Documentation

Transana comes with a tutorial and a help system. These should be enough to get you up and running with the program. You can also look at the Frequently Asked Questions page. This page also has links to articles that explain some issues in more detail.

Guided Tour

The Transana Guided Tour is an excellent place to start. It's designed to give you a very brief overview of the analytic processes that Transana supports.

ScreenCasts

ScreenCasts are short Flash movies designed to help you learn the basics of working with Transana. I'd recommend viewing the available ScreenCasts, then going through the Transana Tutorial (available in the program's Help menu) for more detail.

Here's a list of links to existing ScreenCasts. This list is likely to expand over the next few months.

Introduction to Transana - How to start Transana, the Transana main screen. (8:06, Transana 2.50 alpha release shown)

Adding your First Media File to Transana - How to add your first video or audio file to Transana for analysis. (8:52, Transana 2.50 alpha release shown)

Transcription with Transana - How to transcribe video and audio in Transana. (13:44, Transana 2.50 alpha release shown)

Time Codes in Transana - How to insert Time Codes with Transana, linking the transcript and the video, including how to handle overlapping speech. (12:48, Transana 2.50 alpha release shown)

Creating Clips - Different kinds of Clips, and how to create them in Transana. Also includes creating Keywords and Collections. (Transana 2.20 shown.)

Articles on this site

Video and Audio Formats About some of the different available formats.

Preparing Video for Transana Read more about optimal video formats, and how to get your video read for Transana.

How to Capture Video Read this description of capturing video using Vegas Video on Windows to learn about the steps in the process, even if you will be using different software.

An Experiment with Voice Recognition This article shows the results of one Transana user's attempt to use Voice Recognition software to produce verbatim transcripts.

About the Multi-User Version This article explains the difference between the single- and the multi-user version.

Multi-User Setup Guide, version 2.40 This set of pages provides an in-depth explanation of how to get Transana-MU, version 2.40 and later up and running.

Using Transana in a Computer Lab Procedures for using Transana in this situation.

Data Migration Learn how to move your data safely from version 1.2x to version 2.x.

Woods, D. and Dempster, P. Tales from the Bleeding Edge : The Qualitative Analysis of Complex Video Data using Transana A presentation from the Kwalon 2010 conference on April 22, 2010. This presentation explores two projects that show how the cutting edge of the analysis of video with Transana has changed over the past couple of years.

Documentation Created by Transana Users

Transana In a Nut Shell by Jacqueline Hotchkiss (and edited by David Woods). A short "getting started" guide that covers loading media files into Transana and transcribing them. (February, 2009, version 2.30.)

Transana Keyboard Shortcuts and Transcript Notation by Rich Henne (and subsequently modified by David Woods as Transana has changed.) This is a quick-reference guide in PDF format.

Analyzing Orphaned Transcripts in Transana by Nicolas Sheon. This article describes how to add text-only documents to Transana, how to easily create fake or real audio files for those documents, and how to "auto-timecode" a transcript.

Video Analysis Software for Counselor Supervision and Training by Nicolas Sheon. This video slideshow introduces Dr. Sheon's model for counselor self-supervision and efficient supervisor interaction using Transana-MU.

Non-English Language Documentation

Instructivo para quien quiera iniciarse en el uso del TRANSANA- en español (October, 2006, version 2.12.)

Miia Collanus, of the University of Helsinkini, has posted a Finnish-language user guide on her web page. (June, 2004, version 1.2x.)

Tools Created by Transana Users

Color Palates for use with the Custom Color Configuration tool:

Transana_Colors_Color_Brewer.txt -- A Transana color set created by Nicolas Sheon following the principles described at http://www.colorbrewer.org.

Transana_Colors_Pantone.txt -- A Transana color set created by Nicolas Sheon using Pantone colors.

Transana_Colors_Original.txt -- A Transana color set matching Transana's default colors

Word Macros for manipulating transcripts created in Transana This page describes (and provides) a set of Word Macros that some people find helpful for manipulating transcripts created in Transana.

Teddy Chao has contributed a Perl script for converting time codes in InqScribe files to Transana's format so those files can be imported as time-coded transcripts. Instructions for use are included in the file itself. He wrote it on OS X, and I don't know if it also works on Windows.

A script that converts exported Transana RTF files into SRT files, which allow the display of subtitles with VLC and MPlayer, was written by Dorian Soru. He introduced it on the discussion board (which is no longer available thanks to spammers) and it is available here.

Articles by Transana's Authors

Dempster, P. & Woods, D. (2011). The Economic Crisis Through the Eyes of Transana. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 12, 1

Halverson, Erica; Bass, Michelle & Woods, David (in press). Analysing multimodal data in the context of use video production. The Qualitative Report.

Woods, D. & Dempster, P. (2011). Tales from the Bleeding Edge: The Qualitative Analysis of Complex Video Data Using Transana. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 12, 1

Articles and books by Transana Users

Afitska, O. (2009). Review of Transana 2.30. Lanuage Documentation & Conservation 3(2):226 - 235.

Aune, R. K. & Sharritt, M. J. (2010). Gamer Talk: Becoming Impenetrably Efficient. In M. Cruz-Cunha, V. Carvalho & P. Tavares (Eds.), Business, Technological and Social Dimensions of Computer Games: Multidisciplinary Developments. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Badreddine, Zeynab and Buty, Christian(2010) 'Discursive Reconstruction of the Scientific Story in a Teaching Sequence', International Journal of Science Education, First published on: 26 August 2010 (iFirst).

