Audio recordings of interviews are transcribed for various purposes. These can be used to support theories in bachelor's or master's theses, document interviews on social media, or be used for subtitles. If the quality of the recording is high, it will be much easier to convert the conversation into written form, and the cost will be significantly lower. On the other hand, if the quality of the recording is poor, it will be very difficult to transcribe and inevitably take more time. And it costs even more money.
The most important criteria for recording for quick and affordable transcription of interviews
A few basic prerequisites create ideal conditions for later transcribing interviews. In addition to the environment, the technology used also plays a role, as not all recording equipment can provide the quality required for high speed processing.
Tip 1: Recording quality
Interviews recorded in a room with many other people will contain a lot of background noise. This makes the questions and answers more difficult to understand and requires you to play the recording several times to transcribe it. Therefore, a quiet environment without noise is perfect for recording a series of questions and answers that you will need to write down professionally later. Electrical and electronic devices such as refrigerators, computers, and overhead projectors emit only a faint noise, but can be clearly heard in recordings as an annoying hum. Additionally, very large rooms are also not suitable for recording due to reverberation.
Tip 2: Technical tests
In addition to traditional voice recorders, it is now also possible to record with a smartphone. However, not all models are able to reproduce good audio quality. A quick test beforehand will make it clear whether the quality of the interviews you'll be transcribing later is good enough. It is also important that the device has sufficient memory.
Tip 3: Interview by phone or video chat
Interviews are often conducted over the telephone or via an internet connection such as Skype. Quality also plays a big role here. Both interlocutors should be in a quiet environment. When using a mobile phone to make and record calls, it is necessary to confirm in advance that the device is capable of recording and making calls at the same time, and that the quality is sufficient.
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