH page breaks appear, you may insert page breaks manually. Use the tilde character (~) to mark a HyperRESEARCH page break. The tilde should be by itself on an otherwise blank line. Be careful not to allow a tilde to split up text you may wish to code as a whole; you will not be able to select text across a HyperRESEARCH page break.

If you do not manually insert the tilde page break characters, HyperRESEARCH will open the entire file as a single page.

Image filesHyperRESEARCH can open as source material any graphic file saved in JPEG, GIF, BMP, or PNG format. PICT files are also supported in Mac OS. JPEG files have the advantage of supporting full color depth with compression that work very well on photographs, while line art tends to compress better with PNG or GIF. Both JPEG and GIF files may be published on the World Wide Web.

You can prepare images in these formats by scanning in photographs, slides or other flat materials, or by using a digital camera. Depending on the software you used for scanning or transfer from the digital camera, you may also need to convert the image files to one of the supported formats. Adobe PhotoShop, Jasc Softwares Paintshop Pro, GraphicConverter, DeBabelizer, as well as dozens of shareware products are capable of doing this sort of conversion.

Flatbed scanners range in cost from under $100 to very expensive for high-end drum scanners that are used by the publishing industry. Weve found the $130 to $400 range from companies like Epson, Microtek, Hewlett-Packard to be very serviceable for most needs.

Slide scanners are more in the $800 to $4000 (and up) range and digital cameras start at around $200 and again can be very costly at the high end.

Generally, a $300 dollar flatbed scanner and a snapshot from just about any 35mm camera will produce higher quality results than the lower end digital cameras. But a good quality digital camera has the advantage of needing no film or processing.

HyperRESEARCH can use the images regardless of the storage media you use with your computer. Hard disk, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, or Zip drives are all fine. If you have access to a CD burner, this is an excellent place to store your data because CDs are read-only, thus preventing accidental erasure or corruption of your data.

Movies and soundHyperRESEARCH uses QuickTime as the architecture for audio, video, and animation support. QuickTime is a popular standard for delivering cross-platform desktop video. QuickTime is available for free from Apple for both Macintosh and Windows at http://www.apple.com/quicktime. In addition to native QuickTime movies (MOV files), QuickTime also supports playback of other media types, including MPEG, AVI, SWF (Flash), and animated GIF files.

If your source materials are not already in the form of computer files, you will need to prepare them for use in HyperRESEARCH. To import such material to the computer, you will need a computer with video and/or audio digitizing hardware and a connection to a video or audio source. This might be a camcorder, VCR, or audiocassette recorder.


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If your source materials are not already in the form of computer files, you will need to prepare them for use in HyperRESEARCH. To import such material to the computer, you will need a computer with video and/or audio digitizing hardware and a connection to a video or audio source. This might be a camcorder, VCR, or audiocassette recorder.

Once the video or audio source material is digitized, you will need to make sure the file is saved as a QuickTime movie. The QuickTime Pro software from Apple can open an incredible variety of media file types and export them as QuickTime movies.

HyperRESEARCH and other applications that use the QuickTime video architecture can treat audio as a sound-only movie. One of QuickTimes advantages with respect to audio is the compression which can be applied. By using the Qualcomm Purevoice codec (supplied with the licensed version of QuickTime 3.0 or later), you can put up to 60 hours of audio on a single 650MB CD.

File formats you can use with HyperRESEARCHHyperRESEARCH lets you use any of the following file formats as source files: Text: Plain text

Images: Windows Bitmap (BMP), GIF, JPEG, PNG, PICT (Mac only)

Audio: AIFF, MP3, WAV, QuickTime audio

Video: Video for Windows (AVI), MPEG, QuickTime video, Flash (support depends on QuickTime version)

For additional technical information, see the Source File Types in the topic File Types.

Coding Source Material

The process of coding in HyperRESEARCH is straightforward. To code source material, first make sure that your study window is showing the case you want to code to. (The case name appears near the top of the study window. For more information about navigating through cases, see the Study Window topic.)

Next, choose Sources Open Source and select the source file you want to code, which will appear in the source window. In this window, select the source material you wish to code, and assign one or more code names to it. This code reference appears in your study window, assigned to the current case.

