Data Collection Part 2 – Bringing it into Dedoose (Check out Part 1 of our "Data Collection" Series) Now that we have a set of documents and a rough idea of how to categorize them, we need to import them into Dedoose! Before we do that, let’s save ourselves some headaches and prepare a few files. First, import all documents into Dedoose:

1. Click the Home tab

2. Click the Import Data button

3. Select the type of media you are importing

4. Select all relevant media and import it

5. Repeat this for other types of data (Word vs PDF vs Images vs etc.)

Once that is in Dedoose, let’s get a list of our media:

And Export it:

1. Click the Media tab

2. Click Select All

3. Click Export Media

4. Click Export Selected

5. Follow the onscreen steps

Now we open our Excel file and delete every column but the first:

Now, we add columns for the categories we thought up last blog:

1. Title the columns

2. Fill in the response for each document

You will also want to add a field via the Descriptors tab for each of your columns, including the Title:

1. Click the Descriptors tab

2. Go to the Set Fields

3. Add Field button

4. Title your field

5. Click Text

6. Click Submit

7. Do this for each field

NOTE: Usually we suggest option lists, but for now keep them text fields. We will be taking advantage of a new feature added to Dedoose with this! Once those are all added, save the Excel file and import it!

1. Click the Descriptors tab

2. Click Import Descriptor Data on the top right

3. Follow the onscreen steps

This will add descriptors for each document and you can then use Auto Linking to get them linked to your media:

1. Click the Descriptors tab

2. Click Auto Link

3. Select the field with your document titles

4. Follow the onscreen steps

Boom! Now your documents and descriptors are fully set up and linked! From here, there are only a few steps left! Our next blog will go over the process of coding these documents for analysis, one of the essential functions of our application. Stay tuned for more blogs! Would you like to know more? Check out our events page to sign up for one of our free webinars, giving you the chance to ask questions directly from our very own Dr. Eli Lieber. https://www.dedoose.com/about/events Got a suggestion? We’d love to hear it! If you have any questions, comments or suggestions please forward them to support@dedoose.com. Dedoose has always been “by researchers, for researchers” and it’s our belief that our users are the driving force in making our application the best it can be.