Your interview might work well with a video or audio. However, you should add transcripts to your interviews to reach many viewers and listeners. Today, many people prefer to read what was said. Also, with transcripts, they can easily follow the audio and understand what is being said in the interview. Transcripts also play an important role when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO).
The only issue with transcribing interviews is that it might take a lot of time. For instance, a one-hour video might take around six hours to transcribe. But the whole thing is worth it, based on the benefits it comes with. Here is how to transcribe interviews for qualitative research.
1. Play a Small Section of the Clip
Move slowly, even if you feel that you’ve got a lot of work to do. Typing short clips at a time reduces errors and can save you time in the long run. You’ll waste time if you listen to the entire audio and type a few words at once.
Try to at least play the first 15 seconds of the audio and type it before moving on. The best technique is to type while you listen to the speakers. You can then stop and listen again to catch any errors.
Doing it this way can be easier compared to when you listen to a lot of things and try to type them at once. In case a certain paragraph is unclear, just listen to the whole of it and try to figure out what the speakers are saying. This technique will also save a lot of your time.
2. Listen to The Whole Paragraph
Once you’ve written an entire paragraph, you should confirm that everything is clear. You need to focus on the context of what is being said in the audio. In case the speakers are mumbling, you can take your time and figure out what they’re saying.
After writing a draft, you should listen to it one more time to ascertain that everything is clear. As you listen to the audio, you should go through whatever you’ve written and see if you made any errors.
Though you’ll repeat the same process after transcribing the whole audio, this trick can save you a lot of time. You’ll realize that you’ve corrected most of the mistakes when you’re done. Before you continue, make sure your current draft is as accurate as possible.
3. Edit It Later
Once you’ve typed the entire audio, relax and edit it later. You’ll catch some errors, even if you were careful while typing the first draft. Don’t assume you were keen enough to make any errors. You can save time by spelling out all the abbreviations you included in the text.
Check for any unnecessary punctuations and get rid of them. Your transcription won’t be readable unless you use correct grammar. Thus, look for any grammar mistakes and correct them.
Remember, the idea is to make your text as readable as possible. But you don’t have to include everything, such as verbal tics. Verbal tics can come in many forms, such as “you know” and “I mean.”
Though you might be tempted to add verbal tics, they won’t add any value to your text, so you should just leave them out. Note that removing them will not affect the quality of your transcript.
Why You Should Hire Professional Transcribers
Most of the time, you’ll notice that some audio is not clear, so you won’t be able to transcribe them on your own. But professionals know how best to handle such challenges to provide quality work for SEO and other users.
Interviews for qualitative research must be perfectly transcribed, and you need professional services that won’t cost you a lot of money. The fact that the experts will do the work faster and with accuracy implies that they won’t charge you much money.
Final Thoughts
Contact us today if you need to top-quality qualitative research transcription services. Our team has the best resources to make you a happy client. Despite saving you time and money, we’ll give you client-ready transcripts. Let us know by commenting below if you have questions about transcribing interviews meant for qualitative research.