Introduction to NVivo

There are several ways to work with audio or video files in NVivo. One option is to listen to the audio or video and code directly from the timeline, rather than creating a transcript. However, it is generally easiest to work with a transcript, so creating one is the focus of this page.

Transcribing in NVivo

To transcribe an audio or video file yourself in NVivo, first open it in the Details View (for example, open the Helen file if you imported it previously), then tick the ‘Edit’ box. When you do this, a new row will appear underneath the waveform image of the audio file.

By default, the transcript has two columns of information: ‘Timespan’ and ‘Content’. If you wish to add more columns, for example a ‘Notes’ column, go to File > Project Properties (under the ‘Project Information’ heading). Then, in the ‘Project Properties’ dialog box:

1. Select the ‘Audio/Video’ tab
2. Select either the ‘Audio’ or ‘Video’ tab, as appropriate, under the ‘Custom Transcript Fields’ heading
3. Select the ‘New’ button (you can also remove a column you have created by selecting it and pressing the ‘Remove’ button)
4. Enter the name of your new column (for example, ‘Notes’)
5. Select ‘Apply’ to apply the change while keeping the dialog box open, or ‘OK’ to apply the change and close the dialog box

Once you are happy with the columns for your transcript, there are two ways you can transcribe the file. The first, and default, option is to use the ‘Normal’ Play Mode. When transcribing in this mode, you need to enter the timespans for your transcript manually, and you can begin a new row whenever you like, typically when there is a change of speaker.

The second option is to use the ‘Transcribe’ Play Mode. In this mode, the timespans are entered automatically, beginning when you press play and ending when you press stop. If you pause the file, you will continue with the current timespan. You can switch between ‘Normal’ and ‘Transcribe’ modes by selecting the icons in the ‘Edit’ tab, as shown below.

Whichever way you choose to transcribe, you can change the speed of the audio or video file by selecting the ‘Play Speed’ icon, which is also found in the ‘Edit’ tab.

Transcribing with NVivo Transcription

NVivo Transcription is a paid service that you can either pay for as you go or purchase a subscription for. More information about this service is available on the Lumivero website.

Transcribing with other software

If you conduct an interview online, you may also be able to create a transcript automatically as part of the meeting. For example, platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom include transcription options. There are also many transcription services available outside NVivo that can be used to create a transcript from an audio or video recording. One example that provides a limited amount of free transcription is Otter.ai.

Alternatively, you can create a free transcript using the Windows or online version of Microsoft Word, available through your Office 365 account. To create a transcript in this way:

1. Create a new blank document
2. Click on the drop-down next to ‘Dictate’ (in the ‘Home’ tab) and select ‘Transcribe’
3. Select ‘Upload audio’
4. Choose an audio file
5. Click ‘Add to document’
6. Save the transcript

If you choose any of these options, you can import the finished transcript into your NVivo project. You can also import the original audio or video file if you wish, but this is usually unnecessary if you plan to work only with the transcript. Audio and video files can also increase the size of your NVivo project file.