About the Casebook
The casebook is a table containing your cases and the attribute values that have been assigned to them.
You can build the casebook in NVivo by:
Adding attributes and values (under Classifications in Navigation View) Adding cases (under Nodes in Navigation View)
Or, if you have information about your cases and attributes in a spreadsheet or a statistics package, you can save it as a tab-separated text (.txt) file and import it into NVivo.
You can also export the casebook for use in other applications.
Working with the Casebook In the casebook you can:
Add new attribute values
Filter the casebook display. For example, you could display only those cases defined as female who are tertiary educated.
You can access your cases directly from the casebook. To open a case, right-click on the selected case or cell and select Open Case from the context menu.
Adding to the Casebook
You can import new cases, attributes or attribute values into the casebook. When you import a text file, NVivo adds new items and updates existing items.
Opening the Casebook
If you have added cases and attributes to your project, you can display them in the casebook.
To open the casebook for a project:
1. On the Tools menu, click Casebook.
2. Click the Open Casebook option.
The casebook is displayed in Detail View. In this view you can:
Add attribute values
Adjust the casebook display
If you have not defined cases or attributes, the casebook is displayed as an empty table.
You can open an individual case from the casebook—right-click on the required case and then select Open Case from the context menu.
Importing Cases and Attributes
You can create a casebook by importing a tab-separated text file that contains your cases and their attributes. View example
Tab-separated text files containing attributes and values for import must be in the following format :
Attribute 1 Attribute 2 Attribute 3 Attribute 4
Case Value Value Value
Value
Case Value Value Value Value
Case Value Value Value Value
To import a casebook:
1. On the Tools menu, click the Casebook option.
2. Click the Import Casebook option.
The Import Casebook dialog box is displayed.
3. Select the required import options
Option Description
Import from The location of the required (.txt) file.
Click the Browse button to locate the text file you want to import.
File encoding NVivo allows you to import text files in different formats. These formats allow you to work with languages that use different character sets, such as Spanish or Chinese.
By default, NVivo is set to import a text file encoded using
'Unicode'. Unicode handles most of the world's writing systems and is a computer industry standard for text files.
If you create your casebook in Microsoft Word, Excel or Notepad, you can choose to save it as a Unicode text file.
If you cannot save your casebook as a Unicode text file, then you should use this drop-down list to select the file encoding that matches the format of your text file.
Text qualifier If the text file you want to import contains text qualifiers (',") you can specify these on import.
Select a qualifier from the drop-down list.
Date Format The format used for dates in the text file you want to import.
Select a format from the drop-down list.
Unassigned attribute value format
The format that has been used to indicate an unassigned attribute value in the text file you want to import.
For example, if you use dashes (-), dashes will be converted to
"Unassigned" when you import the file.
Select the relevant format from the drop-down list.
Not Applicable attribute value format
The format that has been used to indicate when an attribute value does not apply to a specific case.
For example, if you use a space, the space will be converted to
"Not Applicable" when you import the file.
Select the relevant format from the drop-down list.
Case name format The format that has been used to identify case names. You can Select the Name option, if you have used simple case names
(without back slashes).
Select the Nickname option, if you want to create the cases with the specified nickname. You can see the nickname in the case properties and in the coding toolbar. Refer to Quick Coding with Nicknames for more information.
Select the Hierarchical option, if you have used hierarchical case names (indicated by back slashes). On import, the cases will be created in the specified hierarchy.
Replace existing
attribute values Check this box if you want the attribute values in the imported text file to overwrite existing values the casebook.
For example, if Sam's immigration date is defined as Unassigned in the casebook and the imported text file defines the immigration date as 01/01/1975 then the Unassigned value will be overwritten.
Create unmatched attributes
Check this box if you want new attributes (that do not currently exist in the casebook) to be added when you import the text file.
Create unmatched
cases Check this box of you want new cases (that do not currently exist in the casebook) to be added when you import the text file.
Case location The location for new cases (that do not currently exist in the casebook).
Click the Select button to specify the location. For example, you may want to put new cases under an existing case.
4. Click OK.
The cases, attributes and values are imported in the casebook and are displayed in Detail View.
In this view you can:
Add attribute values
Adjust the casebook display
If the format of your text file does not match the File encoding standard that you selected on the Import Casebook dialog box, you will get an error when you try to import the casebook. By default, NVivo is set up to import the casebook as a Unicode text file. If you are using Microsoft Word, Excel or Notepad, you can choose to save to a Unicode text file.
