How to use the document manager


Key takeaways

  • The Document Manager provides a centralized overview of all documents in your project.
  • You can use the Document Manager to organize documents, review document information, add comments, manage document groups, and locate documents quickly.
  • Document groups can be used to organize datasets, compare participant groups, and support more focused analysis.

Who this article is for

This article is for ATLAS.ti Web and ATLAS.ti Desktop users who want to organize, manage, and review documents within their projects.

What is the Document Manager?

The Document Manager provides a centralized overview of all documents in your project.

Instead of opening documents one at a time, the Document Manager allows you to view and manage all project documents from a single location.

Depending on the platform, you can:

  • review document information
  • view document statistics
  • add or edit document comments
  • organize documents into groups
  • search for documents
  • sort documents
  • filter documents
  • manage bibliographic information
  • review document-related coding activity

The Document Manager is especially useful for larger projects that contain many documents or multiple data sources.

Why use the Document Manager?

The Document Manager helps researchers keep their projects organized and easier to navigate.

Common uses include:

  • reviewing all project documents
  • organizing documents into groups
  • comparing participant groups
  • managing interview transcripts
  • organizing literature review sources
  • reviewing coding activity across documents
  • locating specific documents quickly

For example, you may create document groups for:

  • interview participants
  • focus groups
  • survey respondents
  • literature review articles
  • different research sites
  • demographic categories

Document groups can then be used throughout your analysis to compare findings across datasets.

How to use the Document Manager in ATLAS.ti Web

The Document Manager in ATLAS.ti Web provides a project-wide overview of all documents and includes options for searching, sorting, grouping, and editing document information.

Step 1: Open the Document Manager

  1. Open your ATLAS.ti Web project.
  2. Click the Documents icon in the left navigation panel.

The Document Manager displays all documents in your project.

Step 2: Add documents

The Document Manager can also be used to add new documents to your project.

  1. Click Add document.
  2. Select the type of document you want to add.

Available options include:

  • Word documents
  • PDF documents
    • If needed, select Convert as text to import the document as plain text.
  • CSV files
  1. Select the file you want to import.
  2. Complete the import process.

You can also select Create new document to create a blank document directly within your project.

Step 3: Duplicate documents

You can duplicate documents when you want to create a copy for comparison, experimentation, or further analysis.

  1. Select the checkbox next to the document you want to duplicate.
  2. Click the three dots menu at the bottom of the Document Manager.
  3. Select Duplicate.
  4. Choose whether to:
    • duplicate the original document only, or
    • duplicate the document together with its quotations and codes.
  5. Confirm the duplication.

The duplicated document will appear as a separate document in your project.

Step 4: Review document information

The Document Manager displays information such as:

  • document name
  • number of quotations
  • number of codes used
  • document groups

This allows you to quickly review activity across your project.

Step 5: Open document details

  1. Hover over a document.
  2. Click Details.

The details sidebar allows you to:

  • view document information
  • add or edit document comments
  • add bibliographic references
  • view codes associated with the document
  • manage document groups

Step 6: Search and sort documents

Use the search box to locate documents quickly.

You can also sort documents to make them easier to review and manage.

Step 7: Filter documents

  1. Click Filter at the top of the Document Manager.
  2. Select the type of information you want to filter by.

You can filter documents by:

  • document name
  • document comment
  • document group
  • code
  • code group
  1. Enter or select the desired criteria.
  2. Click Apply.

The Document Manager will display only the documents that match the selected filter criteria.

Filtering can help you quickly locate specific documents or focus on subsets of data relevant to your analysis.


Step 8: Create and manage document groups

  1. Open the document details sidebar.
  2. Click Edit groups.
  3. Select an existing group or create a new one.
  4. Save your changes.

A document can belong to more than one document group.

Step 9: Add multiple documents to a group

  1. Select multiple documents using the checkboxes.
  2. Click the three dots menu.
  3. Select Add to group.
  4. Choose the desired document group.

How to use the Document Manager in ATLAS.ti Desktop

The Document Manager in ATLAS.ti Desktop provides a project-wide overview of documents and allows you to review, organize, filter, and manage document-related information.

Step 1: Open the Document Manager

  • In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac
  1. Open your project.
  2. Open the Document Manager.


Step 2: Add documents

The Document Manager can also be used to add new documents to your project.

  • In ATLAS.ti Windows
  1. Open the Document Manager.
  2. Click New.
  3. Select the type of document you want to add.
  4. Choose the appropriate file or option.
  5. Complete the import process.

Depending on your project, you can add various types of data, including documents, PDFs, spreadsheets, and other supported file formats.

