START YOUR OBSERVATIONS > Create a New Data File

INTERACT collects your observations in a table-structured document, also referred to as 'data file'.

New observations are automatically logged into the currently active document.

IMPORTANT: For data security reasons, it is best to collect the data in separate data files per session.
Merging multiple files after data collection is done, is easy.

There are multiple ways to create a new data file for new observations:

Automatically, at the start of a data logging session - If NO document is currently open, activating the INTERACT Observation Mode creates a new empty data file (containing all Classes from the current Code definition file).

▪To activate the Observation Mode, click .

Conventionally, using the toolbar - You can, of course, manually create a new data file:

▪Click Start - File - New .

INTERACT creates a new empty document (containing all Classes from the current Code definition file).

If no Code definitions are available, the data file is empty except for one demo column. All required Class columns are created during a coding session.

Note: During data collection, it is recommended to log the data for each session in a separate data file - to minimize the risk of data loss. For analysis, you should merge all observation files into a big compilation file.

Using a template - Templates allow you to predefine all kinds of information, to ensure standardized data files. Good reasons for building a template are:

oTo predefine Independent Variables

oCreate a standardized Groups and Set structure

oIf your Coders work on different projects, with special settings (like different frames per second and Code Archive)

Creating one or more templates ensures that all necessary settings are preset for new data files based on such a template.

How to create a template and all necessary details is explained in Work with Templates.

This way, you can use an existing template to create a new data file:

▪Open a template file (*.atp) that is stored anywhere in you file structure.

A copy of the selected file is opened, containing all predefined elements.

Directly from within the Code definition dialog - If you are still in the Code definition dialog (where you just have defined your Observation Codes), INTERACT can either create a new file (if no data file is open yet), or add the current Classes to an already opened data file:

▪Open the Code definition dialog by clicking Start - Observation - Define Codes .

▪Make sure the correct Code definitions file is opened.

▪Make sure that either no or the data file of your choice is opened.

▪Click the Add Classes to active data file icon in the Code definitions dialog.

If no data file is open, INTERACT automatically creates a new data file, containing all Classes used in the current Code definitions file.

If a data file is already open, a dialog asking "Do you want to keep the existing Classes and Codes?" appears.

▪To add any failing Classes to the already existing columns of the current data file, click Yes .

▪To overwrite all Classes and Codes of the current data file, click No
(Do not use this, if the data file already contains data!)

TAKE CARE: If you chose to overwrite the existing Classes, all existing Codes are lost!
(The Events including the time information are kept though.)

Create a New data file

Create a New data file