Import transcripts (NVivo 15 Windows)

You can import transcripts to embed with media files that have already been imported into a project Audio and video (NVivo 15 Windows). The transcripts can be time-stamped (allowing synchronization during playback of the media file), with speakers identified. If there is already transcript text for a media file the imported text is added to the existing text.

Transcript files must be plain text (.txt) in comma- or tab-separated variable format (CSV or TSV) or rich text or Word documents. See formatting instructions belowPrepare Word documents for importPrepare text files for import.

Transcripts exported from NVivo Transcription do not require any preparation for import.

Prepare Word documents for import

Import Word or rich text documents (.doc, .docx, .rtf) formatted as described below. Transcripts exported from NVivo Transcription do not require any preparation for import.

• Paragraphs that start with valid timestamps:

  

• Paragraphs without timestamps:

  

• A table that contains a valid timestamp or timespan column, and optionally a speaker's name column (can be in any order):

  

Prepare text files for import

Import text documents (.txt) formatted as described below. Transcripts exported from NVivo Transcription do not require any preparation for import.

• Tab delimited lines with a valid timestamp or timespan. Each line must contain at least one tab character—and have the same number of tab characters.

  

• Comma delimited lines that include a valid timestamp or timespan. Each line must contain at least one comma.

  

Import a transcript

To import a transcript to embed with a media file already in a project (adding text if the file already has transcript text) follow these instructions. If the transcript was exported from NVivo Transcription see the subsection below for the import settings to use.

1. Open the video or audio file that you want to import the transcript entries into.
2. Turn on edit mode in the top-left of the Detail View.
3. On the Edit tab, click Import Rows to open the Import Transcript Entries dialog box.
4. In the Import from field, click Browse and select the transcript file.
5. In Create one transcript row for each, select the element in the transcript file that will define each row in the imported transcript, e.g. create a new row for each timestamp, paragraph, table row (in Word documents), or line (in a tab- or comma delimited files).
6. If you are importing a Word table and the first column has an ID for each row, select File includes identifier column.
7. If you are importing a Word table or a tab or comma delimited file, creating one row per line:
   1. If the first row contains column headers, select File includes header row. This row will then be ignored when the transcript is imported.
   2. In the Transcript Field Mappings box, select which fields (columns) to import.
      • You must map one field to Timespan
      • You must map one field to Content
      • You can map to an existing custom field in your project or enter the name of a new field. This new field will be added to all existing audio or video transcripts.
      • Use the Fill Down box to populate any blank cells in the transcript with the contents of the preceding cell—for example, if the name of the speaker is only entered when the speaker changes, then use this option to fill in the blank speaker cells.
8. Click OK.

NOTE  NVivo tries to detect the file encoding used in the file. If you cannot import the data correctly, try using a different file encoding.

Import a transcript from NVivo Transcription

If your transcript was exported from NVivo Transcription, follow the steps above using settings as follows:

Text file

• In the Import Transcript Entries dialog box, for Create one transcript row for each, select Tab Delimited Line.
• Un-tick File includes header row.

• In Transcript Field Mappings, map the first field to Timespan, the second to speaker (type Speaker in the field), and the third to Content.

  

Word document

• In the Import Transcript Entries dialog box, for Create one transcript row for each, select Table Row.
• Un-tick File includes identifier column.
• Un-tick File includes header row.

• In Transcript Field Mappings, map the first field to speaker (type Speaker in the field), the second to Timespan, and the third to Content.

  

Understand timestamps and timespans

If you are importing tables or tab/comma delimited text files you must include valid timestamps or timespans:

• A 'timestamp' indicates a point in time (second, minute, hour). For example, two minutes (00:02:00) into an interview, Jane said, "I don't agree with the issues". You can enter timestamps as hh:mm:ss or hhmmss (where hh = hours, mm = minutes, and ss = seconds)
• A 'timespan' is the duration of time for a transcript entry. For example, Jane spoke about the new issues from the two minute point to the ten minute point ( 00:02:00.0-00:10:00.0). You can use a hyphen (-) or a forward slash (/) to indicate a timespan.

NVivo recognizes and converts short-hand timestamps—for example:

* NVivo measures time up to a 10th of a second.

Export transcripts

You can export a transcript from NVivo to a Word document or text file:

1. Click in the transcript you want to export.
2. On the Share tab, in the Export menu, select Export.
3. From the Export options, select Transcript.
4. (Optional) Under Save As, select the Browse button to change the name, location or format of the exported file.
5. Select the properties and other options that you want to include in the exported file.
6. To display the exported transcript after exporting, select the Open on Export check box.
7. Click OK.

NOTE  To export the transcripts for multiple audio or video sources, select the sources in list view and choose to export. In the export options, you can change the file type and folder location but you cannot change the default name of the exported files.