Clickable Context-Links from Text Segments to References, Files, or External Sources

[maninthemiddle01]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

I'd like to suggest a small extension to that system. Currently, references and external files can be linked at the file level, and annotations let me write notes on a text segment. But there's no way to link a specific text segment to a context source — for example, to a referenced article, to another file in Manage Files, or to a webpage / external PDF page that helps interpret the segment.

In Kuckartz's terminology (2018, p. 181), this is the methodological move of weite Kontextanalyse ("wide context analysis"): a coded segment is understood in light of an external context (a theoretical text, a related interview, a background document). Right now, the workaround is to type something like "see Kuckartz 2018, p. 181" into an annotation, but that string is static — not clickable, not queryable, and not connected to the references already managed in the project.

Describe the solution you'd like

A lightweight "Link" function for text segments, sitting alongside Code / Annotate / Bookmark in the right-click menu (and ideally with a keyboard shortcut).

A link could point to one of three targets:

1. An imported reference (from Manage references) — optionally with a page or paragraph number. This would tightly integrate with the existing RIS reference system.
2. Another file inside the project (from Manage Files) — optionally with a character offset, so the link jumps to a specific passage. This would be especially valuable for cross-referencing interviews, or linking an interview segment to a related document memo.
3. An external URL or local file path (with optional page/paragraph anchor) — for sources that aren't (yet) imported as RIS references.

Visual representation:

• A small 🔗 icon in the right-hand hidden pane when a linked segment is selected, and/or a discrete underline color (e.g. blue, to complement the existing green/yellow/red for case/annotation/coded).
• Hovering shows a tooltip with the link target (mirroring the existing annotation tooltip behavior).
• Clicking the icon opens the target: jumps to the file/segment inside QualCoder, opens the URL in the system browser, or opens the local file with the system default application.

Data model: a small new table (e.g. segment_link) with fid, pos0, pos1, link_type (ris / file / url / path), target_id or target_uri, optional page, and memo. Fully additive, no impact on existing data.

Describe alternatives you've considered

• Annotations with a typed reference (e.g. "See Kuckartz 2018, p. 181"): works as a workaround but is static text — not clickable, not connected to the references already in Manage references, and can't be queried as a structured relation.
• File-level reference linking (already exists): perfect for "this whole interview corresponds to that publication," but too coarse for "this sentence should be read alongside that passage."
• External linked files (already exists via the diagonal link icon): solves file attachment but not segment-to-context linking.

Additional context

This would be most valuable in the Code Text workspace and in the right-hand hidden pane, where the researcher can already see codes, annotations, and memos for the current selection. A "Links" entry alongside them would close the loop for context-oriented analysis.

It would also pair nicely with the existing RIS reference system: if a reader sees 🔗 Kuckartz 2018, p. 181 on a segment and clicks it, QualCoder could either jump to the linked file (if the reference is linked to one in the project) or simply display the full reference. That would be a satisfying integration of two features that already almost touch.

Happy to discuss scope — even a minimal version (just URL/file-path links, without the RIS integration) would already cover most of the methodological need.

Reference:
Kuckartz, U. (2018). Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse. Methoden, Praxis, Computerunterstützung (p. 181). Beltz Verlagsgruppe. ISBN 9783779946830.

[Salomon-Mazatlan]

Hello @maninthemiddle01

This could potentially be implemented within the memo editor itself. When adding a memo to an element, it could allow embedding dates, coded segments (selected from a list), file links (hyperlinks), and reference insertions.

This is actually something that has already been considered as part of a potential new memo management module. Although no concrete applied proposal has been developed yet, the idea is currently being discussed and explored.

You can see the discussion here: #1263

[ccbogel]

1 An imported reference (from Manage references) — optionally with a page or paragraph number. This would tightly integrate with the existing RIS reference system.

• what exactly is wanted? - show the reference text (as it is stored in manage references) - in the RHS pane
• Or open any url / DOI e.g. in the OS browser

2 Another file inside the project (from Manage Files) — optionally with a character offset, so the link jumps to a specific passage. This would be especially valuable for cross-referencing interviews, or linking an interview segment to a related document memo.

• yes could open the file externally. I do not think it would be possible to use the external software to jump to a passage - as there are many different default apps for opening files.

3 An external URL or local file path (with optional page/paragraph anchor) — for sources that aren't (yet) imported as RIS references.

• opening the URL yes, this could be done, again it would be in the default OS browser, to going to the exact passage probably wouldnt be possible