What makes a transcript "NVivo-ready"?

A Word document (.docx) with one paragraph per speaker turn, a consistent speaker label followed by a colon at the start of each turn, and no tables, text boxes or headers that break paragraph flow. NVivo imports it as a document, and its Autocode "Speaker name" option codes every turn by speaker because the label sits at the start of the line. Every Landmark transcript is delivered this way; there is no separate NVivo format to order.

Do you deliver NVivo project files (.nvp or .nvpx)?

No, and no transcription service needs to. NVivo imports Word, rich text, plain text and PDF files directly, so a correctly formatted .docx is the deliverable. Project files are created inside NVivo by the researcher.

Will the same transcript work in ATLAS.ti, Dedoose and MAXQDA?

Yes. All four tools import .docx. ATLAS.ti (Focus Group Coding) and MAXQDA (Import > Focus Group Transcripts) detect speakers from the "Name:" pattern at the start of a paragraph and create a code per speaker; Dedoose imports the document for manual excerpting and recommends Word over PDF. Nothing has to be reformatted between tools.

Do I need speaker identification for auto-coding by participant?

For one-on-one interviews, no: the default Interviewer: and Interviewee: labels already let NVivo, ATLAS.ti and MAXQDA code by speaker. For focus groups and any recording with three or more speakers, request speaker identification so each participant gets a distinct, consistent label (or the names and roles you supply). It is an optional add-on priced with your quote, and group recordings are the Plus rate, from $2.69 per audio minute.

Do timestamps import into the analysis software?

Timestamps are an optional add-on in [hh:mm:ss] format, on every speaker change or at the interval you choose. MAXQDA recognises that format in Import > Transcripts > Transcript with Timestamps and turns each one into a clickable link to the audio. NVivo keeps them as text in a document, or links them to the media file when the transcript is supplied as timespan rows. If you want NVivo media-synchronised transcripts, say so in your quote request and we will confirm the layout before work starts.

Does NVivo-ready formatting cost extra?

No. Formatting for NVivo, ATLAS.ti, Dedoose and MAXQDA is how every transcript is delivered, at the standard rate from $1.99 per audio minute for one-on-one interviews. The only priced add-ons are speaker identification and timestamps; HIPAA Safe Harbor de-identification is included.

Formats for analysis software

NVivo-ready transcripts: the import guide for NVivo, ATLAS.ti, Dedoose and MAXQDA

An NVivo-ready transcript is a Word document with one paragraph per speaker turn and a consistent speaker label followed by a colon at the start of each turn. NVivo imports it as a document and its Autocode “Speaker name” option codes every turn by speaker; ATLAS.ti and MAXQDA read the same pattern to build a code per participant, and Dedoose imports it directly. Every Landmark transcript is delivered in this layout at the standard rate, from $1.99 per audio minute, with HIPAA Safe Harbor de-identification included. Speaker identification for groups and [hh:mm:ss] timestamps are optional add-ons.

Key takeaways

"NVivo-ready" is a layout, not a file type: a .docx with one paragraph per turn and a consistent speaker label followed by a colon at the start of each turn.
That same layout is what ATLAS.ti (Focus Group Coding) and MAXQDA (Import > Focus Group Transcripts) read to create a code per speaker, and what Dedoose imports as a document.
Speaker identification for groups and [hh:mm:ss] timestamps are optional add-ons; the formatting itself is included in every Landmark transcript, from $1.99 per audio minute.
No tool needs a proprietary transcript file. Word in, coding out.

What the layout looks like

A Landmark transcript with the timestamp add-on, as delivered in .docx. The speaker label opens each paragraph; notation and de-identification placeholders stay inside the turn.

[00:04:12] Interviewer: Can you walk me through what happens after an interview ends?

[00:04:17] Interviewee: I upload the recording the same day, and then it’s out of my hands until the transcript comes back. My colleague [NAME] at [UNIVERSITY] does the first pass of coding.

[00:04:31] Interviewer: And where does the coding happen?

