Due for launch in the first quarter of 2008, NVivo 8 will allow you to work with audio recordings and videos in exactly the same way as documents – whether it’s observational videos, video taped group sessions, media clips, clips from films, interview recordings or even music you’re analyzing. 

Most software programs that work with audio and video files require you to first make a transcript. NVivo 8 offers incredible flexibility, especially when it comes to transcripts: 

• Already have a transcript? If you already have a transcript, you can import it into NVivo and it will be directly linked to the audio or video file it belongs to. That means you can explore links between the two. See a comment written in a transcript? Click through to the section of the video it refers to.
• Need to create a transcript? Create a comprehensive transcript directly in NVivo or create a log that consists of keywords for example.
• Prefer to work without a transcript? You can also work straight from your audio or video files – directly coding, annotating or linking any section of your file as it plays.

Also, we understand that transcripts can often consist of more than just dialogue. That’s why, for the first time, NVivo 8 lets you analyze nuances and non-verbal communication directly. With NVivo 8, information can be collected on body language, speakers, nuances in conversation … virtually anything that’s important to your research. Capture and note extended pauses in the responses of interview subjects, hostility or restlessness.

For more information on working with your video and audio files in NVivo 8, including the full list of file formats that can be imported, download the July 2007 edition of our NSight newsletter. You’ll find articles on pages 1, 3 and 4.

Watch this space as more new features will be revealed in the coming months.