How to transcribe an interview? | Use automated conversion that work

What is the Transcription of an Interview?

To transcribe an interview means to convert a voice recording to text. The end result is called transcription.. Most interviews are too long to type out manually. Converting an audio recording to text is much quicker using new technologies, rather than doing it by hand.

For whom are transcription services?

Transcription services are widely used by researchers, journalists, media professionals, lawyers, doctors and students. All these occupations share a similarity – the need for taking interviews, that ultimately have to be transcribed. Nowadays it becomes increasingly more common for an interviewer to make an audio recording of an interview and then have it transcribed by a third party. Students also often use transcription service for their thesis interviews. This way, the report of the interview is guaranteed to look professional and error-free.

Transcribing interviews manually or automatically?

You can transcribe an interview in two ways. Usually a transcriptionist is hired for manually transcribing the interview. This is a professional service provider in the field of transcription. He or she listens to the voice recording and types it out. This is the most accurate form of transcription.rnrnIn addition, today there are many software application designed to transcribe interviews. Speech to text engines can recognize words and then type them out much faster than people. The quality of transcription software varies a lot. There are different options between free and paid software, with the free version usually providing lower accuracy. Some providers are also strong in a certain language but not at all skilled in another. Amberscript is originally a Dutch product. It is therefore very experienced with making Dutch transcriptions. English is also a language that is easily recognized by Amberscript. We offer up to 95% accuracy with a sound recording of good quality.

Making an audio transcription is possible in three ways:

Three Forms of Transcribing

Literal Transcription

Literal transcribing means typing out everything, including filler words (uhms and aahs). This is also called verbatim transcribing. It is often used in qualitative research where human reactions have to be monitored. For example, in psychological examinations or marketing research.

Clean Transcription

Clean transcription means that all words are transcribed but filler words, stutters and repetitions are left out. This method is useful if the reaction and intonation of a respondent are not important. The clean (or edited) transcription can be used for an article in the newspaper or for your thesis. This form of transcription is the most common.

Summary Transcription

The final type is called a summary transcription. Interview transcriptions are rarely made using this approach. Summarizing the contents of the transcription is usually done during editing. This form is used, among other things, for rendering meetings

Audio quality plays a major role in transcription of an interview

Many people underestimate the effect the sound quality has on making a solid transcription. During the interview, you can test if your audio is clean and noise-free. Read this article with tips for recording interviews to ensure that your interview is recorded flawlessly.

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