Having researched your topic and conducted confidential interviews you have every reason to be nervous about handing over your research material.
Transcription of research material can costly but typing it yourself is very time consuming.
So, what are the pros and cons of doing it yourself versus using a transcription service provider? • Time: Transcribing one-to-one research interviews takes a very long time if you are not a fast and accurate typist and particularly if you do not have specialist transcription equipment.
It takes an experienced transcriptionist approximately 4-5 hours to transcribe a 60 minute voice recording.
I am sure you will agree your time is best spent elsewhere! • Experience: Copy typing or typing course work is very different to transcribing voice to text.
Your interviewees will each have different accents and a faster/slower flow of speech.
The transcript will need to read properly and have the correct use of grammar, punctuation and spelling.
And then of course there is the accurate use of homophones which can be a tricky business in itself.
Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings, for example, 1) your and you're 2) there, their and they're 3) hear and here 4) to, too and two.
An experienced transcriptionist has a trained, keen ear and excellent attention to detail.
• Word Processing Skills: To professionally format your transcript you will need a good command of Microsoft Word and to ensure the format is consistent throughout.
Your course requirements might specify a certain font or line spacing or you might need each line of the transcript numbered.
A professional service will be able to provide you with an example of a standard layout and in addition they will accommodate any particular request you might have and incorporate this throughout.
• Proofreading: Sometimes a fresh eye is required when you have spent hours and hours listening to and looking at your research interviews.
A professional transcript that looks and reads well will add value you to your research.
• Choice of transcript format: If you transcribe your own research you will soon realise how often people use phrases such as 'you know' or 'you know what I mean' or 'eh' or 'um'.
This can be not only frustrating to listen to but it can add considerable time to the process.
By outsourcing your audio to a transcription service you get to choose the format of your finished transcript without the pain of doing it yourself! Verbatim is every word typed exactly as it is said (including these phrase e.
g.
, 'you know', 'eh', etc.
) Intelligent Verbatim is every word typed exactly as it is said without these phrases.
And the fully edited version corrects mispronounced words, grammar and slang plus it excludes all the 'you know' type phrases.
• Confidentiality: You will of course need to completely trust the transcription service provider who transcribes your research so don't let handing over your confidential data to a third party put you off.
A reputable provider will be able to give you a copy of their confidentiality agreement and their policy around confidential data or they will be happy to sign your confidentiality agreement if preferred.
• Reputation: If you have decided to pay someone else to transcribe your research then be sure you choose the provider carefully.
The transcription service provider you choose should be 110% professional in all dealings with them and have a proven track record in the industry.
They should be willing to provide you with testimonials or referees to contact should you require same before booking your project with them.
• The expense: Cost is often a real concern when you are trying to work within a budget so factoring in the outlay for professional transcription is important to do from the start.
Transcribing your one-to-one interviews yourself might save money but most people find the time involved doing this is prohibitive.
Good quality audio is much quicker to transcribe and therefore a provider will charge you less for it.
An experienced service provider will be able to provide you with recording best practice guidelines to follow before you record to ensure transcription of your audio is affordable.
Staying within budget is one thing but, remember, going for the cheapest transcription quote may be counter-productive if it comes back in such a state that it needs redoing!