MAXQDA be used in teams.
We understand that research is often conducted in teams, and the program offers many features to support this. While real-time collaboration on a project file by multiple users is not currently possible, there are several options available for effective teamwork. The prerequisite is that all individuals working on the project have their own MAXQDA license.
To collaborate with other users on your project, you have the following options:
MAXQDA TeamCloud
The MAXQDA TeamCloud is a paid add-on that you can purchase through our online shop. However, only one person (the team lead) needs to have a TeamCloud license. The principle of the MAXQDA TeamCloud is quite simple: The team lead starts a project round and makes the team project available to all team members in the TeamCloud. All members download the project, work with a local copy, and then upload their completed work again. The team lead imports the members' projects into the main project.
You can find more information here or detailed instructions in the TeamCloud manual.
Transferring a MAXQDA project to another team member
If you do not need to make changes to a MAXQDA project at the same time, you can of course work in a team one after the other by passing the MAXQDA project file from person to person. In this form of team collaboration, the entire study is transferred as a MAXQDA project from one computer to another, ensuring that all team members always have the same database.
The exchange of MAXQDA projects is very simple: MAXQDA saves all data belonging to a project in a project file with the file extension “MX24”. A project called “Interview study” is therefore saved as the file “Interview study.mx24”.
The project file can be transferred to other members of the team in the form of a single file. It can also be sent by e-mail. The project file can of course also be saved in a shared folder in a cloud system, such as Dropbox or OneDrive, but should not be opened directly from there.
If the MX24 project file is opened as a project on any other computer with MAXQDA 24 installed, the entire study will appear with all its components.
If you are working with large media or PDF files in your project, then transfer these files, which are automatically saved in an extra folder (MAXQDA_Externals), to the other computer. To do this, you can use the function Bundle external files and then unpack them
Instructions on how to pass projects to another colleague.
Merging projects
Merging MAXQDA projects together, team members work on different elements of a project at the same time. For example, the transcription and coding of different interviews is divided between team members. After the work, the project can be merged into a joint project. You can merge two projects with MAXQDA. Technically, this is realized by adding a second MAXQDA project into the open project, whereby all elements from the second project are inserted into the first project.
This is helpful, for example, if several people import different data into their respective MAXQDA project files or transcribe interviews and then the different projects are to be merged into one project that contains all documents from all projects. The function can also be used if a project contains document-independent elements such as free memos, concept maps, QTT worksheets and summary tables that are to be inserted into another project.
You can find instructions on how to merge here.
Merging individual project elements
The same documents were processed by different people in their projects. Now the coding, memos and other analysis elements are to be merged document by document, for example because the people have applied different codes to the documents. The documents therefore already exist in the target project. The "Teamwork Export/Import" function is document-related, i.e. only the elements that belong to a document (codes and the associated codes, memos, paraphrases, summaries, etc.) are transferred.
Here you find an instruction on how to transfer codings, memos and variable from documents to another person's project.
The Teamwork function and merging project function is only visible if you are not logged in to TeamCloud.
Comparing Codings
You can compare the codings of two researchers with the Intercoder Agreement.
Video about Intercoder-Agreement
Teamwork with Windows & Mac
MAXQDA is completely identical on Windows and MAC. Both versions share the same project file format, which enables teams to work together seamlessly even when using different operating systems.
Organizing the teamwork in MAXQDA
It is important to organize the teamwork and agree to working rules, so that the all work will be integrated in the project and no work will be overwritten by older versions.
We offer a free PDF that describes the most effective way to organize and carry out teamwork with MAXQDA.
Working in a team with MAXQDA.
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