Documentation

Transana comes with a tutorial and a help system. These should be enough to get you up and running with the program. You can also look at the Frequently Asked Questions page. This page also has links to articles that explain some issues in more detail.

Guided Tour

The Transana Guided Tour is an excellent place to start. It's designed to give you a very brief overview of the analytic processes that Transana supports.

ScreenCasts

ScreenCasts are short Flash movies designed to help you learn the basics of working with Transana. I'd recommend viewing the available ScreenCasts, then going through the Transana Tutorial (available in the program's Help menu) for more detail.

Here's a list of links to existing ScreenCasts. This list is likely to expand over the next few months.

Introduction to Transana - How to start Transana, the Transana main screen.

Adding your First Video - How to add your video to Transana for analysis.

Transcription with Transana - How to transcribe video with Transana.

Inserting Time Codes - How to insert Time Codes with Transana, linking the transcript and the video.

Creating Clips - Different kinds of Clips, and how to creating them in Transana. Also includes creating Keywords and Collections.

Articles on this site

Video and Audio Formats About some of the different available formats.

Preparing Video for Transana Read more about optimal video formats, and how to get your video read for Transana.

How to Capture Video Read this description of capturing video using Vegas Video on Windows to learn about the steps in the process, even if you will be using different software.

About the Multi-User Version This article explains the difference between the single- and the multi-user version.

Multi-User Setup Guide, version 2.40 This set of pages provides an in-depth explanation of how to get Transana-MU, version 2.40 and later up and running.

Using Transana in a Computer Lab Procedures for using Transana in this situation.

Data Migration Learn how to move your data safely from one version to a new one.

Documentation Created by Transana Users

Transana In a Nut Shell by Jacqueline Hotchkiss (and edited by David Woods). A short "getting started" guide that covers loading media files into Transana and transcribing them. (February, 2009, version 2.30.)

Transana Keyboard Shortcuts and Transcript Notation by Rich Henne (and subsequently modified by David Woods as Transana has changed.) This is a quick-reference guide in PDF format.

Analyzing Orphaned Transcripts in Transana by Nicolas Sheon. This article describes how to add text-only documents to Transana, how to easily create fake or real audio files for those documents, and how to "auto-timecode" a transcript.

Non-English Language Documentation

Instructivo para quien quiera iniciarse en el uso del TRANSANA- en español (October, 2006, version 2.12.)

Miia Collanus, of the University of Helsinkini, has posted a Finnish-language user guide on her web page. (June, 2004, version 1.2x.)

Tools Created by Transana Users

Color Palates for use with the Custom Color Configuration tool:

Transana_Colors_Color_Brewer.txt -- A Transana color set created by Nicolas Sheon following the principles described at http://www.colorbrewer.org.

Transana_Colors_Pantone.txt -- A Transana color set created by Nicolas Sheon using Pantone colors.

Transana_Colors_Original.txt -- A Transana color set matching Transana's default colors

Word Macros for manipulating transcripts created in Transana This page describes (and provides) a set of Word Macros that some people find helpful for manipulating transcripts created in Transana.

A script that converts exported Transana RTF files into SRT files, which allow the display of subtitles with VLC and MPlayer, was written by Dorian Soru. He introduces it in the discussion board and it is available here.

Articles

Afitska, O. (2009). Review of Transana 2.30. Lanuage Documentation & Conservation 3(2):226 - 235.

Aune, R. K. & Sharritt, M. J. (2010). Gamer Talk: Becoming Impenetrably Efficient. In M. Cruz-Cunha, V. Carvalho & P. Tavares (Eds.), Business, Technological and Social Dimensions of Computer Games: Multidisciplinary Developments. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Liston, Kathleen (2009). A Mediated Interaction Approach to Study the Role of Media Use in Team Interaction. Center for Integrated Facility Engineering, Stanford University.

Mavrou, Katerina, Douglas, Graeme & Lewis, Ann (2007). The use of Transana as a video analysis tool in researching computer-based collaborative learning in inclusive classrooms in Cyprus. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 30 (2), 163-178. Retrieved January 28, 2008, from http://www.informaworld.com/10.1080/17437270701383305

Nathan, M. J., Eilam, B. & Kim, Suyeon (2007). To disagree, we must also agree: How intersubjectivity structures and perpetuates discourse in a mathematics classroom. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 16 (4), 525-565.

Parmeggiani, Paolo (2009). Going digital: Using new technologies in visual sociology, Visual Studies, 24:1, 71 - 81

Parmeggiani, Paolo (2008). Teaching Different Research Methods Through the Use of Video Analysis Software for Media Students. International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches, 2 (1), 94 - 104.

Schwab, Götz (2006). Transana - ein Tranksriptions- und Analyseprogramm zur Verarbeitung von Videodaten am Computer. Gesprächsforschung - Online-Zeitschrift zur verbalen Interaktion 7, 70 - 78.

Sharritt, M. J. (2010). Designing game affordances to promote learning and engagement. Cognitive Technology Journal, 15(1). (Special Issue on Games for
Good: Video Games as Cognitive Technologies.)

Sharritt, M. J. (2010). An Open-Ended, Emergent Approach for Studying Serious Games. In L. Annetta & S. Bronack (Eds.) Serious Educational Game Assessment. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

Sharritt, M.J. (2010). Evaluating Video Game Design and Interactivity. In R. Van Eck (Ed.) Interdisciplinary Models and Tools for Serious Games: Emerging Concepts and Future Directions. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Sharritt, M. J. & Suthers, D.D. (2009). Video game representations as cues for collaboration and learning. International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations, 1(3). (Received 'top-paper award' at the Meaningful Play conference, Michigan State University, October 2008).

Sharritt, M.J. (2008), Forms of Learning in Collaborative Video Game Play. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 3 (2), 97 - 138.

Silver, C., and Lewins, A. (2009) Transana 2.40 : Distinguishing features and functions. QUIC Working Papers, University of Guildford.

Spiers, J. A. (2004). Tech tips: Using video management/ analysis technology in qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 3(1). Article 5.

(Please e-mail me with links to other articles you find that mention Transana!)

Software Links

The Transformer To quote their web site, " The Transformer can read and write the file formats of different annotation programs. This function allows you to use and analyze your data in different programs." The Transformer supports Transana, Clan, Elan, Praat, Transcriber, and other formats.

Do you know of other online documentation Transana users have posted? If so, e-mail the link to the developers.