How to use text search in ATLAS.ti

Who this article is for

This article is for ATLAS.ti Web and ATLAS.ti Desktop users who want to search textual data for specific words, phrases, synonyms, or related terms and use the results to create quotations, apply codes, or review relevant segments of data.

What is Text Search?

Text Search helps you identify segments of textual data based on search terms. You can use it to find specific words or phrases, review the results in one place, and code relevant segments more efficiently.

Text Search is useful when you want to:

• find all mentions of a topic
• search for a word, phrase, or concept
• review where a term appears across documents
• create quotations from matching results
• apply codes to individual or multiple results
• use Smart Search options such as synonyms or related terms
• support auto coding workflows

Text Search can speed up coding, but it should not replace careful review. Always check whether each result is relevant before applying codes.

How to use Text Search in ATLAS.ti Web

In ATLAS.ti Web, Text Search and Auto Coding can help you identify keywords, expand searches with matching terms, create quotations, and apply codes.

1. Open a document
2. Click the magnifying glass at the top of the document.
3. Type the topic, word, or phrase you want to search for.
4. Click the search term.
5. Review the result

6. Choose the quotation size
   1. Click the drop-down arrow next to Quote results.
   2. Choose how ATLAS.ti should create quotations from the results. You can choose options such as:
      1. Quote exact match
      2. Quote sentences
      3. Quote paragraphs

7. Create quotations from search results
8. Review the number of results found.
9. Click Quote results.
   1. ATLAS.ti creates quotations for the matching results.

8. Apply codes or comments
   1. In the coding dialog, search for an existing code or create a new code.
   2. Select the code you want to apply.
   3. Add a comment if needed.
   4. Confirm the coding.

9. Review and delete irrelevant quotations if needed
   1. Review the created quotations.
   2. If a quotation is not relevant, click the quotation in the margin area.
   3. Click the three dots in the lower-right corner of the dialog box.
   4. Select Delete quotation.

How to use Text Search in ATLAS.ti Desktop

ATLAS.ti Desktop includes ATLAS.ti Windows and ATLAS.ti Mac. In Desktop, Text Search can search documents or document groups, and it can also be narrowed to quotations with selected codes or code groups.

The Desktop Text Search tool can also:

• select synonyms
• combine multiple search terms with Boolean operators
• search for inflected forms
• use wildcards
• search for exact phrases

Step 1: Open Text Search

• In ATLAS.ti Windows

1. Go to Search & Code tab.
2. Click Text Search.

• In ATLAS.ti Mac

1. Go to Analysis
2. Select Text Search

Step 2: Select where to search

• In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac

Choose the documents, document groups, or code/code group you want ATLAS.ti to search.

Step 3: Choose the base unit for search and coding

Select the size of the segment ATLAS.ti should return and code.

• In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac

Choose one of the available base units:

• Paragraphs
• Sentences
• Words
• Exact matches

Step 4: Enter a search term

• In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac

Type the word or phrase you want to search for.

Step 5: Add synonyms if needed

• In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac

1. Open the synonyms drop-down menu.
2. Select the synonyms you want to include in the search.

Step 6: Add more search terms with Boolean operators

Use additional terms when you want to refine or expand the search.

• In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac

1. Click Add.
2. Enter another search term.
3. Choose AND or  OR.
   1. AND when all search terms must occur in the selected context.
   2. OR when results can include any of the search terms.

Step 7: Include inflected forms if needed

• Use inflected forms when you want ATLAS.ti to find word variations.
• For example, searching for “run” can also return results such as:
  • ran
  • runs
  • running
• In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac

1. Activate Include inflected forms.
2. If needed, click Manage Models to change or install a language model.

Step 8: Use exact phrase if needed

When you want to search for an exact phrase, put the phrase in quotation marks.

Example:

• "limited liability corporations"

ATLAS.ti returns results where the words appear together as typed between the quotation marks.

Step 9: Run the search

• In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac

1. Click Show Results.
2. Review the results in the result page.

The result page shows a Quotation Reader and indicates where quotations are located when coding or auto-coding the data. Existing codes at a quotation are also shown.

Step 10: Review the results

• In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac

1. Read through the result list.
2. Use the eye icon to switch between small and large previews.
3. Check whether each result is relevant to your research question.

Step 11: Apply codes to results

• Code individual results

In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac

1. Click the coding icon next to a result.
2. Select or create a code in the coding dialog.
3. Apply the code.

• Auto-code multiple or all results

In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac

1. Select the results you want to code.
2. To select all results, use Ctrl/Cmd + A.
3. Click Apply Codes.
4. Enter a code name.
5. Click the plus icon.

When to use Text Search

Text Search is useful when you want to:

• find specific terms across documents
• auto-code repeated words or phrases
• search for synonyms or related terms
• search for variations of a word
• locate exact phrases
• review all mentions of a concept
• compare how a term appears across different documents or groups
• speed up early coding or exploratory analysis

Text Search can support:

• thematic analysis
• deductive coding
• literature review analysis
• survey response analysis
• interview analysis
• quality checking of code coverage

Common issues and mistakes

• Applying codes without reviewing the results
  • Text Search can find matching terms quickly, but not every result may be relevant. Always review the search results before coding them.
• Choosing the wrong quotation size
  • If you choose paragraphs, ATLAS.ti may code a larger segment than needed.
  • If you choose exact matches or words, the result may be too narrow. Choose the base unit that best fits your analysis.
• Forgetting to include synonyms or inflected forms
  • Search results may miss relevant passages if you only search for one word form. Use synonyms and inflected forms when appropriate.
• Using AND and OR incorrectly
  • Use AND when all terms must appear in the same search context.
  • Use OR when any of the search terms can appear.
• Expecting exact match to behave like exact phrase search
  • An exact match search finds the characters entered in the search field. To search for an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the phrase.
• Auto-coding too many results at once
  • Auto-coding can save time, but it may also apply codes to irrelevant results if the search query is too broad.

When to contact support

Contact ATLAS.ti Support if:

• Text Search does not open
• search results do not appear
• expected documents or document groups are missing from the search scope
• synonym suggestions do not appear as expected
• inflected forms or language models do not work as expected
• the Text Search result page does not display correctly
• coding options are missing
• auto-coding fails
• results are coded differently than expected

When contacting support, include:

• your platform: Web, Windows, or Mac
• your ATLAS.ti version if using Desktop
• screenshots or error messages
• the search term or phrase you used
• the selected search scope
• the quotation size or base unit selected