How to analyze code frequencies and patterns in ATLAS.ti

Who this article is for

This article is for ATLAS.ti Windows, Mac, and Web users who want to understand what tools are available to identify patterns, compare coded data, and explore trends across their projects. To find more details about each specific tool, please check the dedicated article about that tool.

Understanding code frequencies and patterns

Once your data has been coded, ATLAS.ti provides several ways to explore where codes appear, how often they occur, and how different themes relate to one another.

Depending on your research question, you may want to:

• Compare codes across documents or participant groups
• Identify the most frequently used codes
• Explore which codes appear together
• Filter results to specific documents, groups, or themes
• Export findings for reporting or further analysis

Start with the Code Manager

One of the quickest ways to get an overview of your coding is through the Code Manager.

You can search, sort, and filter codes, as well as use different view modes to visualize your coding. Depending on the platform and manager, available visualizations may include bar charts, word clouds, treemaps, and detailed list views.

In ATLAS.ti Windows and Mac

• Open the Code Manager by double-clicking Codes in the Project Explorer on the left side of the screen
• The manager displays all codes in your project together with information such as groundedness, groups, comments, and other properties

In ATLAS.ti Web

• Open the Code Manager from the left navigation panel
• You can filter, sort, and group your codes

Organize and filter your results

All managers allow you to narrow your analysis to specific subsets of data.

For example, selecting a code group displays only the codes assigned to that group. This can be useful when comparing themes, participant categories, locations, or any other organizational structure you have created in your project.

Managers also provide export options, allowing you to save lists of documents, codes, quotations, memos, and other project entities for further review.

Compare codes across documents

The Code-Document Table is one of the most powerful tools for frequency analysis.

It allows you to compare codes or code groups against documents or document groups, helping you answer questions such as:

• Which themes appear most often in different interviews?
• How do participant groups differ?
• Which topics occur most frequently across data sources?

The table can display absolute frequencies, normalized counts, and relative frequencies. You can also review the quotations behind every result, ensuring that frequency counts remain connected to the underlying data.

Explore relationships between codes

Frequency alone does not always tell the full story. Sometimes the most important insight comes from understanding which codes appear together.

The Code Co-Occurrence Table helps identify potential relationships between themes by showing where codes overlap in the same quotations or data segments.

This can help reveal:

• Frequently connected concepts
• Emerging themes
• Relationships between categories
• Areas for deeper investigation

Results can be explored directly within the table and visualized through available diagrams and charts.

Compare groups and categories

Groups make it easier to compare subsets of your data.

For example, you can compare:

• Different participant groups
• Interviews versus documents
• Geographic regions
• Departments or teams
• Research phases

Both the Code-Document Table and Code Co-Occurrence Table support working with code groups and document groups, allowing you to move between detailed and high-level analysis.

This makes it possible to identify broader patterns while still remaining connected to individual quotations.

Review quotations behind the numbers

A key principle of qualitative analysis is staying connected to the original data.

Across ATLAS.ti's analysis tools, you can click on results to view the quotations behind the numbers. This allows you to verify interpretations, examine context, and develop analytical insights based on actual evidence rather than frequency counts alone.

Export results

Most analysis tools and managers include export options.

Depending on the tool, you can export:

• Excel spreadsheets
• Word reports
• Images and charts

Exported results can be used in reports, presentations, publications, or further statistical analysis.

Common issues and mistakes

• Focusing only on frequency counts
  • A frequently used code is not automatically the most important finding. Always review the underlying quotations and context.
• Comparing documents of very different sizes
  • Longer documents often contain more coded segments. Consider using normalized or relative frequencies when comparing datasets of different sizes.
• Treating co-occurrence as proof of a relationship
  • Code co-occurrence suggests a potential connection between concepts, but interpretation should always be supported by reviewing the underlying quotations.

When to contact support

Contact support if:

• Analysis tables fail to load
• Results appear incomplete or incorrect
• Export options are unavailable
• Visualizations do not display correctly