Note: You can have only one source file window open at any time. If you open another source, any currently open source window closes.

Coding textTo open a text file for coding, choose Sources Open Source Text, then choose the text file you want to work with.


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(If your file does not appear or if it is disabled, double-check to make sure it is a text file, not in any other format. You may need to open the file in your word processing

program, choose File Save As in that program, and save the file in text format first.)

The first page of the source file appears in a source window.

To select text for coding, click and drag the cursor over the passage you wish to code.

When you have the exact passage selected, choose Codes Encode (or press Enter or Return) to open the Code List Editor.

Tip: If youve chosen the On Selection coding option in the Options/Preferences window, the Code List Editor will appear automatically when youve selected a passage, and you dont need to choose a menu item or press a key. For more information, see the Code List Editor section in the Options/Preferences Window topic.)

In the Code List Editor, select one or more codes, then click the Apply button to create a code reference. HyperRESEARCH will add the code name and source reference to the current case in the study window. You may then select more text to code.

If the Code List Editor is already open when youve selected a passage, pressing Enter or Return triggers the Apply button, so you can apply the code in one step. See the Code List Editor topic for tips on coding.

Your text source file may be paginated by placing a tilde (~) at each page break. (See the Preparing Source Material topic for more information.) Click the arrows near the top of the source window to move from one page to another within the source file.

See the Source Window (Text) topic for more information about displaying and coding text files.

Autocoding in text source files:The Autocode feature will search text source files for specified words or phrases and assign a specified code or codes to the found text.

When you choose Codes Autocode, HyperRESEARCH displays the Autocode window. There are three tabbed panels of this window that allow you to specify which text sources to search, which phrases to look for and what code or codes to assign to the found text.

For more information about using the Autocode feature, see the Autocode Window

topic. For an introduction to the autocoding feature as used in an example study, see Tutorial 6: Advanced Code and Retrieve Features.

Coding imagesTo open a picture file for coding, choose Sources Open Source Image.

Click and drag the cursor to create a selection rectangle over the area of the image you

wish to code. When you have the exact rectangle selected, choose Codes Encode (or press Enter or Return) to open the Code List Editor.


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Click and drag the cursor to create a selection rectangle over the area of the image you

wish to code. When you have the exact rectangle selected, choose Codes Encode (or press Enter or Return) to open the Code List Editor.

Tip: If youve chosen the On Selection coding option in the Options/Preferences window, the Code List Editor will appear automatically when youve selected a portion of the image, and you dont need to choose a menu item or press a key. For more information, see the Code List Editor section in the Options/Preferences Window topic.)

In the Code List Editor, select one or more codes, then click the Apply button to create a code reference. HyperRESEARCH will add the code name and source reference to the current case in the study window. You may then select another part of the image to code, or move to another source file.

If the Code List Editor is already open when youve selected a rectangle, pressing Enter or Return triggers the Apply button, so you can apply the code in one step. See the Code List Editor topic for tips on coding.

Tip: If the image is larger than the current window size, you may need to resize the window or use the scroll bars to access other portions of the image.

See the Source Window (Image) topic for more information about displaying and coding image files.

Coding audio or videoTo open an audio or video file for coding, choose Sources Open Source Movie or Audio.

The controller bar at the bottom of the window allow you to adjust the volume, play the movie; and step forward or backward one frame at time through the movie. You can also adjust your position within the movie file by dragging the play head (the vertical bar that shows your current position in the movie). The current frame of the movie appears above the controller bar, as shown below.

Audio files use the same controller bar and the same techniques, but no image appears above the controller bar for an audio file.


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To select a section of the movie, position the play head at the start of the movie segment you wish to code. Hold down the Shift key while pressing the Space bar to start playing. When the movie reaches the end of the desired selection, release the Shift key to stop. The selected portion is shown as a darkened area in the controller bar.

When you have the exact portion you want selected, choose Codes Encode (or press Enter or Return) to open the Code List Editor.

Tip: If youve chosen the On Selecting coding option in the Options/Preferences window, the Code List Editor will appear automatically when youve selected a portion of the movie, and you dont need to choose a menu item or press a key. For more information, see the Code List Editor section in the Options/Preferences Window topic.)