[00:04:33] Interviewee: In NVivo, mostly. We keep the timestamps on so we can jump back to the audio when a passage is [inaudible 00:04:38].

Illustrative excerpt written to show the conventions, not from a client study.

The six layout rules the tools depend on

Rule	Why it matters on import
One paragraph per speaker turn	Every tool treats the paragraph as the unit it codes by speaker. A turn split across paragraphs is coded twice; two turns in one paragraph are coded once.
Speaker label, colon, space, then the words	NVivo checks the start of the line for the speaker name; ATLAS.ti and MAXQDA look for the colon pattern at the start of the paragraph.
The same label every time	"Participant 2:" and "P2:" become two codes. Landmark keeps labels identical for the whole project, including across files.
No tables, text boxes or headers around the dialogue	They survive import but break the paragraph flow the speaker rules depend on.
Bracketed notation stays inline	[laughs], [pause], [inaudible 00:04:38] and de-identification placeholders such as [NAME] sit inside the turn, so they never create a false speaker.
Timestamps only if you will use them	They add reading noise in tools that keep them as text. In MAXQDA they become clickable links to the audio.

Tool by tool: formats, speaker coding, timestamps

Menu paths and rules are quoted from each vendor’s manual (linked), checked September 2026.

Tool	Imports	Coding by speaker	Timestamps	With a Landmark transcript
NVivo (Lumivero) NVivo Autocode help	.docx, .doc, .rtf, .txt, .pdf	Home tab > Coding > Autocode > "Speaker name". The name must start the line, one unique label per speaker.	Kept as text in a document; media-synchronised transcripts are imported as timespan rows (Edit tab > Transcript > Import Rows) from Word, RTF or text.	Default .docx imports as a document. Interviewer:/Interviewee: (or your names) satisfy the Autocode rule.
ATLAS.ti ATLAS.ti Focus Group Coding manual	.docx, .doc, .rtf, .txt for Focus Group Coding (PDF cannot be auto-coded)	Documents ribbon > Focus Group Coding (or right-click the document). Pick the speaker pattern; ATLAS.ti lists the matches and creates a code per speaker plus a code group.	Kept as text. Link audio separately if you need synchronised playback.	Label + colon at paragraph start is the pattern it looks for. Focus groups need speaker identification so each participant is a separate code.
MAXQDA MAXQDA focus group import manual	.docx, .doc, .rtf, .txt	Import > Focus Group Transcripts. "The name of the participant must appear at the beginning of the paragraph, followed by a colon." Creates a code per speaker; you choose colours and merge spellings in the dialog.	Import > Transcripts > Transcript with Timestamps recognises [hh:mm:ss], links the media file and turns each stamp into a clickable link.	Both imports work on the default layout. Add timestamps at order time if you want the clickable links.
Dedoose Dedoose supported file formats	.docx, .doc, .rtf, .txt, .pdf (Dedoose recommends Word over PDF)	Home > Import Data > Documents, or the + icon in the Media workspace. Excerpting and coding are manual; speaker labels keep turns easy to attribute.	Kept as text.	Default .docx imports cleanly. Ask for de-identified copies if the project is shared across a team.

NVivo: import, then Autocode by speaker

Import tab, then Files (or drag the .docx files into the Files list). Select several with Ctrl-click or Cmd-click.
Select the imported files, then Home tab, Coding group, Autocode.
Choose “Speaker name” and type the labels exactly as they appear: Interviewer, Interviewee, or the names you asked for.
NVivo creates a code per speaker and codes every turn. Reserved characters in a label are replaced with a tilde, so we keep labels to letters, digits and spaces.

ATLAS.ti: Focus Group Coding

Add the .docx files as documents.
Select a transcript in the Document Manager, then Focus Group Coding on the Documents ribbon (or right-click the document in the Project Explorer).
Choose the speaker pattern. ATLAS.ti lists every match; untick anything that is not a speaker.
Confirm. A code per speaker is created and grouped; existing codes are reused, not duplicated.

