How to Collect AI Interviews and Code Them in ATLAS.ti (2026 Guide)
Written by Fengming Liu (UCL) · Reviewed by Prof. Shubin Yu (HEC Paris) · October 2026 · Updated: 2026-10-11 · 7 min read
Short answer: run your interviews with QualiTaTi's AI interviewer, import the transcripts into a QualiTaTi QDA project, export it as a REFI-QDA project (.qdpx), and open that file in ATLAS.ti. ATLAS.ti then shows your transcripts, codebook, cases and any coding you already did.
Why collect in QualiTaTi and code in ATLAS.ti?
ATLAS.ti is strong for systematic coding and network views, but it does not run interviews with participants. QualiTaTi does the collection: an AI interviewer runs text or voice interviews from your guide and produces transcripts. You then move the transcripts, and any coding you started, into ATLAS.ti.
REFI-QDA is the open exchange standard for qualitative data analysis software. A .qdpx file is a zip that holds your transcripts as plain text plus an XML description of codes, cases and coded segments, so you do not have to copy and paste transcripts or rebuild your codebook by hand.
What you need
- A QualiTaTi account. The free plan includes 30 credits each month; exporting does not use credits.
- ATLAS.ti 26 (Windows and Mac).
- Completed interviews in QualiTaTi, or transcripts you upload yourself.
Step 1: Run the interviews
Create an AI Interviewer project, write or generate your interview guide, and run a test interview yourself before sharing the link with participants. Participants can answer by text or by voice. If your study needs ethics approval, the ethics approval kit has information-sheet, consent and data-management text you can adapt.
Step 2: Bring the transcripts into a QDA project
- Open the QDA Workspace and create a New QDA Project.
- Click Import Interviews and choose the AI Interviewer project. Completed interviews are added as documents.
- Optionally create a case for each participant and link each document to its case. Cases travel with the export.
Step 3 (optional): Start coding in QualiTaTi
You can code manually, run AI-assisted coding, or both before exporting. Accepted codes and AI suggestions still waiting for review are both exported; suggestions you rejected are left out. Each AI-coded or pending segment carries a short note saying how it was coded, so you can review it in ATLAS.ti.
Step 4: Export the .qdpx file
- In the QDA project, open the Transcripts export menu.
- Choose Project for NVivo, ATLAS.ti, MAXQDA (.qdpx).
- Save the file. It is named after your project.
Step 5: Open the file in ATLAS.ti
- If ATLAS.ti is closed, start it and choose Import Project on the opening screen. If a project is already open, choose File > New, then Import Project.
- Select the .qdpx file.
- Optionally rename the project before importing. If a project with the same name is already in your library, choose whether to overwrite it or rename the imported one.
- Confirm the import. The project opens with your transcripts as documents.
What transfers
| In QualiTaTi | In the .qdpx file |
|---|
| Interview transcripts and uploaded documents | Plain-text documents (UTF-8) |
| Codebook with parent and child codes | Code hierarchy with definitions and colours |
| Cases | Cases linked to their documents |
| Accepted and pending coded segments | Coded segments at their exact position in the text |
| Audio recordings, analysis reports and charts | Not included |
Things to know about ATLAS.ti
- The ATLAS.ti manual states that it imports QDPX projects regardless of which application created them, but it does not list which elements arrive. Check codes, cases and coded segments after the first import (see the checklist below).
- Exchange between QDA programs is never perfectly one-to-one. Treat the .qdpx file as a hand-off, and keep your QualiTaTi project until you have checked the import.
Check your import
- The number of documents matches the number of transcripts in the QualiTaTi project.
- The codebook shows the same codes and hierarchy.
- Open two or three coded segments and confirm the highlighted text is the passage you coded in QualiTaTi.
- If you used cases, check that each document is linked to the right case.
If the import fails or something is missing, email contact@qualitati.com with your ATLAS.ti version and the error message. The export is checked against the REFI-QDA project schema, and we fix reported import problems quickly.
Frequently asked questions
Which ATLAS.ti versions can open the file?
The ATLAS.ti 26 manuals for Windows and Mac describe importing QDPX projects. Earlier desktop versions from ATLAS.ti 8 also support QDPX, but menu names may differ.
Does the export include audio recordings?
No. The .qdpx file contains the transcripts as text; recordings stay in the QualiTaTi interview project.
Can I move the project back from ATLAS.ti to QualiTaTi?
Not at the moment. QualiTaTi exports .qdpx files but does not import them, so finish any QualiTaTi coding before you export.
Does exporting cost credits?
No. Exports are free on every plan, including the free plan.
Where are my interviews stored before export?
In the European Union. The trust page lists where data is stored, which providers process it, and the data processing agreement.
Sources for the ATLAS.ti steps, checked 2026-10-11: ATLAS.ti 26 Windows manual: importing an existing project; ATLAS.ti 26 Mac manual: importing an existing project.