In either case, the drawing of connections between the document and index system is central to the analysis. This is likely to be an iterative process involving going back and forth between the two systems. Working within the document system, you code text units as one or more nodes (note that not every text unit needs to be coded at a node). Much time can be saved on repetitive coding tasks involving commonly occurring features by the use of automated coding. Within the index system, you can browse all the text units you have coded at a particular node. You can think about them, perhaps recode some of them, or split them into two or more sub-categories (i.e. create new nodes at the next level of the hierarchy). You can easily return to the document system to view particular text units in context to help in this process.
Interactive coding NUD*IST encourages coding and categorizing directly from the computer screen. With a document in view, you look through it and, if you get an idea about how a particular text unit or units might be categorized, you simply ask NUD*IST to code it for you. It can be coded either at an existing node or at a new one that you name. You can specify it as a ‘free node’ (i.e. you are not sure how it might fit into a hierarchy with other nodes at this stage) or give it an ‘address’ (i.e. where it fits into the hierarchy).
Other text units coded in the same way (i.e. at that node) can be examined. Doing this, you might want to rename the node; perhaps change or add to the memo linked to it; or annotate the document. You can also see which other nodes, if any, have coded this text unit, which may give you ideas about merging or separating out nodes, starting or changing the tree structure, ect., ect. This is a very interactive process and helps you to stay close both to your data and to the conceptual structure you are building.