INTERACT is available in multiple languages, both on macOS and Windows.
For application commands in German, Spanish, Slovak, Dutch, traditional Chinese, or simplified Chinese, switch to your preferred language as described in Program settings - Language.
Documentation is available in English and German, only.
Working Modes
INTERACT two different working modes:
 | Video based - INTERACT can control your multimedia files (digitized video or audio on the computer) and allows you to log, reproduce and analyze your observations. Due to the vast number of different file types and compression routines, the 'simple' task of controlling a video becomes quite tricky. Details about know problems, tips and formats can be found in the section Multimedia Playback. Details on how to select your source of observation is explained in Select or Open an Observational Source. |
| Live Observation - Instead of observing a video it is also possible to use INTERACT during a live observation. The main difference is that you cannot pause or rewind, nor reproduce the situation observed. An ongoing time reference allows you to log real life observations including their time reference. All analysis routines are available for this type of data as well. If you simultaneously record the observed scene, you can Synchronize those recordings with your live data later on (for in-depth analysis). Details about the Live observation mode can be found in the chapter Select or Open and Observational Source and Live Observation. |
Note: It is even possible to combine those two within the same document - not in the same session!
Coding Methods
For video based observations, the observer can use two different coding methods:
| Event-based (Event Sampling, both with and without duration) - With this preferred observation method, Events are created whenever they occur. Event-based data is more precise and offers accurate statistics on frequencies and duration. Multiple overlapping events can be created simultaneously as often as needed, but in real life, it is usually hard to concentrate on more than 2-3 different types of behavior at the same time. Multiple passes through the same video are possible and often required. With INTERACT it is also possible to export Event-based data in Intervals, to make the data comparable with older time-sampling-based studies. |
| Interval-based (Time Sampling) - Fixed intervals are created before you start an observation session. Those empty lines are also called 'Events' and can be used to watch the corresponding part of the video and be filled with Codes, describing the situation for each of those intervals. You can use this method for zero-one sampling or other interval-based observation methods. Data collected this way is less accurate than Event-based data, because neither the frequency nor the duration of the collected Codes reflect reality, so we advice to use this method only to collect information that cannot be linked to an actual event. All Codes that can be applied to a single interval simultaneously, do require a separate Class. How to create fixed intervals is described in Create Fixed Intervals. |
Note: It is possible to export Event-based data into any required interval-width!
| Pinpoint (fixed event distance) - This method is only useful if you are logging codes without duration. It is a Time Sampling method during which you create the Events on the fly, like is done for Event Sampling. But, instead of playing the video or replaying a predefined interval, you manually log Time-Stamp-Events, every so many seconds or minutes, with the help of the Step-Width functionality. Everything else works the same as for Event-based coding. How to define your step-width, is explained in the INTERACT Help file in Step width, Pre-roll and Search Speed. |
| Exploratory Observation - Start collecting data without predefined Codes. Describe each observations in detail whenever it occurs, collecting chronological time information while doing so. This bottom-up approach enables you to develop themes, concepts and codes as you review and analyze the collected data. The time information collected on the side is not relevant for the researcher, but simplifies the process of checking previous notes and descriptions. |
Note: You can combine all methods within the same data file, but you can use only one method per observation session.
To combine methods, you need separate passes through your video.
Example: Code behavioral Events as they occur in one or more passes to get the most accurate data collection. Additionally, you can create predefined interval-Events to judge the emotional state; both types of Events can be stored within the same DataSet, independent of the processing order.
But per observation pass, you can either create new Events OR log Codes into existing (interval-)Events.
In addition to those Coding Methods, INTERACT offers various Coding Modes and Coding Options that allow you to implement even very complex coding systems. Details on those modes and options can be found in Observation Modes.