Comments on: Interview transcripts: curse or blessing?

By: Matthew Stibbe

Matthew Stibbe — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 17:10:28 +0000

I have always thought that 30m was a perfectly acceptable abbreviations for 30 minutes. The context makes it clear even if it isn’t widely used (and I think it is).

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 16:55:58 +0000

Just nitpicking, sorry:
How do you place a 30 meter call?
Shouldn’t it be a 30min call?

By: Owen Booth

Owen Booth — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 21:30:19 +0000

Coming from a news journalism background (way back in the day) I never got into the habit of having interviews transcribed - there was never enough time (or money).

I’m with you on the note taking Matthew - it also means you can see exactly what you’ve got (or haven’t got) while you’re still interviewing, and stops you having to follow up later with questions you missed.

By: Lisa Shaw

Lisa Shaw — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 20:38:12 +0000

What equipment do you interview-recorders recommend? Are there any that create mp3 files automatically? This sounds like a great way to capture the details while freeing your mind to follow an interesting thread.

By: Philippa Kennealy

Philippa Kennealy — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:03:23 +0000

I do a lot of phone interviews that I record (have to get permission to record) and then I have the interview transcribed at $1 per audio minute. There are automated services that will transcribe for even less than that.

By: Matthew Stibbe

Matthew Stibbe — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 13:03:16 +0000

Some really interesting things here. Oddly, I find that taking notes during a call stops me talking too much and improves the interview.

However, I love Bruce’s idea of recording the call and paying someone else to transcribe. I’ll look into that. It could be the best of both worlds. A really big improvement.

By: Bruce Pilgrim

Bruce Pilgrim — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:52:42 +0000

For a case study, I will record the interview and pay a typist to do a transcription. (It’s a lot less expensive than you might think, and the cost is built into the contract up front.)

That way, I can listen more carefully and as Cheryl said above, pursue interesting tangents.

I still do take notes, but nothing close to a verbatim transcript. This is just in case the recording doesn’t work for whatever reason.

This way, a transcript becomes a handy tool for zeroing in on key words, instead of a burden. Scanning a transcript is considerably less tedious than listening to sections of a recording over and over.

I got into this habit as a result of doing video testimonials. If you’ve ever had to watch a snippet of video dozens of times during an editing sessoin, the advantage is immediately apparent. A transcript lets you identify “likely suspect” quotes worth viewing, saving you from having to watch a talking head for what can seem like days on end.

By: richard pelletier

richard pelletier — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:29:15 +0000

I find that this is also the biggest time killer of all. I record all my interviews - whether phone or live. I used to transcribe but nearly went insane. So now I have a document open with my questions and as I listen to the recording I make copy points and work from that document. I always have the recording to refer back to if I feel I need more than the points I’ve grabbed.

By: Nathania

Nathania — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 01:37:32 +0000

I think there’s two ways to approach this

1. Write the case study to be approved. In other words, let people approve quotes that you write - as is done with Press Releases.

2. If you like the quotes you’re getting from interviews, but the transcript is burdensome, then just refer to the contract. If a copy of the transcript is not included in your contract, don’t provide it - unless as an extra fee as Stilgherrian suggested.

By: David Bradley

David Bradley — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 19:54:24 +0000

Possible solution: Record the interview and use voice recognition.