Nvivo 13/R1: Open MAXQDA projects

MAXQDA projects (.mx3, .mx4, .mx5, .qdpx) can be imported into NVivo 13 Windows, converting documents, codes, memos, attributes, and coding references for analysis.

Aug 27, 2026
Knowledge

Title

Nvivo 13/R1: Open MAXQDA projects

Answer

Open MAXQDA projects

MAXQDA 2007, MAXQDA 10 and MAXQDA 11 projects (.mx3, .mx4, .mx5) can be opened (and converted) in NVivo.

You can also import a project in .qdpx file format. REFI-QDA Standard

Open (and convert) a MAXQDA in NVivo

Click the File tab, and then click Open.
Select MAXQDA Projects (*.mx3, *.mx4, *.mx5) from the File or Project type list.
Locate and select the project you want to open.
Click Open. The Convert Project dialog box opens.
Click Browse, and then choose where you want to save the converted project.
1. Do one of the following:
  - To save as a standalone project, select NVivo Projects (*.nvp ) from the Save as type list, and then enter a name for the converted project in the File name box.
  - To save as an NVivo Collaboration Server project, select NVivo Server Projects from the Save as type list, then select the server from the Connection name box, and then enter a name for the converted project in the Project name box.
2. Click Save.
(Optional) Select the Code files to codes check box, to create a code for each document (text) that is converted to an NVivo file. Document attributes are converted to case classification attributes, and the attribute values are set on the case code. If you do not select this option, document attributes are converted to file classification attributes and the attribute values are set on the file.
Click Convert.

A new NVivo project is created. MAXQDA documents are converted to NVivo files, codes are converted to codes, and coding references are converted to code references.

NOTE

The Connection name box is empty if you have not set up any NVivo Collaboration Server connections—click the Add button to create a new connection using the Connection Properties dialog box.
If you cannot select NVivo Projects (*.nvp), check your connections Click File > Options, then click the Connections tab to see the connections.. You need a standalone connection to create a standalone project saved to your computer or a network drive.
If you receive a message indicating that you do not have permission to create a project on NVivo Collaboration Server, verify with your NVivo Collaboration Server administrator that you are in a user group that has permission to create new projects.

How MAXQDA project elements are converted

Texts, text groups, text sets, text memos and attributes

MAXQDA	NVivo	Notes
Text group	User folder within the Internals folder
Memo attached to text group	User folder description	The maximum length of the description is 512 characters. The memo will be truncated during conversion if it contains more than 512 characters. If the MAXQDA memo contains linked codes, a 'see-also' link is created, linking the first word of each document (text) in the folder (text group) to the corresponding code. If the MAXQDA project has a memo attached to the root level 'Texts' group, this is converted to the NVivo project description, but any linked codes are not converted.
Text set	Set
Memo attached to text set	Set description	The maximum length of the description is 512 characters. The memo will be truncated during conversion if it contains more than 512 characters. If the MAXQDA memo contains linked codes, a 'see-also' link is created, linking the first word of each document (text) in the set to the corresponding code.
Text	Document or PDF file	PDF texts are converted to PDF files. All other texts are converted to document files. If a text cannot be imported into NVivo for any reason, it is represented in NVivo by an external. Color attributes are converted to file colors—the MAXQDA color is converted to the closest NVivo color (blue, green, purple, orange, red, pink, or yellow). Line numbering and paragraph numbering are not available in NVivo.
Memo attached to entire text	Memo	The memo is linked to the document file by a memo link. If the MAXQDA memo contains linked codes, a 'see-also' link is created, linking the first word of the memo to the corresponding code.
Memo attached to a text segment	Annotation	The annotation is linked to the first word of the text segment in the document file. If the MAXQDA memo contains linked codes, a 'see-also' link is created, linking the first word of the text segment to the corresponding code. Memos attached to text segments in PDF documents are not converted to annotations. An indication of the memo that was attached to the text segment is provided in a linked memo (the memo includes the approximate location of the text segment in the PDF).
Memo attached to an image	Annotation	When converted, the annotated area extends across a full horizontal section of the image.
Text link	'See-also' link	Text links attached to text segments in PDF documents are not converted to 'see-also' links. An indication of the text link is provided in a linked memo (the memo includes the approximate location of the text link in the PDF).
Attributes (user-defined)	Case classification attributes OR File classification attributes	If you select 'Code files to codes' when you convert the project, then documents attributes are converted to case classification attributes—this is useful when document attributes hold information about people, places or other units of observation. If you do not select 'Code files to codes', attributes are converted to file classification attributes—this is useful when the attributes hold information about the document, such as the author and publication date.
Audio and video files	Audio or video files	Only audio and video in supported formats are converted. Files in other formats will be represented by an external in the NVivo project—any transcript entries are stored in the external. Color attributes are converted to file colors—the MAXQDA color is converted to the closest NVivo color (blue, green, purple, orange, red, pink, or yellow).
Image files	Picture files	Only image files in supported formats are converted. Files in other formats will be represented by an external in the NVivo project. Color attributes are converted to file colors—the MAXQDA color is converted to the closest NVivo color (blue, green, purple, orange, red, pink, or yellow).

