Data Transcription in Qualitative Research: All You Need to Know

Qualitative research transcription is a critical step in the research process where recorded interview audio is converted into text. According to a study by Oxford Academic, data transcription is the first step in analyzing data for qualitative research. After all, with it, you can better examine what was said in the interviews you conducted. That way, you can gather more relevant data for your study. It also makes said data easier to analyze and share with your team, allowing data analysis to proceed much faster.

Additionally, with such transcriptions on hand, patterns can be easier to find, and researchers can use said patterns and data to create a narrative for their study. If you plan to conduct data transcription, it’s always a good idea to learn more about it beforehand. Here’s everything you should know about data transcription in qualitative research.

The Two Types of Data Transcription

Verbatim Transcription

One of the types of data transcription that researchers can consider is verbatim transcription. When doing verbatim transcriptions, researchers transcribe every part of the interview audio. Apart from the dialogue, these include spoken grammatical errors, pauses, and even sounds such as laughing or coughing.

Often, verbatim transcription is done if the qualitative research is subjective. This kind of transcription can convey the speaker’s intention with incredible accuracy. By focusing more on how the speaker talks, readers are afforded a better understanding of the discussion. It also allows for a further grasp of the participants’ rapport with one another.

If you're opting for subjective research, you must capture the interviewee’s personal feelings. As such, be sure to have your human transcriptionists use verbatim transcriptions to record the dialogue and the non-verbal cues in the audio. That way, you can use the tone to analyze the speaker’s intentions and sentiments comprehensively.

Intelligent Verbatim Transcription

Intelligent verbatim transcriptions are also known as clean or edited transcriptions. As its name suggests, this is a type of transcription that removes fillers and grammatical errors with the goal of making the transcript more readable and concise.  Intelligent transcriptions focus more on the information provided rather than the interviewee's subjective feelings.

Intelligent verbatim transcriptions are also best used if you need the transcript to be easy to read or skim through. This is because, compared to verbatim transcriptions, it doesn’t need to capture the interviewee’s non-verbal cues. As a result, the final transcription is more optimized for reading and can be used for general purposes. 

This type of data transcription is also best used for objective qualitative or quantitative research. By opting for intelligent verbatim transcriptions, the cleaned and edited transcripts will help researchers analyze the interview more accurately for their study.

However, keep in mind that this type of transcription might alter the original meaning of what the speaker is trying to convey. As such, whether you transcribe the audio yourself or enlist the help of academic transcription services, it’s best to carefully consider whether intelligent transcriptions are the best for your research.

How to Organize Data Transcription in Qualitative Research

The more you transcribe the interviews you conducted, the more data you can gather for your research. However, an abundance of data can result in a disorganization of the materials you need. Thankfully, there are ways you can organize the data you compile for your qualitative research.

Keyword Mapping

Keyword mapping is one method of data organization that researchers can consider. Usually, this refers to the identification of keywords that are prevalent in your transcript. Once the keywords are identified, you can begin to organize them in a spreadsheet. On the other hand, you can also take advantage of transcription apps with word cloud capabilities to identify or organize your keywords.

Take Advantage of Data Management Systems

Another method of data transcription organization you can consider is using data management systems. Remember, when conducting qualitative research, coordination and collaboration within your team and the relevant departments are essential. However, these teams and departments are sometimes located elsewhere in the country or even the world. As such, researchers must take advantage of data management systems to organize their data transcripts.

By using data management systems, your qualitative research transcription can be stored in a centralized media library that anyone in the team can access. As a result, research collaboration is improved, and the research can be validated effectively.

Follow Transcription Procedures and Requirements

Finally, when organizing your data transcription, it’s highly recommended that transcription procedures and requirements be followed. This is especially important if the team isn't availing of a human transcription service. If the team is transcribing the audio themselves, differing transcription styles can cause confusion. As such, before you begin transcribing your audio files, be sure to discuss the following with your team members:

• Type of transcription
• Consistent formatting
• Quality control procedures
• Translations (if needed)
• Specific transcription instructions
• Custom vocabulary list for industry-specific terms

By considering the above-mentioned items, the team can have more accurate transcripts for the study. The precise transcription will allow the data you gather to be more organized. In addition, your team's workflow will also be fully optimized, allowing for easier collaboration.

Transcriptions are a vital part of gathering data for academic research endeavors. However, it’s also a time-consuming process. As such, turn to TranscriptionWing for your academic transcription needs.

We have an expert team of transcriptionists to cater to your needs. Additionally, we also offer machine cleaning services for AI-generated transcripts. With this service, the team will remove spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors, increasing your transcript’s readability and coherence.

With TranscriptionWing, clean qualitative research transcription is well within reach. Learn more about our services by contacting us today!