Transcription conventions

A topic in research methodology

When recordings of research data collection (such as audio of interviews) are transcribed, it is important to use a systematic approach following a procedure which fits the purposes of the specific study.

The specific set of symbols used is less important that being consistent and providing a key for readers of research if transcript extracts are used in reports.

Some examples of things that might be included in transcriptions:

Timings/Reference numbers

In days when magnetic tapes (such as cassettes) were used to record interviews, the researcher might use tape counter numbers to indicate approximate places on the original recording in the transcript (allowing ease of checking that section of the recording later). More generally, it is useful to use a time index from the start of the recording.

I’m going to ask you some questions about a variety of phenomena, and I would like you to try and explain them for me:

0213
Could you tell me why you think apples fall to the ground?

Pauses

Are the informant's pauses potentially significant in interpreting their speech? You may wish to indicate the length of noticeable pauses between speech. For example in the following extract there was a pause of about 3 seconds:

Why do they do that?

To do with how formed to begin with • • • I’m not entirely sure, I think it has something, from what I’m aware, it’s mainly to do with erm, how they’re, the form their in to begin with.

Overlapping speech

Real conversation often involves a person speaking before a previous turn is complete. Interviewers try not to do that, but cannot also know when a person has finished their 'turn' and so inevitably we sometimes respond before the participant has finished speaking:

What happens to a parachutist when she jumps from a plane?

Erm, starts to accelerate, due to gravity, so at 9 point 8 metres a second, and then, after a while free-falling she’ll probably reach terminal velocity, < and then open <

< Ah, < why does she reach terminal velocity?

or

K : and that could apply to your other subjects as well . . . (things) like history and [C : oh yeah {spoken in a tone implying she freely admits this}] Latin or whatever, it could be very different at A-level

Sotto voce

Sometimes a participant will say something quietly as if to themselves. The researcher may wish to denote this ‘lowering of the voice' speech as distinct:

J: (Oh my God)

Missing transcription

No matter how recording conditions are set up, most transcripts cannot be completed as there are usually some small segments of speech that are indistinct and cannot be reliably transcribed. It is usual to indicate indistinct speech to some some part of the transcription is missing.

J: What’s the forces?
N: * * * . Can’t be metallic, can it?
J: No.

The analyst estimates that three syllables have been missed where speech cannot be understood.

Alternatively:

H: I think it accelerated and I think the reason I wasn’t interested in – I shouldn’t say this really – I wasn’t interested in the SUPER project for the sake of research, I saw it as a tool (unclear) my agenda which was raising the awareness of the teaching and learning issues so it was just a really nice opportunity to jump on a band wagon that was already going the way I wanted to go so, yes, just an expedient (unclear)

Redacted information

Sometimes the need to ensure confidentiality means that specific details included in a transcript may be removed before any quotations are included in a thesis or publication. (Famously US President Nixon only released transcripts of ‘recording of Whitehouse conversations after instructing that all swearing was replaced by the words ‘expletive deleted’ throughout the document.)

KST: So one of the things is, to your knowledge what research activities are going on in school at the moment?

H: For the minute I believe we have [staff member] completed some work on the relationship between achievement and age. [Staff member] and [staff member] completed some work on ethnic minority students and [staff member] did some work on ICT. That is I believe the three that we have running just now. [Staff member], I think has also completed one but not I think when she was here at this school. I maybe wrong about that. [Staff member] also ran one in parallel with a girl called [staff member], who left. She’s now gone to another school as Head of Science and they did some on gifted and talented.

Non-verbal information

Transcription is sometimes limited to speech, but often it is useful to include some non-verbal information (leading to decisions on what it is useful to conclude, in relation to the purposes of the research.

SB: Could we just start talking? [general laughter]

Distinguishing reading from free speech

Sometimes someone may be asked to interact with textual material during an interview or observed activity. It may be useful to distinguish between the speech that is reading and the participant's own constructions.

So I’m guessing we’re gonna have – something to do with photography.

"Wayne has read the information leaflet, and graphic – talking about photographic imaging. Wayne asks his physics teacher about charge coupled devices, and his physics teacher tells him they work by making use of photoelectric effect."

So it’s put photoelectric effect in a context with digital cameras. I’m hoping they explain a bit more, because I’m lost, not lost, but it doesn’t mean anything to me yet.

Contextual information

It may sometimes be useful to include in a transcript information about the context of speech that may not be clear form the speech itself.

“They all consist of a combination of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that oscillate at right angles to each other, and the direction of travel to the wave” – sounds possible. That was a bit of a guess. [Note: he’s just been told this by the glossary]