Codes, code sets, code memos and coding

MAXQDA	NVivo	Notes
Code	Code	Code color attributes are converted to code colors—the MAXQDA color is converted to the closest NVivo color (blue, green, purple, orange, red, pink, or yellow). Emoticodes are converted to codes.
Memo attached to a code	Memo	The memo is linked to the code by a memo link. If the MAXQDA memo contains linked codes, a 'see-also' link is created, linking the first word of the memo to the corresponding code.
Code set	Set
Coding (code references)	Code references	Coding references created by color coding (red, green, blue, magenta) are converted to code references, but the coded text segments are not highlighted in color when viewed in NVivo. Color coding codes (red, green, blue, magenta) and code references are converted, but the coded text segments are not displayed in color in NVivo. Coding references are not converted if they were created by coding on the waveform (in audio and video files). Weight scores on coded segments are not converted. Coding in PDF texts is not converted. An indication of the coding that existed in the PDF is provided in a linked memo, which lists the code name, the approximate location of the coding in the PDF, and content coded.
Profile variables	Case classification attributes

Stop-list

MAXQDA	NVivo	Notes
Stop-list	Stop words	Words in the stop-list are added to the stop word list for each text content language in NVivo.

Project user management

MAXQDA	NVivo	Notes
Users	Users	Users in the MAXQDA project are created as project users in the NVivo project. Information about the user (group, name and comments) is not converted.

Items Not Converted

Maps created using MAXMaps are not converted. If you want to preserve the image of a map, you can export the map to a graphics file (.bmp or .jpeg) and then import it into your new NVivo project as a picture file. You cannot edit the picture file image in NVivo.

Go-lists created using MAXDictio are not converted.

The following MAXQDA 11 project elements are not converted:

Memos attached to the waveform in audio and video files
Reports created using Smart Publisher
User groups and hierarchical levels
Summary grids
Tables

NOTE When you convert a MAXQDA 11 project that contains bibliographical data, the RIS documents, RIS codes and the coding references are imported into the new NVivo project. If you prefer to have this information stored as attribute values using NVivo's file classification system, you could import the bibliographical data separately into NVivo from an EndNote XML or an RIS file. Import/export bibliographies

URL Name

NVR1Win-Content-projects-teamwork-open-maxqda-project

Nvivo 13/R1: Open MAXQDA projects

Information

Open MAXQDA projects

Open (and convert) a MAXQDA in NVivo

How MAXQDA project elements are converted

Texts, text groups, text sets, text memos and attributes

Codes, code sets, code memos and coding

Stop-list

Project user management

Items Not Converted

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