In the Code List Editor, select one or more codes, then click the Apply button to create a code reference. HyperRESEARCH will add the code name and source reference to the current case in the study window. You may then select another part of the movie to code, or move to another source file.

If the Code List Editor is already open when youve selected a part of the movie, pressing Enter or Return triggers the Apply button, so you can apply the code in one step. See the Code List Editor topic for tips on coding.

Selection tips for audio and video:To fine-tune your selection, here are several techniques, using the Step Left and Step Right arrow buttons at the right end of the controller bar. To use these shortcuts, start with the play head inside the selection (the darkened area in the controller bar):

Windows MacJump to the start of the selection

Ctrl-Alt-Step Left Option-Step Left Jump to the end of the selection

Ctrl-Alt-Step Right Option-Step Right


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Add a frame to the start of the selection1. Alt-Step Left 1. Option-Step Left2. Shift-Step Left 2. Shift-Step Left

Add a frame to the end of the selection1. Alt-Step Right 1. Option-Step Right2. Shift-Step Right 2. Shift-Step Right

Remove a frame from the start of the selection1. Alt-Step Left 1. Option-Step Left2. Shift-Step Left 2. Shift-Step Left

Remove a frame from the end of the selection1. Alt-Step Right 1. Option-Step Right2. Shift-Step Left 2. Shift-Step Left

Select while playing Shift-Play Shift-Play

Change play speed Alt-Step Ctrl-StepThis is a strange but useful feature. If you hold down the Alt key (Windows) or Control key (Mac) and click the Step buttons, if you hold down the mouse button, a speed control appears in place of the Step buttons.

While continuing to hold down the mouse button, move it further to the right to play the movie faster, or to the left to play in reverse. You can press the Space bar at any time to begin selecting, and release the Space bar to stop selecting. When you release the mouse button, the speed control disappears and the Step buttons reappear.

See the Source Window (Movie or Audio) topic for more information about displaying and coding media files. For more keyboard shortcuts, see the Audio or Video Source Window section in the Keyboard Shortcuts topic.

Coding shortcutsSince coding is one of the most time-consuming tasks in qualitative research, HyperRESEARCH provides many shortcuts for making coding easier and quicker.

After you select a portion of text, press the Enter or Return key to open the Code List Editor window. You can also choose to have the Code List Editor open when you select source material, without having to press the Enter or Return keys (see the Options/Preferences Window topic).

If the Code List Editor window is already open when youve made your source selection, pressing the Enter or Return key triggers the Apply button in the Code List Editor, creating a code reference in the current case with the code or codes selected in the Code List.


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If the Code List Editor window is already open when youve made your source selection, pressing the Enter or Return key triggers the Apply button in the Code List Editor, creating a code reference in the current case with the code or codes selected in the Code List.

As a shortcut for clicking a code in the code list and then clicking the Apply button, double-clicking a code in the code list will trigger the Apply button.

To code most quickly, follow these steps:

1 Leave the Code List Editor window open next to your source window.

Tip: The Code List Editor window is resizable; making it as tall as you can will let you see more of your codes at once.

2 Select the portion of the source material you wish to code.

3 Double-click the code you want in the Code List Editor window.

If youre assigning the same code to many portions of your source, you can just select the source material and press the Enter or Return key. If youve left the Code List Editor open and have your code selected, this will apply the code for you in one step.

Analyzing Code Frequencies

Checking the frequencies with which youve used your codes can help in analyzing both your data and the progress of your coding tasks. HyperRESEARCH also performs statistical analysis of the frequency with which codes are used across the cases in your study, allowing you to see which codes are broadly used and which are concentrated in certain cases.

For additional information about the controls in the Frequency Report Settings window, see the Frequency Report Window topic.

Creating a frequency reportTo create a report of the code frequencies in your study, choose Reports Frequency Report. The Frequency Report Settings window appears:


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In the Frequency Report Settings dialog box, you can select which cross-case statistical analysis options to include in the frequency report. You can also choose to display a bar graph that shows graphically how often each code has been used.

