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For those of you doing qualitative research, are you doing your own transcribing? I have been of key informant interviews so far, its quite time consuming, and I tried downloading the files to the computer to transcribe from there instead of from the digital recorder, but I can't adjust the speed that way because it is a wave file format. I was thinking of some software like HyperTRANSCRIBE, anyone ever try it? I didn't want voice recognition, too many issues. Thanks in advance.

Hi doc2008,

I am in a similar position as you. Have done two focus groups and transcribed the information myself. At first had hoped the secretary could do this, yet in the end it was me transcribing myself. For me on average it takes me about 5 hours for one hour of recorded text. I agree it is very time consuming! (and boring!).
I think a key thing is the quality and positioning of the microphone: assure that the quality is good so that at least you can understand what is said. As recording device I use a "videocamera" which has a remote control. This helps recognizing who is talking and with the remote control it is easy to pause the tape and type in the text.
I have not used transcribing software. I have heared that it takes time to adjust to the voice(s), not sure whether it works for focus groups, may well be OK for individual interviews.

i think it is usual to do your own transcriptions, and partly this may be due to the confidentiality/anonymity issues. for example say you gave it to someone else to type up and they recognised a voice on the tape, or disclosed some of the contents to someone else who knew someone who had been interviewed. It isn't very likely, but you never know and if you have promised that the details will be known only to you - and anyone else in a group session, obviously - then you have to be careful that you abide by this otherwise you put your own research, and sometimes the research of others in the future, in a bad light. I'm writing my ethics bit at the moment - can you guess

I recently found a free transcription software online. It's really good. It allows you to use the function keys on your keyboard to pause, start, stop, rewind, adjust speed, etc. I love it. It takes me about an hour to transcribe 20 mins of tape. You can download it here:

http://www.nch.com.au/scribe/

It also works with a foot pedal (I haven't got one but the functions keys work just fine).

On the boredom factor... I find it helps if you take a break at opportune points. Also, try to think of the transcribing as your first point of analysis, focus on what's being said, keep a notepad handy and scribble down ideas. If you use NVivo... you can add Memos whilst you're transcribing.

It still manages to amaze me how different a ’story’ appears when it is transcribed… because you’re forced to focus on the detail, I guess… and in focusing, you start to see interesting patterns emerge. I guess, in that sense, data transcription is also, in a way, almost the first stage of your analysis.

Thanks for all the replies!
Rick, I too have found about 4+ hours of transcription time per hour of interview, quite grating. Joyce, I asked my IRB about the confidentiality issues in case I can get the funds to hire someone to transcribe,now I have it in my informed consent that a transcriptionist may be included as part of the research team, but they have to take human subjects protections training.

Bakuvia do you know if this software works with wav format? Windows Media Player will also slow down, but only in MP3 format, and my recorder transfers to wav, so I was thinking about another recorder or software. There is a Panasonic recorder which has software included to transcribe to text, but I don't know the accuracy, may be more trouble than its worth. I agree about the story, I had been advised by some just to take notes and not record, but that misses so much of the richness and nuance of the story, the details that emerge. Also, nothing better than honing interview skills than listening to yourself over and over! I'm planning on using Atlas.ti, eventually. Thanks again

I've just finished transcribing and analysing over 30 hours of data. Tedious! I used Audacity to play my recordings on my laptop - can speed up or down which was great as one of my recordings (made on cassette) initially sounded like martians talking!. I could edit things and found it really good and easy to work with. I just downloaded from the web and taught myself how to use it. Then it was jsut painstaking transribing. NVivo can be good to analyse data but I coded and qualitatively analysed everything myself. Good luck!

I just downloaded Express Scribe per bakuvia's advice, and it it what I'm looking for, and a good price after the initial trial, certainly cheaper than a new recorder or the other software I looked at - is Audicity much different? I'm also saving Atlas.ti for the end so I can use the trial and then perhaps the student version. I have 48 interviews and 4 focus groups ahead, but I keep telling myself I;m really getting to know the data, no better way.

I know nothing about that programme so it may do more of what you need than Audacity. I basically used Audacity becuase it was free, a friend recommended it and because it allowed me to convert my tape files relatively easily (yes I know using cassettes is not exactly 21st century but it was all my faculty could offer and I was too broke to buy digital equipment). Have a look and see what you think.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Hi doc2008

Enjoy the programme. I don't think it is a trial version - at least the Scribe element is supposed to be totally free (for keeps)... I know the installation is a bit confusing on this point - but I'm pretty sure the scribe part of the software suite is free.

I think what Scribe has over Audacity is that it allows you to operate the keyboard function keys to control the recording as it plays - which saves a lot of faffing around, e.g. F2 - slow, F3 - fast, F4 - stop, F5 - open, F6 - minimise, F7 - rewind, F8 - fast forward, F9 - play, etc.

Enjoy.

Ahhh I dream of my transcription taking 4 or 5 hours to transcribe per hour of audio Because I use a conversation analytic technique it takes me around an hour per minute to transcribe... and I'm considered quick at it!

Do tell---what is this conversation analytic technique you speak of? Is it analyzing while transcribing instead of afterward? Sounds a bit like a torture technique...

Lol! I think you might be right on the torture front! In a nutshell.. conversation analysis uses really detailed transcription techniques that capture the intracies of talk, such as the rises and falls in intonation, in and outbreaths, pauses (in tenths of seconds) etc. etc. using particular symbols to represent them. You can imagine why it takes sooo long!
The transcription does inform the analysis so I can't pay someone to do it (although who want want to do it!?? ). There is detailed analysis of the talk after its transcribed too so I'm not even let off on that front... actually I must be mad because even after almost 3 years I have to admit that I do love it

Hi eppi,

is that like in micro-analyis in psychiatry where every word said by the patient is given a certain "value". For example if you use the word "rotten" that could be an indication of feeling paranoid / depression, "superb" more indicating mania. Is it something like that?