Atlas.ti: A Beginner's Guide to Qualitative Analysis

Version 24 | Windows, Mac, Web

Atlas.ti is a powerful qualitative data analysis software known for its intuitive interface and excellent visualization capabilities. Originally developed at the Technical University of Berlin, Atlas.ti has become a leading alternative to NVivo, particularly valued for its network view feature and its ability to handle multimedia data. This guide introduces the core features you need to begin analyzing qualitative data in Atlas.ti.

Why Researchers Choose Atlas.ti

Atlas.ti appeals to researchers who value:

• Visual analysis tools — the network view is unmatched for mapping relationships between codes, quotations, and memos
• Intuitive interface — many researchers find Atlas.ti easier to learn than NVivo
• Flexibility — supports text, images, audio, video, PDF, and even geo-data
• Cross-platform availability — desktop (Windows/Mac), web-based, and mobile versions
• Collaborative features — the web version supports real-time team coding

Getting Started: Your First Project

Creating a Project

Launch Atlas.ti and select New Project. Name your project clearly (e.g., "Dissertation_Qual_2026"). Atlas.ti uses a project-based file system where all data, codes, and memos are stored together.

Importing Documents

Click Add Documents to import your data files. Atlas.ti supports:

• Text files (.docx, .txt, .rtf, .pdf)
• Audio files (.mp3, .wav, .m4a)
• Video files (.mp4, .mov)
• Images (.jpg, .png)

Organize documents into Document Groups — for example, by participant role, data collection phase, or site.

Core Concepts in Atlas.ti

Atlas.ti uses specific terminology that differs from other QDAS tools:

Coding Your Data

Open Coding

1. Open a document in the main editor
2. Select (highlight) a passage of text
3. Right-click and choose New Code or apply an existing code
4. Type your code name and press Enter

Atlas.ti displays codes in the margin next to the coded text, making it easy to see your coding at a glance.

In Vivo Coding

Atlas.ti makes in vivo coding exceptionally easy:

1. Select the participant's own words in the text
2. Right-click and choose Code In Vivo
3. Atlas.ti automatically creates a code using the selected text as the code name

Managing Your Codes

Access the Code Manager to view all codes, their frequency (groundedness), and the number of connections to other codes (density). From here you can:

• Rename codes
• Merge duplicate or overlapping codes
• Write code definitions (essential for your codebook)
• Color-code for visual organization
• Create code groups (categories)

Code Groups

Code Groups in Atlas.ti function like categories or themes. To create a code group:

1. Open the Code Manager
2. Select related codes
3. Right-click and choose Create Code Group
4. Name the group

For example, you might group codes into:

• Barriers to Access: Financial, Geographic, Language, Cultural
• Support Systems: Family, Peers, Institutional, Community

Memos: Your Analytical Workspace

Memos in Atlas.ti serve multiple purposes:

• Commentary memos — reflections on specific passages
• Theoretical memos — emerging analytical ideas
• Methodological memos — decisions about your process
• Code memos — definitions and examples for your codebook

Create a memo by right-clicking on a document, quotation, or code and selecting Create Memo. Link memos to the relevant elements to keep your thinking organized.

Network Views: Atlas.ti's Signature Feature

The Network View is Atlas.ti's most distinctive and powerful feature. It allows you to visually map relationships between codes, quotations, memos, and documents.

Creating a Network

1. Navigate to Networks and create a new network
2. Drag codes, memos, or quotations onto the canvas
3. Draw links between elements to represent relationships
4. Label the links (e.g., "is a," "is part of," "contradicts," "is cause of")

Using Networks for Analysis

Networks are valuable for:

• Exploring relationships between codes during axial coding
• Building your thematic structure — visualize how codes group into themes
• Presenting findings — network diagrams can be exported and included in your dissertation
• Theory building — map causal or temporal relationships in grounded theory studies

Analysis Tools

Word Cloud

Atlas.ti generates word clouds from your data. While visually appealing, use these for initial exploration rather than as analytical conclusions.

Code Co-occurrence Table

This tool creates a matrix showing how often codes appear together in the same quotation or document. Useful for identifying patterns and relationships between codes.

Code-Document Table

Shows the distribution of codes across documents. Helpful for comparing how different participants or data sources relate to your codes.

Quotation Reader

The Quotation Reader displays all quotations for a selected code in one view, allowing you to read across participants and assess whether a code is consistently applied.

Collaborative Analysis

Atlas.ti's web version supports team-based research:

• Shared projects — multiple researchers can access the same project
• Inter-coder reliability — compare coding across team members
• Comment threads — discuss codes and interpretations within the platform

For teams conducting inter-rater reliability checks, Atlas.ti can calculate agreement statistics between coders.

Tips for Success

1. Use Code Groups early — they help you stay organized as your code list grows
2. Write code definitions immediately — don't wait until you have dozens of undocumented codes
3. Leverage the Network View — it's Atlas.ti's greatest strength; use it throughout analysis, not just at the end
4. Create memo types — distinguish between analytical, methodological, and reflexive memos
5. Use quotation comments — add brief notes to coded passages for quick context
6. Export regularly — export your codebook, networks, and reports as backups

Common Mistakes

• Ignoring the Network View — many beginners skip this feature, but it's essential for moving from codes to themes
• Creating too many codes without groups — organize as you go, not after the fact
• Forgetting to define codes — an undefined code is ambiguous; write definitions with inclusion/exclusion criteria
• Not linking memos — unlinked memos become orphaned thoughts; always connect them to relevant codes or documents

Atlas.ti vs. NVivo

Atlas.ti and NVivo are both excellent tools. Atlas.ti tends to be preferred for its visual analysis capabilities and intuitive interface, while NVivo excels in structured querying and handling very large datasets. For a detailed comparison, see our blog post: Atlas.ti vs. NVivo: Which Qualitative Software Should You Use?.

Ready to start your analysis? Learn the fundamentals of coding qualitative data and thematic analysis before diving into the software.