> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://ailyze.gitbook.io/ailyze-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://ailyze.gitbook.io/ailyze-docs/common-research-workflows/analyze-interview-transcripts.md).
# Analyze Interview Transcripts
This page shows you how to turn one-on-one interview transcripts into a structured report of [themes](/ailyze-docs/reference/glossary.md#theme), quotes, and charts. Use it for research interviews, customer, stakeholder, or expert interviews, and any long-form text you want organized into themes. Most of this guide is about the results, because that is where the value is.
**When to use this** instead of the spreadsheet workflow: your data is in *documents* (one transcript per file), not rows in a sheet. If your interviews are rows in a spreadsheet, use [Analyze open-ended survey responses](/ailyze-docs/common-research-workflows/analyze-open-ended-survey-responses.md) instead.
{% hint style="info" %}
**What you need:** A Free or Pro plan, and your interviews saved as DOCX, PDF, or TXT files (one interview per file works best).
**What you will have at the end:** A structured report that organizes your interviews into themes and quotes, with charts you can download or share.
{% endhint %}
## Step 1: Prepare your files
Accepted file types: **DOCX, PDF, TXT**. Up to **50 files** per project.
* One interview per file is ideal. Clear speaker labels help.
* Only have audio or video? [Transcribe it first](/ailyze-docs/prepare-research-data/transcribe-audio-and-video.md), then use the transcript's **"Analyze transcripts"** button to arrive here with your files already loaded.
## Step 2: Create the project
From your account page, click **"Analyze docx/pdf files"**, then add your files. The configuration options appear once you select a file.
### Add research context (optional)
The first screen has two panels:
* **"Files to analyze"** — your transcripts (everything starts here).
* **"Research framework, questions, background, etc."** — drop in a proposal, interview guide, or framework (up to 5 context files), or type notes into **"Input manually"**.
Click **"Use AI to extract research background, framework, methodology, questions, etc."** and Evidano pre-fills the configuration with **"Suggested"** choices. Or click **"Skip"**.
### Choose a report structure
| Option | Each section is… | Best for |
| --------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | --------------------- |
| **Themes + linked research questions** | a theme that answers one or more questions | **academic** projects |
| **Questions only** | a question | **industry** projects |
| **Themes only** *(more options)* | a theme | exploratory coding |
| **Questions + themes** *(more options)* | a theme *or* a question, analyzed separately | mixed deliverables |
Use **"View sample"** on any card to preview the output shape.
Then choose your **methodology** (include or skip) and **segment comparison** (compare across groups, or none — see [Compare groups](/ailyze-docs/analyze-data/compare-groups-segments.md)).
### Set optional settings
Open **Optional Settings** to set:
* **Project name**
* **Preferred language of response** (100+ languages — your report can be in a different language than your data)
* **Focus group discussions?** — *Auto-detect (recommended)* / include / exclude (see [Analyze focus groups](/ailyze-docs/common-research-workflows/analyze-focus-groups.md))
* **Word cloud** visualization on or off
* **Summary** of your documents on or off (recommended on)
### Pick a methodology (if included)
A three-column picker: **Category → Subcategory → Methodology**, drawn from a large library (Academia, Evaluation, Market & Product Research, plus **Custom**). Examples: *Reflexive Thematic Analysis (Braun and Clarke)*, *Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)*, *Constructivist Grounded Theory (Charmaz)*. You can **Upload Context** or **Use Previous**.
### Add or generate your themes and codebook
On **"Get AI themes/ codebook or input your own"**, you can build your [codebook](/ailyze-docs/reference/glossary.md#codebook) in three ways:
* **Paste Themes** (paste a list; **"Format into list using AI"**),
* **Type Your Themes** (manual), or
* **Use Previous** (reuse a prior codebook).
Or open **AI Theme Generation**, add an instruction (for example, *"I want 3 themes only, focused on barriers, motivations, and trust"*), and click **"Get Themes & Sub-Themes"**.
{% hint style="info" %}
Limits: up to **35 questions**, **20 themes**, **20** [**sub-themes**](/ailyze-docs/reference/glossary.md#sub-theme) each, and **150** total analysis items.
