NVivo 12: Relationships

Relationships in NVivo link two project items with a type and direction, allowing coding, visualization via charts or sociograms, and modification or merging.

Aug 26, 2026
Knowledge

Title

NVivo 12: Relationships

Answer

Nodes > Relationships

Relationships

A relationship is a special type of code that defines the connection between two project items.

Relationships record statements or hunches you have developed about how items in your project are connected. You might create relationships to show how your research participants are related or how concepts are related.

When you create a relationship, you choose the project items that are involved in the relationship and select a relationship type. Relationship types indicate the nature of the relationships. You can use the system-created 'Associated' relationship type or create your own relationship type.

When adding a relationship type you can define one of the following directions:

One way (Anna 'employs' Ken)
Associative (Anna 'knows' Ken)
Symmetrical (Anna 'works with' Ken)

Relationships are stored in the Relationships folder under the Codes group in Navigation View. Relationship types are also stored here.

Just like other types of codes, you can visually present relationships by showing them on Comparison diagrams and Explore diagrams.

You can visualize and analyze relationship connections in sociograms. (NVivo 12 Plus only)

Create a relationship

Relationships are made up of three parts: "from", "to" and the "type" of relationship.

On the Create tab, in the Codes group, click Relationship.
In the From box, specify the "from" item in the relationship.
In the Relationship Type list, select a relationship type or click New to create a new relationship type.
In the To box, specify the "to" item in the relationship.

Coding at relationships

You can code your data files to gather material at relationships. For example, you can code text that is evidence of marine dumping affecting water quality at the marine dumping 'impacts' water quality relationship. You can then open the relationship and explore the evidence you have gathered.

NOTE When you create a relationship between two codes, the coding at individual codes does not become part of the relationship's coding.

Quick coding at relationships

You can use the Quick Coding bar at the bottom of Detail View to create and code to a new relationship in one step or to code to an existing relationship.

Code to an existing relationship using the 'Quick Coding' bar

In a file or node, select the text you want to code.

In the Quick Coding bar, next to In, set the location to Relationships.
In the Code At section, in the first drop down box, search for or select the existing relationship you want to code at.
Press ENTER to create and code at the specified relationship.

Create and code to a relationship between cases using the Quick Coding bar

In a file or code, select the text you want to code.
In the Quick Coding bar, next to In, set the location to Relationships.
In the Code At section, specify the "from" case for the relationship. Type the name of a case. As you type, NVivo will suggest existing cases that you can choose from. Alternatively, you can create a new case by entering a unique name.
Specify the relationship type. You can select an existing relationship type from the list or create a new relationship type by entering a unique name. Relationship types created here are associative by default. You can change this later.
Specify the "to" case for the relationship. Type the name of a case. As you type, NVivo will suggest existing cases that you can choose from. Alternatively, you can create a new case by entering a unique name.
Press ENTER to create and code at the specified relationship.

Visualize relationships

View relationships with charts

Charts provide a way that you can visually represent the files and attributes coded at a relationship. You can use charts:

To see which files provide evidence of a relationship—for example, who are the main survey participants who have mentioned the relationship wetlands protect water quality?
To view demographic information about people or entities that have referred to a relationship—for example, females aged 50-59 are most likely to express the opinion that fossil fuels cause global warming.

Visualize relationships in sociograms

Available in Plus only

Sociograms let you visualize and analyze relationships between cases.

Modify relationships

You can make changes to a relationship in your project.

Convert a relationship to a node

You can convert a relationship to a theme node. The coding at the original relationship is retained in the new node.

In List View, click the relationship you want to convert to a node.
Press CTRL+C (or CTRL+X if you want to delete the relationship as part of the conversion).
In Navigation View, click the destination node folder.
Press CTRL+V.

Merge relationships

As your project evolves, you may find that you have two relationships with similar meaning—for example industrial waste 'causes' water pollution and industrial waste 'impacts' water quality. You can simplify your project by merging one relationship into the other.

In List View, select the relationship you want to merge into another relationship.
Press CTRL+C.
In List View, click the target relationship.
On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Merge, then click Merge into Selected Relationship.

NOTE

As a result of the merge, the target relationship is updated to include content coded at the merged relationship. Any 'see also' links or annotations from the merged relationship are now available in the target relationship.
Using Copy retains the original relationship in the Relationship folder. If you wish to remove the relationship as part of the merge, use Cut instead of Copy.

Change the project items in a relationship

In List View, click the relationship you want to change.
On the Home tab, in the Item group, click the Properties image.
Click the Select buttons beside the From and To boxes to choose the project items involved in the relationship.

Change the relationship type

In List View, click the relationship you want to change.
On the Home tab, in the Item group, click the Properties image.
In the Relationship Type list, select a relationship type or click New to create a new relationship type.

URL Name

NV12Win-Relationships

NVivo 12: Relationships

Information

Relationships

Create a relationship

Coding at relationships

Quick coding at relationships

Visualize relationships

Modify relationships

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