The frequency report shows all the codes in the Code List Editor, along with the total number of times each code has been used in your study. (If you have selected certain codes to work with, only the selected codes are shown. For more about code and case selection, see the topics Selecting Codes and Selecting Cases.)


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The frequency report shows all the codes in the Code List Editor, along with the total number of times each code has been used in your study. (If you have selected certain codes to work with, only the selected codes are shown. For more about code and case selection, see the topics Selecting Codes and Selecting Cases.)

Statistical analysis of code usage across casesThe frequency report lists all the codes in the Code List Editor, along with the total number of times each code has been used in your study.

You can also optionally include statistical information about how the code is distributed across cases. These statistics are based on how often the code appears in each case in your study: the minimum, maximum, mean, and standard deviation of the codes frequency of use.

Each option is displayed in a column of the frequency report. You can use all, none, or any combination of options. (If a box is not checked, that column is not included when the frequency report is displayed.)

Minimum:The smallest number of times this code has been used in any of your cases. If there are any cases in your study where the code is not used at all, the minimum is zero.

Maximum:The largest number of times this code has been used in any of your cases.

Mean:The average number (arithmetic mean) of the codes use across all cases in your study.

Standard Deviation:The standard deviation of the distribution of this code across the cases in your study. The larger the standard deviation, the more variation there is in use of the code. For example, if a code is used the same number of times in each case, the standard deviation of its frequency is zero.

Code frequency bar graphIf you check the Bar Graph box in the Frequency Report Settings window, a graphical representation of the Total column is included in the frequency report. Each row includes a horizontal bar whose length is proportional to the total number of times the code has been used in your study: the longer the bar, the more often the code is used.

This is the same information as in the Total column, presented in visual format to make it easier to scan.

Printing or exporting a frequency reportOnce youve created the frequency report, you can print it or export it as a text file.

To print the report, click Print.


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To export the report, click Export Text and choose a name and location for the exported file. The file is exported in text tab-delimited format, and can be opened in any word processor or text editor, or in a spreadsheet program. (When you export a frequency report, the bar graph is not included, but all other columns displayed are included.)

Including Codes of Type Theme

The Hypothesis Tester can temporarily add a code to a case. Normally, these additional codes exist only during the test itself; they are not added to the case. However, by checking the Add Themes to Cases box in the Hypothesis Tester window, you can add these codes to the case as codes of type THEME.

Theme codes are not derived directly from your data in the coding process. Rather, theyre based on the presence or absence of certain codes in the case. They dont point to any underlying source material (of type TEXT, IMAGE, or MOVIE). They represent themes youve inferred from existing coding. A code of type THEME, unlike other codes, does not have any source material associated with it. It is part of the case, but has no source file or source reference.

For example, in the QDA Software study, the following inference may be made:

IF computer more efficient AND stays close to data AND NOT distant from data THEN NOT FRANKENSTEINS MONSTER

That is: if during the coding process you found source material chunks that warranted the codes computer more efficient and stays close to data, but you didnt find any source material that supported the distant from data code, then its logical to infer that the respondent doesnt consider qualitative data analysis software to be a Frankensteins Monster. If you place this rule in the Hypothesis Tester, and check the Add Themes to Cases box, then the code NOT FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER is added to each case that meets the criteria.

Codes of type THEME may be the same codes that you have used already in coding. If you want your THEME codes to be distinct from your normal master codes (to be applied only as THEMES, rather than assigned directly to the data) you may wish to name them in all upper case (e.g. NOT FRANKENSTEINS MONSTER). This will help them stand out in the Code List Editor and in the study window.

These THEME codes may be manipulated and analyzed in the same ways as regular codes. They appear in the Code List Editor and can be duplicated, renamed, deleted, and so on.

See the Testing Hypotheses topic for more information.


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Selecting Cases

HyperRESEARCH allows you to work with subsets of your cases by selecting certain cases and excluding others. When browsing through your cases or running a report or frequency report, HyperRESEARCH shows only those cases that are currently selected. To access any unselected cases, you need to change the current selection by choosing

Cases Select Cases.

All casesThe case selection default is All Cases; HyperRESEARCH will show all your cases unless instructed otherwise. To show all cases again after having selected a subset of cases,

choose Cases Select Cases All Cases.

