Qualitative Research Transcription – Important Considerations

Transcription plays a very important role in qualitative research and its significance has been enhanced with modern technologies. Researchers carry high quality portable audio and video recorders into the field, which allows them to interpret, analyze and report the respondents’ actual words. Research transcription services are available to transform these recordings into high quality reports.

Features of Transcription in Qualitative Research

An article published by the International Institute for Qualitative Methodology (IIQM), University of Australia, describes the various facets of qualitative research transcription. The report discusses different interpretations of the nature of the process as representational, theoretical and political. According to the report, in linguistic anthropology, transcription can be viewed as cultural activity.

Another aspect of research transcription is that it could also involve translation from one language to another. This would require the use of translators if the researcher does not know the language used by the respondents/participants.

Various Levels of Research Transcription

Researchers collect qualitative data in formats such as interviews, focus group discussions and written texts. The audiovisual data has to be processed and converted into easily analyzable text format. To ensure quality, most scholars prefer to outsource this cumbersome task. In linguistic studies, the recording itself would have to be analyzed.

Before sending the audiovisual files to a professional legal transcription company, the research team would have to determine the level of transcription. If the focus is on selectivity, the transcripts would exclude unnecessary information that would make them difficult to read. Lack of selectivity could also take away clarity of the research. On the other hand, extensive transcription of the recorded material would improve the opportunities for using the data for other purposes in the future.

The different levels of transcription in qualitative research are as follows:

• Summary: Only the main points of the interview recordings, as decided by the researcher, are listed. This is useful when the data is used for producing articles.
• Basic level: In this level, utterances are transcribed, but repeats, cut-offs of words and sentences, fillers, and sounds such as ‘uh’ and ‘ah’ are left out. While utterances out of context are not included, notable expressions of emotion such as laughter are incorporated. The type of transcription can be used when the goal is to analyze the content of the audio and also allow for data sharing and archiving.
• Verbatim: Nothing is left out. The transcript would be a word-for-word account of the speech. Fillers such as ‘you know’ as well as expressions of emotion are included. Even pauses and background noises are noted. This level is useful when the goal is to study expressions and interactions. These detailed transcripts allow for varied and rich reuse of the data.
• Conversation analysis: All aspects of the conversation are transcribed using standardized notation symbols. The originality of colloquial speech patterns are carefully preserved. The text format would include all words, timed pauses in seconds, cut-offs of a word, intonation, volume, word stress, as well as action such as sneezes, breaths, and facial expressions. The goal of this detailed level of transcription would be to capture all details of the conversation event.

Advantages of Outsourcing

Whatever the level chosen, a reliable research transcription service provider would be able to ensure uniform and consistent transcripts that maintain the required level of detail and logics. Researchers should know that inappropriate and poor methods of preparing transcripts can results in errors, which will have a negative impact on analysis and research completion. Professional companies have expert transcriptionists who can provide high quality documentation solutions for their clients in quick turnaround time. Relying on an established company is the best option to transcribe, organize and store the information.

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