Right-click:
1. In Detail View, right-click on the opened casebook.
2. Click the Import Casebook option.
Adding Attribute Values in the Casebook
You can create a new value for an attribute by entering it directly into the casebook.
To add a value in the casebook:
1. On the Tools menu, click Casebook.
2. Click the Open Casebook option.
The casebook is displayed in Detail View.
3. Click in the cell for the required attribute.
4. Click the drop-down arrow.
The value cell becomes editable.
5. Enter the new value 6. Click out of the cell.
The value is now available to be applied to other cases.
Adjusting the Casebook Display
When working with cases and attributes in the casebook you can:
Flip the Columns and Rows
To transpose the columns and rows in the casebook:
1. In Detail View, click in the casebook.
2. On the View menu, click Transpose.
The rows and columns are rearranged.
Hide Rows and Columns
To hide a casebook column:
1. Click the column header to select the column.
2. On the View menu, click Column.
3. Click Hide.
To hide a row:
1. Click the row header to select the row.
2. On the View menu, click Row.
3. Click Hide.
If you show/hide columns and rows, any filters are overridden.
Filter the Columns and Rows
Filters provide a way of showing/hiding columns (or rows in a transposed casebook) based on attribute values.
To apply a filter:
1. Click the filter icon for the required attribute.
The Casebook Filter Options dialog box is displayed.
2. Select the required filter options:
Option Description
Show/Hide rows or
columns Show or hide rows/columns based on the selected criteria.
Select Show or Hide from the drop-down list.
If you transpose the table so that attributes are displayed as rows, this drop-down list applies to columns instead.
where value in
column This field displays the name of the selected column/row. You cannot change the contents of this field.
is Show or hide rows/columns depending on how the row/column content compares to a selected value. For example, equal to or greater than.
When working with string (non-numerical) attributes, the greater/less than comparison is based on how the attribute values are ordered in the attribute properties.
Refer to Adding Attributes and Values for more information about ordering attributes.
value Show or hide rows based on how the column content compares to this value.
Select the value from the drop-down list. For numerical values, you can enter the required number.
If you transpose the casebook so that attributes are displayed as rows, you can select the value in column radio button.
3. Click OK.
Only columns/rows matching the filter are displayed.
To display the casebook in its original form, click the View menu and click the Reset Settings option.
Select columns, rows or the whole casebook
To select a column, click the column header.
To select a row, click the row header.
To select the whole casebook, click the first cell in the top-left corner.
Return to Original Settings
To return the casebook display to its original state:
1. In Detail View, click in the casebook.
2. On the View menu, click Reset Settings.
You cannot filter the casebook display in a read-only project.
Use the Grid toolbar to adjust the casebook display:
Exporting the Casebook
You can export the casebook as a tab-separated text file and open it in Excel. This can be useful if you want to do multiple updates or share the casebook with someone who does not have NVivo.
To export the casebook:
1. On the Tools menu, click Casebook.
2. Click the Export Casebook option.
The Export Casebook dialog box is displayed.
3. Click the Browse button to define the location for the exported file.
4. Select the required options
Option Description
File encoding NVivo allows you to export the casebook in different text file formats. These formats allow you to work with languages that use different character sets, such as Spanish or Chinese.
By default, NVivo is set to export the casebook as a text file encoded using 'Unicode'. Unicode handles most of the world's writing systems and is a computer industry standard for text files.
Microsoft Word, Excel and Notepad support the Unicode format.
If the file you are exporting is for use in another language or computer system you may need to choose a different encoding standard.
Text qualifier If you want text in the exported file to be displayed with a selected text qualifier—select a qualifier from the drop-down list.
Date Format The format for dates that are exported.
Select the relevant format from the drop-down list.
Unassigned attribute value format
The format in which you want to display unassigned attribute values.
For example, if you select dash (-), unassigned attribute values will be displayed as dashes in the exported text file.
Select the relevant format from the drop-down list.
Not Applicable attribute value format
The format in which you want to display attribute values that do not apply to a case.
For example, if you select space, not applicable attribute values will be displayed as spaces.
Select the relevant format from the drop-down list.
Case name format The format for exported case names
Select the Name option, if you want simple case names (without back slashes).
Select the Hierarchical option, if you want hierarchical case names (indicated by back slashes).
Select the Nickname option, if you want the case nickname displayed. Refer to Quick Coding with Nicknames for more information.
5. Click OK.
Right-click:
1. In Detail View, right-click on the opened casebook.
2. Click Export Casebook.