Selecting cases by nameBy choosing Cases Select Cases By Name, you may choose specific cases manually. HyperRESEARCH displays your case list. Click a case name to select it. To select more than one case, click the first case, then Control-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac) to select additional cases.

Selecting cases by criteriaBy choosing Cases Select Cases By Criteria, you may select cases based on the presence and/or absence of various codes. You may also select cases using the code proximity functions. See the Expressions and Selection Criteria topic for more information on specifying criteria for case selection.

Selecting the current caseTo hide all cases except for the one currently displayed in the study window, choose

Cases Select Cases Current Case Only.

Selecting Codes

HyperRESEARCH allows you to work with subsets of your codes by selecting certain codes and excluding others. When browsing through your cases or running a report or frequency report, HyperRESEARCH shows only the code references for the currently selected codes. To access any unselected codes, you need to change the current

selection by choosing Cases Select Cases.

Code selection can be a powerful tool in analyzing your data, especially when used in combination with the case selection tools. Reports will analyze only those codes and cases currently selected, making it easy to concentrate on certain portions of your data.

All codesThe code selection default is All Codes; HyperRESEARCH will show all your codes unless instructed otherwise. To show all codes again after having selected a subset of codes,

choose Codes Select Codes All Codes.


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The code selection default is All Codes; HyperRESEARCH will show all your codes unless instructed otherwise. To show all codes again after having selected a subset of codes,

choose Codes Select Codes All Codes.

Selecting codes by nameBy choosing Codes Select Codes By Name, you may choose specific code names manually. HyperRESEARCH displays your master code list. Click a code name to select it. To select more than one code, click the first code, then Control-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac) to select additional codes. HyperRESEARCH will display all code references that are assigned to one of the specified codes, and hide the rest of the code references.

Selecting codes by criteriaBy choosing Codes Select Codes By Criteria, you may select codes using the code proximity functions, and also by name. Code references that match the criteria are selected. See the Expressions and Selection Criteria topic for more information on specifying criteria for code selection.

Using the Code Map to select codesIn the Code Map window, you can choose Apply Marked Set to Study Window from the Mark menu to select codes that have been marked with yellow highlighting in the Code Map. All code references that use any of the highlighted codes will be selected. For more information about using the Code Map, see the Mapping Code Relations and Code Map Window topics.

Selecting codes by typeYou may select code references based on the type of source material theyve been assigned to. Code reference types include Text, Image, Movie, and Theme.

The Theme code type is a special type, not referring to any specific source material. The Hypothesis Tester may add theme codes to the study. See the Testing Hypotheses and Including Codes of Type Theme topics for more information about Theme codes.

Hiding all codesYou can easily clear the decks by choosing Codes Select Codes Unselect All. Although all your code references are of course saved (and easily retrieved by changing the code selection method), theyll be hidden and out of the way while you apply new codes to the case.

Hiding specified code referencesYou can hide one or more code references by highlighting the code reference in the

study window, then choosing Edit Hide Highlighted. The selected code references are hidden from view. To hide all code references in the current case that are not

selected, select the code references you want to keep in view, then choose Edit Hide Others.

To show all the hidden code references, choose Codes Select Codes All Codes.


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Mapping Code Relations

A code map is a visual representation of your master codes and possible relations between them. You can use the Code Map window to display codes according to your own hierarchy, or to simply group codes visually according to theme. Any code maps you create in a study file are saved inside that study file, so you can continue to re-use and enhance your code maps.

To open the Code Map window, choose Codes Code Map.

When the Code Map window opens, it displays a blank canvas where you will create your code map. The controls at top and bottom let you create items on the map, switch between code maps, mark certain codes for special attention, and more. (For more information about the controls in this window, see the Code Map Window topic.)

There are four tools available at the top of the window: Select, Add, Link, and Mark. Click any of the tools to work with that tool.

Creating a code mapThe first step in creating a code map is to add some codes.


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To add a code, choose the Add tool at the top of the window, then click in the code map where you want the code to appear. Choose the code you want to use from the list, then click Select. The code you chose appears in the Code Map window.

