diff --git a/hed/tools/analysis/annotation_util.py b/hed/tools/analysis/annotation_util.py
index 078a2968..2165f783 100644
--- a/hed/tools/analysis/annotation_util.py
+++ b/hed/tools/analysis/annotation_util.py
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 """ Utilities to facilitate annotation of events in BIDS. """
 
+import io
 import re
 from pandas import DataFrame
+from hed.models.sidecar import Sidecar
 from hed.errors.exceptions import HedFileError
 from hed.models.df_util import replace_ref
 
@@ -171,6 +173,27 @@ def merge_hed_dict(sidecar_dict, hed_dict):
             sidecar_dict[key]['Levels'] = value_dict['Levels']
 
 
+def strs_to_sidecar(sidecar_strings):
+    """ Return a Sidecar from a sidecar as string or as a list of sidecars as strings.
+
+     Parameters:
+         sidecar_strings (string or list):  String or strings representing sidecars.
+
+     Returns:
+         Sidecar:  the merged sidecar from the list.
+     """
+
+    if not isinstance(sidecar_strings, list):
+        sidecar_strings = [sidecar_strings]
+    if sidecar_strings:
+        file_list = []
+        for s_string in sidecar_strings:
+            file_list.append(io.StringIO(s_string))
+        return Sidecar(files=file_list, name="Merged_Sidecar")
+    else:
+        return None
+
+
 def _flatten_cat_col(col_key, col_dict):
     """ Flatten a sidecar entry corresponding to a categorical column.
 
diff --git a/tests/models/test_sidecar.py b/tests/models/test_sidecar.py
index 9fbb72d4..c8e8e5da 100644
--- a/tests/models/test_sidecar.py
+++ b/tests/models/test_sidecar.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 
 from hed.errors import HedFileError, ValidationErrors
 from hed.models import ColumnMetadata, HedString, Sidecar
-from hed.validator import HedValidator
 from hed import schema
 from hed.models import DefinitionDict
 from hed.errors import ErrorHandler
diff --git a/tests/schema/test_schema_compare.py b/tests/schema/test_schema_compare.py
index f3ceb273..3409466f 100644
--- a/tests/schema/test_schema_compare.py
+++ b/tests/schema/test_schema_compare.py
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
 import unittest
-import json
 import copy
 
 
 from hed.schema import HedKey, HedSectionKey
 from hed.schema.schema_compare import compare_schemas
-from hed.schema.schema_compare import gather_schema_changes, find_matching_tags, pretty_print_change_dict, compare_differences
+from hed.schema.schema_compare import (gather_schema_changes, find_matching_tags, pretty_print_change_dict,
+                                       compare_differences)
 from hed import load_schema_version, load_schema
 
-from . import util_create_schemas
+from tests.schema import util_create_schemas
 import os
 
+
 class TestSchemaComparison(unittest.TestCase):
     @classmethod
     def setUpClass(cls):
diff --git a/tests/tools/analysis/test_annotation_util.py b/tests/tools/analysis/test_annotation_util.py
index 1455d209..88a94ddf 100644
--- a/tests/tools/analysis/test_annotation_util.py
+++ b/tests/tools/analysis/test_annotation_util.py
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 from hed import schema as hedschema
 from hed.errors import HedFileError
 from hed.models.sidecar import Sidecar
-from hed.tools.analysis.annotation_util import check_df_columns, df_to_hed, extract_tags, hed_to_df, merge_hed_dict
+from hed.tools.analysis.annotation_util import check_df_columns, df_to_hed, extract_tags,\
+    hed_to_df, merge_hed_dict, strs_to_sidecar
 from hed.tools.analysis.annotation_util import _flatten_cat_col, _flatten_val_col, _get_value_entry, _tag_list_to_str, \
                                                 _update_cat_dict, generate_sidecar_entry
 # from hed.tools.analysis.annotation_util import _find_last_pos, _find_first_pos, trim_back, trim_front
@@ -209,6 +210,15 @@ def test_generate_sidecar_entry_non_letters(self):
         self.assertEqual(entry2['HED'], '(Label/my_-123_10, Label/#)',
                          "generate_sidecar_entry HED entry has correct label when no column values and special chars.")
 
+    def test_strs_to_sidecar(self):
+        with open(self.json_path, 'r') as fp:
+            sidecar_dict = json.load(fp)
+        self.assertIsInstance(sidecar_dict, dict)
+        sidecar_str = json.dumps(sidecar_dict)
+        self.assertIsInstance(sidecar_str, str)
+        sidecar_obj = strs_to_sidecar(sidecar_str)
+        self.assertIsInstance(sidecar_obj, Sidecar)
+
     def test_hed_to_df(self):
         df1a = hed_to_df(self.sidecar1a, col_names=None)
         self.assertIsInstance(df1a, DataFrame)