Qualitative research involves understanding opinions, concepts, and experiences from a non-numerical data perspective. It focuses on cultures, individuals, languages, and societies, resulting in less structured data collection. Therefore, interviews are the primary data collection method from direct sources.
Interviews are crucial in grabbing first-hand knowledge and keeping accurate timelines. However, the research is only useful if it is documented, accurate, and kept well for future reference. To achieve accuracy and timeliness, transcription is necessary before data analysis. Besides, recordings of the study are best preserved as transcripts.
Qualitative Research and the Benefits of Transcribing Interviews
Unlike quantitative research, qualitative research focuses on the why factor rather than concrete answers and hard data. Despite the differences, it still follows a specific protocol similar to traditional studies. The study should report and keep the methods and findings in the proper context. It should maintain credibility and adhere to intellectual integrity.
The research findings and conclusions must be reported in such a way that allows transferability. Furthermore, the study should be dependable and confirmable.
Transcription allows for a thorough analysis of interviews to meet qualitative research protocols. However, the process is as tedious and time-consuming as the research itself. It involves paying keen attention to audio recordings and various aspects of the interview to convert them accurately into text. Nevertheless, professional transcription services eliminate the need to zombie out on your interviews. As a result, you have more time to focus on other tasks. Below are further reasons why you should transcribe your interviews in qualitative research.
Provides a Written Record of Your Study
Reading is one of the most reliable ways to obtain information. A written transcript of a study provides more ways to analyze, disseminate, and store data. Besides, a text file uses less memory space. It is also easier and faster to share with other participants.
Furthermore, text-based research records are more accessible for peer review. Other researchers can critically analyze your study from an objective perspective to get a better understanding. The research is easily translatable to other languages, making it accessible to a broad audience.
Maintains Your Research Accuracy
Relying on your memory and writing skills to document interviews results in inaccuracies. Furthermore, it is inefficient because you will likely forget or mistype certain responses. With transcription, you don’t have to memorize or worry about mistyping. It accurately records the whole interview, enabling you to adhere to the standard qualitative research protocols.
Written transcripts cover each detail of the discussion, enabling you to generate highly accurate research records. This way, you can pick specific quotes from an interviewee and directly include them in your research. Therefore, you can explain a particular concept concisely to prove your point.
Saves You Time
Conducting research is stressful and time-consuming. It can easily disorient you, resulting in inaccuracies. Therefore, you should find time to take breaks during your studies. Furthermore, any opportunity to save time during the process is worth seizing to concentrate on other tasks. Transcribing interviews eliminates the hours spent repeatedly listening to the source materials to organize them for analysis.
Moreover, you can concentrate on the research itself rather than checking whether you typed the right words. It will allow you to focus on the interview subject and extract better responses for your research.
How Can You Transcribe Your Interview?
Transcribing qualitative research interviews has several benefits, as outlined in this article. While you can opt to do it on your own, getting a professional transcription service can give you valuable time to concentrate on the research. Therefore, you can ensure your study meets qualitative research protocols.
Find dependable transcription services that will ensure your research meets the standard protocols by clicking https://gotranscript.com/transcription-services/interview-transcription. An experienced provider will save you valuable time while maintaining the accuracy of the study. Human transcription services like GoTranscript use professional human transcribers that deal with heavy background noise and harrowing audio. Therefore, you get more accurate transcripts of your interviews.
Automated transcription services and software use artificial intelligence to convert your interviews into text. Nonetheless, the resulting transcriptions fail to meet high accuracy standards. Unlike human transcription, they lack a genuine understanding of language. Besides, they cannot nail foreign accents, literary nuances, and industry jargon.