MAXQDA: Focus Group Transcripts

Import tab, then Focus Group Transcripts, and pick the format from the drop-down.
The dialog lists every detected speaker. Choose which to code, give each a colour, and merge any spelling variants.
MAXQDA creates a code per participant and codes all of their contributions.
For transcripts with the timestamp add-on, use Import, then Transcripts, then Transcript with Timestamps: MAXQDA links the audio and converts each [hh:mm:ss] into a clickable stamp.

Dedoose: Import Data

Home screen, Import Data, then Documents (or the + icon in the Media workspace).
Upload the .docx files. Dedoose recommends Word over PDF for text documents.
Excerpt and code in the document view; link descriptors to each document for participant attributes.

How to order it from Landmark

1.Upload the recordings and choose Word (.docx) as the delivery format.
Plain text, PDF and SRT are also available; Word is what the four tools recommend.
2.Tell us the labels you want.
Interviewer:/Interviewee: is the default. For focus groups, or if you want participant names or roles, request speaker identification (an add-on priced with your quote; groups and 3+ speakers are the Plus rate, from $2.69 per audio minute).
3.Add timestamps if you will click back to the audio.
On every speaker change or at a fixed interval, in [hh:mm:ss]. Optional, priced with the quote.
4.Pick clean or full verbatim.
Clean verbatim for thematic work; full verbatim when delivery is the data. Either style imports the same way.
5.Name the files for the project.
A consistent file name per participant and session becomes the document name in your project. The free file-naming generator builds one.

One-on-one interviews are the Standard rate, from $1.99 per audio minute; focus groups and recordings with three or more speakers are the Plus rate, from $2.69. Standard turnaround is 3–5 business days, with rush available. Timestamps and speaker identification are priced with your quote; HIPAA Safe Harbor de-identification is included.

See a full sample transcript Transcription rates File-naming generator

Questions researchers ask

What makes a transcript "NVivo-ready"?: A Word document (.docx) with one paragraph per speaker turn, a consistent speaker label followed by a colon at the start of each turn, and no tables, text boxes or headers that break paragraph flow. NVivo imports it as a document, and its Autocode "Speaker name" option codes every turn by speaker because the label sits at the start of the line. Every Landmark transcript is delivered this way; there is no separate NVivo format to order.
Do you deliver NVivo project files (.nvp or .nvpx)?: No, and no transcription service needs to. NVivo imports Word, rich text, plain text and PDF files directly, so a correctly formatted .docx is the deliverable. Project files are created inside NVivo by the researcher.
Will the same transcript work in ATLAS.ti, Dedoose and MAXQDA?: Yes. All four tools import .docx. ATLAS.ti (Focus Group Coding) and MAXQDA (Import > Focus Group Transcripts) detect speakers from the "Name:" pattern at the start of a paragraph and create a code per speaker; Dedoose imports the document for manual excerpting and recommends Word over PDF. Nothing has to be reformatted between tools.
Do I need speaker identification for auto-coding by participant?: For one-on-one interviews, no: the default Interviewer: and Interviewee: labels already let NVivo, ATLAS.ti and MAXQDA code by speaker. For focus groups and any recording with three or more speakers, request speaker identification so each participant gets a distinct, consistent label (or the names and roles you supply). It is an optional add-on priced with your quote, and group recordings are the Plus rate, from $2.69 per audio minute.
Do timestamps import into the analysis software?: Timestamps are an optional add-on in [hh:mm:ss] format, on every speaker change or at the interval you choose. MAXQDA recognises that format in Import > Transcripts > Transcript with Timestamps and turns each one into a clickable link to the audio. NVivo keeps them as text in a document, or links them to the media file when the transcript is supplied as timespan rows. If you want NVivo media-synchronised transcripts, say so in your quote request and we will confirm the layout before work starts.
Does NVivo-ready formatting cost extra?: No. Formatting for NVivo, ATLAS.ti, Dedoose and MAXQDA is how every transcript is delivered, at the standard rate from $1.99 per audio minute for one-on-one interviews. The only priced add-ons are speaker identification and timestamps; HIPAA Safe Harbor de-identification is included.