General purpose software for research

MAXQDA is a general-purpose software for qualitative research. Install it on a TUNI Windows computer via Software Center or on a TUNI Mac computer via Intelligent Hub. You must create a new folder for MAXQDA project files as follows:

1. Create a new folder for MAXQDA project files on your Windows computer as follows: open File Explorer, browse in the left-hand tree to This PC > C: > Users > yourusername, right-click that folder, select New > Folder, type MAXQDA as the name, and press Enter. The full path of the new folder is therefore C:\Users\<yourusername>\MAXQDA. If you entered the name incorrectly, you can rename the new folder by right-clicking it and selecting Rename.
2. Create the MAXQDA project either in the new folder or in a Cryptomator vault:
   1. Define the data classifications of your research data according to step 1 on the page Management and storage of research data.
   2. If your data include special categories of personal data or other confidential information, or if you otherwise want to ensure that your research is securely protected from unauthorised access, save your project in a Cryptomator vault as follows:
      1. Create a new Cryptomator vault in the folder C:\Users\<yourusername>\MAXQDA and open it. Cryptomator will then create a new virtual drive on your computer (usually D:). Instructions are available on the page Cryptomator encryption software.
      2. Start MAXQDA and create a new project in the virtual D: drive.
      3. Create the folders D:\Backup and D:\Externals. In the program settings, set the backup folder to D:\Backup and the external files folder to D:\Externals. Instructions are available on the MAXQDA pages Project File Backups and External Files.
         • NOTE: This setting is shared by all your MAXQDA projects. If you work with several MAXQDA projects alternately, check and set these folders every time you start MAXQDA and open a project.
      4. Open a MAXQDA project as follows: open the Cryptomator vault, start MAXQDA, and double-click your project in the list on the left. The program displays a warning, “The opened MAXQDA project file is located in a network folder.” This is not correct and can be ignored.
      5. At the end of the day, and also during longer breaks, you should close MAXQDA and lock the Cryptomator vault.
      6. Create a backup of the Cryptomator vault (that is, the entire folder), for example daily, as follows:
         1. Close MAXQDA and lock the Cryptomator vault.
         2. Copy the folder C:\Users<yourusername>\MAXQDA<name of the vault you created> to the S or P drive, or to a folder on your computer that is synchronised with OneDrive.
         3. Add the date to the end of the backup folder name for example in the format YYYY-MM-DD.
      7. Note that you should not save MS Office files directly in a Cryptomator vault, as opening them may cause the computer to freeze. If necessary, contact IT Helpdesk.
3. If your data do not include any confidential information:
   1. Create your project in the folder C:\Users\<yourusername>\MAXQDA.
   2. Create a backup of your project file, for example daily, as follows:
      1. Close MAXQDA.
      2. Copy the file C:\Users\<yourusername>\MAXQDA<name of your project>.mqda to the S or P drive, or to a folder on your computer that is synchronised with OneDrive.
      3. Add the date to the end of the backup file name for example in the format YYYY-MM-DD.
      4. If the program’s external files folder Documents\MAXQDA_Externals is not synchronised with OneDrive, or if you want to ensure backup coverage, in the program click Home > External Files > Bundle External Data Files and save the package created by the program to the S or P drive, or to a folder on your computer that is synchronised with OneDrive. Add the date to the end of the file name for example in the format YYYY-MM-DD.

Do not create a MAXQDA project on the P or S drive or in a directory that is set to be synchronised to the cloud with OneDrive. In such cases, there is a risk of database corruption and data loss.