You can continue adding codes like this, one by one, or add several codes at once. To add several codes at once, click each one in the dialog box while holding down the Control key (Windows) or Command key (Mac). If you select multiple codes, a box is added for each code.

Adjusting the code map:Once you have added some codes to the code map, youll probably want to move them around to show their relationships. For example, you might put more important codes at the top or left edge of the code map. Or you might cluster groups of related codes together.

To move a code, choose the Select tool, then click the code and drag it to its new position. Codes can be moved anywhere in the Code Map window. You can overlap codes, if you wish.


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When you click a code with the Select tool, small handles appear at the edges and corners of the code. You can drag these boxes to change the size of the code. For example, you might make more important or central codes larger and more prominent.

Linking related codes:In addition to showing code relationships through proximity, you can visually link two codes together to indicate that they are related.

To link two codes, click the Link tool, then click the first code to link. A line extends from the code to the mouse pointer. When you click a second code, a link is established between the two codes.

To link several codes at once to the same code, use the Select tool to select several codes. (To select multiple codes, Shift-click each one.) Then click the Link tool. A set of lines extends from each selected code to the mouse pointer. Click the code that you want to link the selected codes to.


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When you move a linked code, the links move with the code. (You may find that you need to reposition some codes, so that the links are easier to see.)

Deleting codes:If you change your mind and decide to remove a code from the code map, click the

code with the Select tool, then choose Edit Delete (or press the Delete key). The code is removed from the code map. Any links to that code are also removed.

Selecting codes with the code mapOne of the most powerful ways to use a code map is to use it to select a subset of codes to work with. (For more information about selecting subsets of codes, see the Selecting Codes topic.) Start by marking the codes you want to work with.

To mark a code, click the Mark tool. Then click each code you want to select. Marked codes are highlighted in a bright yellow color so theyre easy to see.


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To unmark a code, just click it again with the Mark tool.

Once you have marked the codes you want, click and hold down the mouse on the Mark tool to display the Mark menu. Then choose Apply Marked Set to Study Window

from the Mark menu. (This action is equivalent to choosing Codes Select CodesBy Map.) The code references that correspond to the marked codes are displayed in the study window, and all other code references are temporarily hidden.

Enhancing the code mapYou can enhance the usefulness of your code map by adding text memos and pictures, and by changing various settings. You can also create multiple code maps for a single study, and switch between them.

To create a new code map, click the + button at the top of the Code Map window. You can switch between code maps by choosing a code maps name from the menu at the upper left of the Code Map window.

By default, code maps are named Code Map 1, Code Map 2, and so forth. To give the current code map a more descriptive name, choose Rename Current Code Map from the Action menu at the upper right of the Code Map window. (The Action menu is marked with a gear symbol .)

To add a memo, choose New Memo from the Action menu, then enter the text contents of the memo. You can use memos to label certain areas of the map or to insert a comment.


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To add a memo, choose New Memo from the Action menu, then enter the text contents of the memo. You can use memos to label certain areas of the map or to insert a comment.

To add a picture, choose Place Image from the Action menu, then choose the image file you want to display. You can choose any file on your disk thats in PNG, JPEG, GIF, or BMP format. The file is only displayed, not imported, so if you move, rename, or delete the picture file, it will disappear from the code map.

Tip: To change the image to display another file, double-click it and select the picture file you want to use.

Saving the code mapThe code maps you create are saved in the study file. When you choose File Save to save your study file, the code maps you've created are saved as part of that file, and

will be available the next time you re-open that study file and choose Codes Code Map.

Testing Hypotheses

The HyperRESEARCH Hypothesis Tester, like the Report window, supplies a set of tools that allow you to examine and work with your codes in ways not practical with the basic code generation and manipulation tools available at the study window. Specifically, the Hypothesis Tester can help determine whether or not the data supports any assumptions and inferences you may have concerning your study.

For an introduction to the Hypothesis Tester as used in an example study, see Tutorial 7: Using the Hypothesis Tester.

Before working with the Hypothesis Tester, you must develop a hypothesis about your data. Once you have formulated a hypothesis, you must express it in terms HyperRESEARCH can understand. You can then work out the best way to define each point in terms of codes.


