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EDIT A DOCUMENT

Edit a Document

In many cases, it is not necessary or appropriate to alter or edit text data you have imported into Transana.

However, there are times when such edits may be necessary or desirable. Some users choose to create Documents within Transana to create project-wide analytic memos, which we call Research Journals, or to start their analytic write-up, where editing is essential. See the Tutorial page on Writing Up Results.

This is the Document Toolbar. 

Documents in Transana are loaded in a read-only mode by default, and should be left in read-only mode most of the time. If you want to edit a Document, click the Edit Mode icon (a hand holding a pen) on the Document Toolbar.

When you do this, the Document window is put into edit mode and all appropriate icons on the Document toolbar are enabled. The document window functions as a simple word processor where you can format and edit text, along with all of its transcription functions.

To save your changes, press the Edit Mode icon again. Transana will prompt you to save your changes.

In Transana, text is imported when you create a Document, and it is stored in the database. If you edit the Document in Transana, this does not affect the original source file. Similarly, if you edit the source file, this does not affect the Document in Transana.

Optional Activity:

If you are interested in using Transana as a writing tool in addition to using it as an analytic tool, follow these instructions:

  1. Create a new Library called “Research Journals.” This library should be used exclusively for Documents you create for the purpose of documenting your analytic process and writing up your results.
  2. Create a new empty Document in your Research Journals Library. Give the Document any name you feel adequately describes the contents you intend to record in that Document. You can create multiple research journal documents to meet whatever analytic writing needs you have.
  3. Research Journal Documents are normal Documents in Transana. That means you can create Quotes from them, code them, add Snapshots to them, attach Notes to them, export them, and do anything else you can do with your Documents.

Be sure to look at Writing Up Results later in the Tutorial. The power of Research Journals will be clearer once we are further along in data analysis.