NVivo 12: Evernote

You can import Evernote notes into NVivo via account or .enex file; text becomes documents, attachments become separate files, and tags can convert to codes.

Aug 26, 2026
Knowledge

Title

NVivo 12: Evernote

Answer

Files > Evernote

Evernote

There are many different ways you can use Evernote to gather your materials. For example:

If you are working in the office, you can use the desktop version of Evernote to clip web pages, make notes and keep to-do lists.
If you are working in the field, you can use Evernote on your smartphone or tablet to record field observations, record interviews or take photos of research settings and participants.

As you create notes in Evernote, you can add tags to them—you can use this as a preliminary coding technique. For example, if you made an observational note about access to medical services in a remote community, you could add the tags remote, medical services. The tags can be converted into theme nodes when you import your notes into NVivo, and the entire content of the note will be coded to these nodes.

Bring in your files and get organized

Which import method should I use?

Import from	How it works	Comments
An Evernote account	Connect to your Evernote account from within NVivo, and then select the notes (or notebooks) that you want to import.	This is the simplest way to import your notes. Folders are automatically created for your notebooks and all the notes from a particular notebook will be grouped together in a folder.
An Evernote export file	Export a notebook or selected notes from Evernote to a .enex file, and then in NVivo choose to import notes from an Evernote export file.	This method can be useful when you regularly use the desktop version of Evernote, and have a large amount of data to import (for example, a large number of notes with attached video clips). In this situation, you may find it is quicker to import the notes from your computer than download them from your Evernote account. If you use this method, the structure of your notebooks is not preserved. If you want to keep the notes from each notebook in separate folders in NVivo, you should import each notebook separately.

Import from

How it works

Comments

An Evernote account

Connect to your Evernote account from within NVivo, and then select the notes (or notebooks) that you want to import.

This is the simplest way to import your notes. Folders are automatically created for your notebooks and all the notes from a particular notebook will be grouped together in a folder.

An Evernote export file

Export a notebook or selected notes from Evernote to a .enex file, and then in NVivo choose to import notes from an Evernote export file.

This method can be useful when you regularly use the desktop version of Evernote, and have a large amount of data to import (for example, a large number of notes with attached video clips).

In this situation, you may find it is quicker to import the notes from your computer than download them from your Evernote account.

If you use this method, the structure of your notebooks is not preserved. If you want to keep the notes from each notebook in separate folders in NVivo, you should import each notebook separately.

How notes are imported into NVivo

You can import individual notes or entire notebooks into NVivo.

When you import your Evernote notes, they are generally converted to document or PDF files—other file types (for example, audio or picture files) may be created, depending on the type of content you have within your notes.

Contents of the note	Is converted to
Text only—in plain or rich text format.	Document file which you can edit in NVivo
A web page which was clipped and saved to Evernote via Evernote Web Clipper.	Either a PDF file or a document file, depending on how you clipped the web page. Use the 'Simplified Article' capture in the Web Clipper if you want the web page to be converted to a document file.
Includes an attached file(s) in a supported document, PDF, picture, audio or video format.	The attached file is imported as a new file—for example, an audio or picture file. Attached files in unsupported formats are ignored. If the note also contains text, then the text is converted to a document, with 'see also' links to the files created from the attached files. The files created from attached files are stored together in a new folder that is added to your project.

Contents of the note

Is converted to

Text only—in plain or rich text format.

Document file which you can edit in NVivo

A web page which was clipped and saved to Evernote via Evernote Web Clipper.

Either a PDF file or a document file, depending on how you clipped the web page.

Use the 'Simplified Article' capture in the Web Clipper if you want the web page to be converted to a document file.

Includes an attached file(s) in a supported document, PDF, picture, audio or video format.

The attached file is imported as a new file—for example, an audio or picture file. Attached files in unsupported formats are ignored.

If the note also contains text, then the text is converted to a document, with 'see also' links to the files created from the attached files.

The files created from attached files are stored together in a new folder that is added to your project.

The files created from your notes are assigned to the file classification 'Reference', and information about the note (for example, date created and the author) is converted into file attribute values.

If you want to keep notes from each Evernote notebook in separate folders in NVivo, the easiest way to achieve this, is to import from an Evernote account—folders are created automatically when you import your notes this way. If you are importing your notes from an Evernote export file, you can export each notebook to a separate .enex file and then import them into separate folders in your NVivo project.

If your notes are tagged, you can choose to convert the Evernote tags to theme nodes and coding when you import notes into NVivo.

Import notes from Evernote

While working in NVivo, you can connect to your Evernote account and import your notebooks and notes. To do this:
On the Import tab, in the Notes & Email group, click Evernote.
Select an option.
- An Evernote account. Sign into Evernote and authorize NVivo to access your notes.
- An Evernote export file (.enex). Browse to your Evernote file.
Click OK.
Select the notes you want to import.

NOTE

If you receive a message indicating that the Evernote login webpage cannot be displayed, check your Internet connection. If the problem persists, check whether you are accessing the Internet via a proxy server. You may not be able to log into Evernote via NVivo if you connect to the Internet using a proxy server that requires authentication.
NVivo uses the title of the note and date it was last updated to determine whether a note has previously been imported. If you change the title of the note in Evernote or update it, it will be imported again and you will have two versions of the note in your project.
To create case nodes from your Evernote tags, move the imported theme nodes into the Cases folder.
Evernote export files must be created using a supported desktop version of Evernote: Evernote for Windows (version 3.1 or later) or Evernote for Mac (version 3 or later).

Logging into or switching Evernote accounts

When you log into your Evernote account via NVivo, the icon is displayed at the top-right of the NVivo screen.

You stay logged into Evernote until you choose to log out—even between NVivo sessions. To log out of Evernote via NVivo, click the Evernote icon and choose to Sign Out.

Understand how Evernote tags are converted to nodes

If a note is tagged, you can choose to convert the tags to theme nodes when you import the note. The theme nodes are created (if they do not already exist) and the entire content of the file that is being created is coded to these nodes. The nodes are stored in a folder named 'Evernote Tags' within the Nodes folder.

If you want to create case nodes from your Evernote tags, first import them as theme nodes then move them into the Cases folder.

If you do not want to create nodes when your notes are imported, clear the Create and code nodes from Evernote tags check box.

URL Name

NV12Win-Evernote

NVivo 12: Evernote

Information

Evernote

Which import method should I use?

How notes are imported into NVivo

Import notes from Evernote

Logging into or switching Evernote accounts

Understand how Evernote tags are converted to nodes

Related Articles

Trending Articles