  • In ATLAS.ti Mac
  1. Open the Document Manager.
  2. Click the + (New) button.
  3. Select Add Document.
  4. Choose the file you want to import.
  5. Complete the import process.


Step 3: Review document information

  • In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac

Review information such as:

  • document names
  • document groups
  • coding activity
  • quotations

Step 4: Open and review documents

  • In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac
  1. Double-click a document to open it.
  2. Alternatively, right-click the document and select Open.

Step 5: View and edit document information

  • In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac
  1. Select a document.
  2. Review document information in the details panel.
  3. Add or edit document comments as needed.

Step 6: Organize documents into groups

  • In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac
  1. Select one or more documents.
  2. To assign the documents to an existing group, use the document group options.
  3. To create a new group from the selected documents:
    • Right-click the selection and choose New Group from Selection, or
    • Drag and drop the selected documents into the left-hand panel.
  4. Enter a name for the new document group when prompted.
  5. Click OK to save the group.

Document groups can later be used for filtering, comparisons, and analysis.

Step 7: Filter and sort documents

  • In ATLAS.ti Windows

There is no dedicated filter panel in the Document Manager. Instead, you can use Document Groups in the left-hand panel to focus on specific subsets of documents.

  1. Open the Document Manager.
  2. In the left-hand panel, select a document group.
  3. The Document Manager will display only the documents assigned to that group.
  4. Select a different group to view another subset of documents.

You can also sort the displayed documents using the available column headings.

  • In ATLAS.ti Mac
  1. Open the Document Manager.
  2. Use the available filter and sorting options.
  3. Select the criteria you want to use.
  4. Apply the filter to display only matching documents.

For example, you can focus on documents belonging to specific document groups or other subsets relevant to your analysis.

Step 8: Change the document view

  • In ATLAS.ti Windows
  1. Open the Document Manager.
  2. Click View.
  3. Select the desired display mode.

Available options include:

  • List
  • Diagram
  • Tree Map

Tree Map View displays documents as rectangles, with the size of each rectangle representing the relative size of the document. This can help you quickly identify larger or smaller documents in your project.

  1. To export the visualization, select the option to export or save the view as an image.
  • In ATLAS.ti Mac
  1. Open the Document Manager.
  2. Click the View Mode icon at the top of the window.
  3. Select the desired display mode:
  • List View
  • Tree Map View

Tree Map View provides a visual overview of the documents in your project and their relative sizes.

  1. To export the visualization, use the available export option to save the view as an image.

Step 10: Create a document report

The Document Manager can be used to generate reports containing document information, quotations, coding information, and other analysis details.

  • In ATLAS.ti Windows
  1. Use the Export option.
  2. Choose one of the available export options:
    • Excel Export to export document information to Excel.
    • Report to generate a document report in word or PDF
  3. Select the information you want to include in the report.
  4. Save the exported file.
  5. Other option:
    1. Document Export: Exports the original text of the selected document(s). Unlike reports, this export does not include quotations, codes, comments, or other analysis information. It is useful when you want a copy of the source document content outside of ATLAS.ti.


Document reports can be useful for reviewing document metadata, coding activity, quotations, and other project information outside of ATLAS.ti.

  • In ATLAS.ti Mac
  1. Use the Export option.
  2. Choose one of the available export options:
    • Export as Spreadsheet to export document information to Excel.
    • Export as Report to generate a document report.
  3. Select the information you want to include in the report in word or PDF
  4. Save the exported file.

Tips for organizing documents

To keep your project organized:

  • create meaningful document names
  • add document comments when needed
  • use document groups consistently
  • group documents by participants, sites, or categories
  • review document information regularly
  • use document groups to support comparisons across datasets

Well-organized documents can make coding, analysis, and reporting more efficient.

Common issues and mistakes

  • Not using document groups
    • Document groups make it easier to organize large projects and compare findings across different subsets of data.
  • Using inconsistent document names
    • Clear naming conventions make documents easier to find and manage.
  • Forgetting to add document comments
    • Document comments can provide important context about the source or purpose of a document.
  • Creating too many document groups
    • Using too many overlapping groups can make projects harder to manage. Create groups that support your research questions and analysis goals.
  • Not reviewing document information
    • The Document Manager provides useful project-wide information that can help identify gaps or inconsistencies in your analysis.

When to contact support

Contact ATLAS.ti Support if:

  • documents do not appear in the Document Manager
  • document groups cannot be created or edited
  • document comments cannot be saved
  • document information is missing
  • documents fail to open
  • the Document Manager behaves differently from the documentation

When contacting support, include:

  • your platform (Web, Windows, or Mac)
  • your ATLAS.ti version if using Desktop
  • screenshots or error messages
  • details about the documents or groups involved
  • a description of the expected and actual behavior
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