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Each point in a HyperRESEARCH hypothesis consists of two parts; one or more antecedents and one or more consequents. Both antecedents and consequents can be expressed in terms of codes and code functions.

Any point you test with the HyperRESEARCH Hypothesis Tester is called a Rule. A Rule has two parts: codes that define your assumptions (the antecedents), and what you infer from those assumptions (the actions, or consequents, that result). HyperRESEARCH treats this combination of antecedents and consequents as a Rule, and checks a Rules validity against the available data (coded source materials) whenever you run a test.

If a Rules antecedents prove true, HyperRESEARCH can then use that Rules consequents, or actions, to support further Rules. It does this by temporarily adding or removing specified codes from the case being tested. A code added as a result of a Rules consequents is a Theme, and may be added permanently to the cases index card if you so choose. Such Themes are based on the presence or absence of given codes rather than any statements inherent in the source material.

For more information about building expressions in the Hypothesis Tester window, see the topic Expressions and Selection Criteria.

Running Reports

When you choose Reports New Report, HyperRESEARCH displays the Report window. Here you can specify the report parameters.


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Your report will include information only on the codes and cases currently selected (visible) in the study. Before running a report, make sure you have selected the proper cases and codes. See the Selecting Cases and Selecting Codes topics for more information.

Source types to includeThese checkboxes let you specify which type of source files you wish to include in the report. The default is to use text source files only. If you wish the report to include information on images, movies, or themes, click in the appropriate checkbox. Note that reports involving non-text source types will include the appropriate code references for those source file types, but cannot display images or movies within the report itself.

Report elements to includeClick in the checkboxes for each piece of information you wish included in the report.

If you select the Hyperlinks option, the following information will also be automatically included: Case Name; Code Name; Code Type; Code Reference; Source Name. This information is necessary to provide hyperlinks to non-text source material. Note that hyperlinks are really only useful when displaying a report to the screen. When using hyperlinks, you may click on a code reference in the displayed report to open the underlying source material. You may then view (or play) it in context. (Note that a code reference/source file hyperlink is not highlighted in any way; simply look for the lines that include the case name, code name, code type, source file type, reference, and source file name. Click anywhere on one of these lines to open the corresponding source file. If you are printing or exporting the report, you do not need Hyperlinks checked.


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If you select the Hyperlinks option, the following information will also be automatically included: Case Name; Code Name; Code Type; Code Reference; Source Name. This information is necessary to provide hyperlinks to non-text source material. Note that hyperlinks are really only useful when displaying a report to the screen. When using hyperlinks, you may click on a code reference in the displayed report to open the underlying source material. You may then view (or play) it in context. (Note that a code reference/source file hyperlink is not highlighted in any way; simply look for the lines that include the case name, code name, code type, source file type, reference, and source file name. Click anywhere on one of these lines to open the corresponding source file. If you are printing or exporting the report, you do not need Hyperlinks checked.

Check Code Frequency if you wish HyperRESEARCH to provide a numeric count of instances of each reported code name for each reported case.

Check Source Material to include the underlying source material with each reported code reference (TEXT source file types only).

Check Annotations to include any annotations assigned to each reported code reference.

Check Master Case List to include a list of all the cases in your current study.

Check List of Selected Cases to include a list of those cases currently selected in your study. (See the Selecting Cases topic for more information.) Note that the list of selected cases will match your master case list if you currently have all cases selected.

Check Case Selection Criteria to include an explanation of the current case selection criteria (All Cases, or By Name, or By Criteria, etc.). This information is especially useful if you currently have anything but All Cases selected in your study.

Check Master Code List to include a list of all the codes in your current study.

Check List of Selected Codes to include a list of those codes currently selected in your study. (See the Selecting Codes topic for more information.) Note that the list of selected codes will match your master code list if you currently have all codes selected.

Check Code Selection Criteria to include an explanation of the current code selection criteria (All Codes, or By Name, or By Criteria, etc.). This information is especially useful if you currently have anything but All Codes selected in your study.

Check the Master Source File List box if you wish to see a list of all the source files tracked by HyperRESEARCH in your current study.

You may also choose to sort the report by case name (each page of the report will contain the information for one case, sorted alphabetically by case name) or by code name (each page of the report will contain the information for one co

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