{% endhint %}
### Add your research questions (if included)
**Paste / Type / Use Previous** your questions (up to 35). Split compound questions for cleaner results.
### Submit the project
Click **"Create Project and Start Analysis"**. You'll see **"Analysis Starting — You will receive an email once completed."**
{% hint style="info" %}
**Pro and costs:** Free accounts are capped at **1 theme and 1 question**. Pro users get unlimited analysis; beyond 50 files there is a small per-file charge. See [Plans, Limits & Credits](/ailyze-docs/reference/plans-limits-and-credits.md).
{% endhint %}
## Step 3: Wait while it runs
* The project shows **"Processing"** in your project list and updates live; you'll be **emailed** when it is done.
* Open it early to see **partial results** with a "still in progress" banner and a **"Partial Results"** chip.
## Step 4: Read your results
This is the payoff. The results page, from top to bottom:
1. **Header** — project name, **ID**, and a clickable **document count** chip (lists the included files). A pencil lets you **rename** the project.
2. **Action bar** — your follow-up tools (see Step 5).
3. **Insights** — the headline AI findings.
4. **Codebook table** — your themes → sub-themes/codes with frequency columns.
5. **Project summary** — an overview of the documents (if enabled).
6. **Word-frequency visualization** — bar chart and word cloud (if enabled).
7. **Segment data overview** — appears if you compared [segments](/ailyze-docs/reference/glossary.md#segment).
8. **Themes / Questions** — the core, one accordion each.
### Inside each theme
Expand a theme to find:
* **Summary across all files** — an AI synthesis of that theme.
* **Codes & key quotes** — quotes grouped by code, with a **CSV export** (`key_quotes_by_codes.csv`) and a chat button. Sub-sections include **Visualizations** (a **Hierarchy Graph** and a [**Co-occurrence Network**](/ailyze-docs/reference/glossary.md#co-occurrence-network)) and a **Table**.
* **Codebook table** for that theme's children.
* **Comparison across segments** — if segment comparison was on.
* **Summary of individual files** — per-document detail.
You can add a **sub-theme** inline, copy any section, and (Pro) refine quotes.
### Charts
Per-theme **Code Frequency Analysis** charts toggle between **Bar** and **Pie**, with a **Display → Percentage** option and **Put segments on y-axis** for comparisons. You also get hierarchy graphs, co-occurrence networks, and word clouds.
New to all this? See [How to read your results](/ailyze-docs/analyze-data/how-to-read-your-results.md) for the full map, with plain-language definitions of theme, sub-theme/code, codebook, and each chart.
## Step 5: Do more with your results (the Action bar)
| Button | What it does | Notes |
| ------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Chat to generate custom report/analysis** | Ask questions, request summaries or charts grounded in your data | See [Chat with your data](/ailyze-docs/analyze-data/chat-with-your-data.md) |
| **Download as DOCX** | A formatted Word report | Pro |
| **Download as XLSX** | The analysis as a spreadsheet | Pro |
| **Share as Webpage** | A public read-only results link | Pro |
| **Add File** | Add more transcripts and re-run | Pro |
| **Add Theme / Add Question** | Extend the analysis with new codes | Pro |
| **Edit Codebook** | Rename, merge, split, or move themes and codes | Pro — see [Build a codebook](/ailyze-docs/analyze-data/build-a-codebook.md) |
| **Calculate AI Accuracy** | Check coding reliability against the codebook | Pro |
{% hint style="info" %}
Free users see these disabled with **"Only allowed for paid users"**. While an analysis is running, actions show **"…disabled while analysis is in progress"**.
{% endhint %}
## A realistic example
> **Scenario:** You ran **40 customer interviews** about a checkout redesign. Upload all 40 DOCX files, choose **Questions only** (industry), let Evidano generate themes, and add **Compare segments** by *plan tier*. The result is a question-structured report with the top themes per question, quotes for each, frequency charts split by plan tier, and a Word report you hand to product. You then open **Chat** and ask, *"Summarize the top 3 friction points for enterprise customers with quotes."*
## Next steps
* [How to read your results](/ailyze-docs/analyze-data/how-to-read-your-results.md) — a full tour of every section and chart.
* [Build a codebook](/ailyze-docs/analyze-data/build-a-codebook.md) — refine your themes and codes.
* [Generate a research report](/ailyze-docs/create-deliverables/generate-a-research-report.md) — turn your results into a shareable deliverable.
* [Troubleshooting: Analysis issues](/ailyze-docs/troubleshooting/analysis-issues.md) — if something looks off.
---
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