Why Researchers Need The Academic Transcription Services Massachusetts Professionals Offer

By Virginia Moore


Interviews are an integral part of many research projects. A researcher can amass hundreds of hours of interviews which have to be transcribed precisely. Professors have traditionally turned to undergraduates who want part time work and are willing to take minimal pay for it. Finding students who are trustworthy and accurate is usually the problem. A more viable solution might be the academic transcription services Massachusetts businesses offer.

Some professors prefer not to record their subjects at all, taking notes instead. There may be instances in which the individuals object to being recorded, and note taking is required. The problem with note taking is that it takes attention away from the speaker. The researcher may have to ask the individual to stop and repeat what he said, which interrupts the flow of the interview. Recording nuances in the conversation is difficult when the interviewer is trying to write down the words said.

You could always listen to your recordings in order to do the work you need, but it will be much easier to read a transcript. There is no need to stop and start your recording device every time you want to return to a certain spot in an interview. It's much easier to skip over the extraneous sections of an interview and get to what is germane to your subject when you are reading. You can pick up and review much easier if you are reading from a transcript.

If you are working with a professional service, you have the choice of several levels of transcription. You might need every word said, including the nuances and hesitations. If this is the case, you should request a literal transcription of the recordings.

You can opt for what is known as intelligent verbatim. These are transcriptions with the paralanguage removed. You could even decide you want an edited version of your recordings. You will only use this when you have given the transcriber specific instructions about the information you are looking for in your recordings.

You have several options when it come to who transcribes your recordings. You can certainly do the transcribing yourself. This has the advantage of your presence during the interview. You're the one who had the experience with the individual interviewed and can interpret the nuances and expressions better than anyone else. It is time consuming however.

Hiring undergraduates is a traditional option. The advantage of using student labor is that it is usually cheap. When you hire an undergraduate interested in your study, you will have enthusiastic help more familiar with your work than others might be. Students aren't always the most reliable choice however, and lack experience when it comes to transcribing.

The third option is to hire a professional service to transcribe your recordings. The professionalism the transcriptionist brings to the work will be beneficial. If you have time constraints, you know this person will have the work done on time. A professional will have had experience in any level of transcription you choose.




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