Academic Transcription – dos and donts

Things to keep in mind before you press that record button!

Since the business transcription season is now almost over and we have a nice little break until July, I thought we’d turn our attention to another very, very important area of business for us, academic transcription.  PhD candidates and students often conduct periodical focus group interviews to find vital information that can be huge help for their thesis, and hence are always on the lookout for transcription companies.  As we have time and again pointed out on this blog, there are some things these clients need to keep in mind.  Take this blog as an FAQ page of our website, where all your questions will be answered.  Below are some of the important points:

• Keep the recording area soundproof: We cannot stress enough how important this point is.  We have had clients, time and again, with very poor sounding audio with a lot of background noise and crosstalk, and who actually were refused by many transcription companies.  I think it goes without saying that if you yourself can’t make out what’s being said on the audio, don’t expect the transcription company to do miracles.  So, exactly for this reason, sound-proof the room where you’ll be conducting the interview.  Close all the doors and windows, pull the drapes, and keep any pets or children out of that room.  By doing this little adjustment, you can save loads of money.
• Use a good recorder or a good VoIP service: This is another important point which is often overlooked.  Invest in a good recorder if it’s a one-on-one interview, and the interviewee is present in the same room as you.  Go for a digital recorder instead of an analog one.  The money you save in buying a cheap recorder would be spent in paying the transcription company for the difficult audio, and it would also save a lot of headache for both parties.  If not, it’s extremely good practice to use a Voice-over-IP software such as Skype with a plugin called Pamela Call Recorder.  This will ensure top-notch sound quality, and in the end accurate transcription.
• Try to manage multiple speakers efficiently: If there are more than two or three speakers, ask them before you start recording to not talk over each other, or in fact, to better manage this, ask them individual questions and request them not to crosstalk when one of them is talking.  A poorly managed interview is when you throw the question out there, and all of them jump to answer the question at the exact same time, which is a nightmare for the transcriber.
• Specify your format beforehand to the transcription company: If you have a specific format you’d want the transcript in, it’s always a good practice to let the transcription company know beforehand, or email them a sample document on how you would want your transcript.  The reason for this is because almost all professional audio transcription companies have their own default template, and it might not suit you, so instead of spending time editing it later, just inform the transcription service beforehand.  This will save you both time and money, as this will be done free of cost.

If you need any more information, please do not hesitate to email us.

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