Digital recordings, both audio and video, are commonly used to document academic content. They have proven to be highly beneficial as they help focus on other tasks rather than on taking notes. However, there is a limitation to this process. A lot of focus and concentration is required to analyze each word that has been spoken and listeners have to PLAY – PAUSE – REWIND the recording several times to ensure the content is accurate. A one-hour video or audio could take up to hours to be transcribed unless you are a professional!
What are transcriptions in research?
Transcriptions are the written or electronic documents which capture the recorded speech of a participant in either an audio or video format. They are often used in qualitative research studies such as interviews, focus groups, and observations for collecting data. Transcripts are used to provide evidence and accuracy in analysis, and also to produce reliable results that can be compared across numerous participants.
Advantages of Using Transcriptions in Academic Research:
- Catch every detail at one go
“What did that person say? Is it A or P?”
This is what happens when you try taking notes from a digital recording. It is time-consuming and frustrating. Isn’t it?
Transcriptions eliminate the need to backtrack and replay the clip. Transcribed texts outline who is saying what and when, saving you a lot of time to focus on academic specializations.
- Save time
Transcriptions for academic research help you save a lot of your time. If you are not a professional transcriptionist, it will take you several hours to transcribe a digital recording. You could have used this time for more constructive work. - Spend time on work that is essential for your research
It takes a significant amount of time to conduct background analysis and collect qualitative data. Then you have to transcribe the clip. This could take many hours for just an hour-long audio. Therefore, it is tedious for someone, who is not a professional transcriptionist, to do this work. Make use of an outsource transcription service and invest your time where it is actually needed. - Content is instantly actionable
Researchers can take instant action with quantitative data as the numbers are clearly outlined and the trends are easily identifiable but that’s not the case with qualitative data, especially when it is on a digital gadget. This is where transcription comes in handy. Providing high-quality text makes it easier for the researchers to find trends and take action accordingly. - Content is more accessible
Transcriptions make the content accessible to everyone, especially when a team requires assistance with digital recordings. Everyone can fully participate and give valuable insights into the research. - Content is more accurate
When you listen to a recording, you can’t be sure of what is being said. There is a high possibility that a word sounds like another and you mistake it for something else, thus changing the whole meaning of your research. While digital recordings provide data, they are not necessarily accurate. However, one can vouch for the correctness of transcribed texts. - Content is searchable
It is not possible to type in a keyword or a phrase to search a digital recording. But with transcription, content can be easily located with the words you type in. It is an absolute game-changer in this regard. This gives the researcher an edge to quickly search for the files they need. - Access content in different languages
Academic transcriptions help bridge the gap between different languages. With transcriptions, you can easily share the content in different languages. This comes in handy when you want to share your content with a third party who speaks a different language. - Decrease workload
The collection of data and making of reports is a daunting task. An interview of 10 respondents could take up to 100+ pages of transcribed text. This is a massive workload on the researcher and would take a lot of time to be completed. Here, a professional transcriptionist could share the workload, providing you with a top-notch transcript in no time. - Quote your research for use in other places
You can efficiently quote your research for use in other places if you have a typed-out transcript. This will help add weight to your research work while making it more authentic and reliable.
Human Transcription Services for a Better Result
When it comes to accuracy, human transcription services outperform automated ones. This is because professional transcribers have the expertise to identify and correct elements such as mumbled words, pauses, grammatical errors and background noises. Therefore, if you’re looking for accurate transcripts for research purposes, outsourcing a reliable transcription service is your best bet.
Conclusion
Conducting academic research requires a lot of time, effort, energy and other resources. Try getting outsource transcription services for a successful project within a limited timeframe.