Höysniemi, Johanna & Hämäläinen, Perttu. (2005). Children's and parents' perception of full-body interaction and violence in a martial arts game. Designing for User Experiences, Vol. 135.

Liston, Kathleen (2009). A Mediated Interaction Approach to Study the Role of Media Use in Team Interaction. Center for Integrated Facility Engineering, Stanford University.

Malfatti, F., 2011, Il software per l’analisi qualitativa Transana, in: Klaus Krippendorf e Gevisa La Rocca (eds.), Ricerca qualitativa e giovani studiosi, Convegno Internazionale RiQGios-2011, Enna, Social Books, Palermo, 2011, ISBN: 978-88-95279-18-13

Malfatti, F., 2011, Sviluppo sostenibile, etnografia, GIS e fonti orali: la sfida dei saperi tradizionali, In: Klaus Krippendorf e Gevisa La Rocca (eds.), Ricerca qualitativa e giovani studiosi, Convegno Internazionale RiQGios-2011, Enna, Social Books, Palermo, 2011, ISBN: 978-88-95279-18-13

Malfatti, Fabio (2007), Il software per l’analisi qualitativa TRANSANA.

Manolis Mavrikis & Eirini Geraniou (2011): Using Qualitative Data Analysis Software to analyse students’ computer‐‐mediated interactions: the case of MiGen and Transana, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 14:3, 245-252

Mavrou, Katerina, Douglas, Graeme & Lewis, Ann (2007). The use of Transana as a video analysis tool in researching computer-based collaborative learning in inclusive classrooms in Cyprus. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 30 (2), 163-178. Retrieved January 28, 2008, from http://www.informaworld.com/10.1080/17437270701383305

Nathan, M. J., Eilam, B. & Kim, Suyeon (2007). To disagree, we must also agree: How intersubjectivity structures and perpetuates discourse in a mathematics classroom. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 16 (4), 525-565.

Parmeggiani, Paolo (2009). Going digital: Using new technologies in visual sociology, Visual Studies, 24:1, 71 - 81

Parmeggiani, Paolo (2008). Teaching Different Research Methods Through the Use of Video Analysis Software for Media Students. International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches, 2 (1), 94 - 104.

Schwab, Götz (2006). Transana - ein Tranksriptions- und Analyseprogramm zur Verarbeitung von Videodaten am Computer. Gesprächsforschung - Online-Zeitschrift zur verbalen Interaktion 7, 70 - 78.

Seck, Mouhamadoune (2011). Méthodes D'analyse De Pratiques De Class: Utilisation du logiciel TRANSANA.

Sharritt, M. J. (2011). Designing game representations: How game interfaces constrain and promote collaborative play. Journal of Gaming and Virtual Worlds, 3(2).

Sharritt, M. J. & Suthers, D.D. (2011). Game-Based Representations as Cues for Collaboration and Learning. In R. E. Ferdig (Ed.) Discoveries in Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations: New Interdisciplinary Applications. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Sharritt, M. J. & Suthers, D.D. (2011). Levels of failure and learning in games. International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations, 3(4).

Sharritt, M. J. (2010). Designing game affordances to promote learning and engagement. Cognitive Technology Journal, 15(1). (Special Issue on Games for Good: Video Games as Cognitive Technologies.)

Sharritt, M. J. (2010). An Open-Ended, Emergent Approach for Studying Serious Games. In L. Annetta & S. Bronack (Eds.) Serious Educational Game Assessment. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

Sharritt, M.J. (2010). Evaluating Video Game Design and Interactivity. In R. Van Eck (Ed.) Interdisciplinary Models and Tools for Serious Games: Emerging Concepts and Future Directions. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Sharritt, M. J., Aune, R. K., & Suthers, D.D. (2010). Gamer Talk: Becoming Impenetrably Efficient. In M. Cruz-Cunha, V. Carvalho & P. Tavares (Eds.) Business, Technological and Social Dimensions of Computer Games: Multidisciplinary Developments. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Sharritt, M. J. & Suthers, D.D. (2009). Video game representations as cues for collaboration and learning. International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations, 1(3). (Received 'top-paper award' at the Meaningful Play conference, Michigan State University, October 2008).

Sharritt, M.J. (2008), Forms of Learning in Collaborative Video Game Play. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 3 (2), 97 - 138.

Sharritt, M. J. (2008). Students’ Use of Social and Cognitive Affordances in Video Game Play within Educational Contexts: Implications for Learning. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Hawaii at Manoa: Honolulu, HI.

Silver, C., and Lewins, A. (2009) Transana 2.40 : Distinguishing features and functions. QUIC Working Papers, University of Guildford.

Spiers, J. A. (2004). Tech tips: Using video management/ analysis technology in qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 3(1). Article 5.

(Please e-mail me with links to other articles you find that mention Transana!)

Software Links

The Transformer To quote their web site, " The Transformer can read and write the file formats of different annotation programs. This function allows you to use and analyze your data in different programs." The Transformer supports Transana, Clan, Elan, Praat, Transcriber, and other formats.

Do you know of other online documentation Transana users have posted? If so, e-mail the link to the developers.