Transcribing Interviews – Complete Guide For Students

08.29.2022 Interviews Time to read: 7min

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Transcribing-interviews-Definition

Writing a strong thesis or dissertation often requires interviews as part of your research methodology. To analyze this qualitative data properly, transcribing interviews is an essential step. This not only makes your material easier to review but also ensures that your findings are reliable and transparent. In this guide, you’ll learn how to do interview transcription effectively and integrate them into your academic work.

Transcribing interviews “in a nutshell”

Transcribing interviews means writing down everything that was said in a recorded conversation. It turns spoken words from audio recordings or video files into text so you can read, quote, and analyze them more easily for your research.

Definition: Transcribing interviews

Transcribing interviews means turning a spoken conversation (from audio or video) into written text. In academic research, this is an integral part of your methodology.

Why does it matter?

  • Makes it easier to analyze and code.
  • Creates a permanent record of your transcription files.
  • Ensures transparency and reliability in academic writing.
  • Links your interview answer directly to your research question.

Methods of transcriptions

  • Verbatim Every word, including pauses and fillers
  • Intelligent verbatim Words only, fillers cleaned up
  • Summarized Main ideas, shortened for quick reference

Note: Choose the method that fits your research questions and thesis requirements.

Methods

There isn’t just one way to write down interviews. The method you select depends on your research questions, your methodology, and the level of detail your thesis requires. This choice directly shapes how you’ll work with your qualitative research later.

The three main methods

  • Verbatim transcription Every single word, including fillers like “uhm” or “you know.”
  • Intelligent verbatim Same meaning, but without the fillers or repeated words.
  • Summarized transcription Only the key points, shortened for quick reference.

Comparison table

Method Use Pros Cons
Verbatim When exact wording, pauses, and tone matter.
  • Nothing is lost
  • Maximum accuracy
  • Strong for detailed coding
  • Can be hard to read
  • Very time-consuming
Intelligent verbatim When you need clear, readable transcripts for academic work.
  • Easier to read
  • Faster to analyze
  • Still accurate for research
  • Loses some “natural speech” detail
Summarized When only themes or main ideas are needed.
  • Quick
  • Efficient
  • Highlights the essentials
  • Risk of bias
  • Less transparent
  • Details may be lost

Note: If your supervisor doesn’t specify, intelligent verbatim is usually the safest choice.

To make these three methods easier to understand, here’s a short example of the same interview excerpt written out in verbatim, intelligent verbatim, and summarized form. This comparison shows how much detail you keep or lose depending on the method you choose.

Examples

[00:01:12] P1: Yeah, um, so, I think the project was, like, really, really good. We, uh, worked a lot in groups and, you know, sometimes it was, um, a bit stressful.

[00:01:12] P1: I think the project was really good. We worked a lot in groups and sometimes it was a bit stressful.

[00:01:12] P1: Project was positive overall; group work stressful.

Transcribing-interviews-methods

Manual vs. automatic vs. professional

When it comes to transcribing interviews, you have three main options. Each has different time requirements, costs, and accuracy levels.

Typing the transcript yourself without the help of AI or professional transcription services.

Best for:

  • Short or critical interviews
  • Sensitive data where privacy is essential
  • Researchers who want to engage deeply with their material

Time commitment:

  • 4 hours per 1 hour of audio recordings (not including editing)

Pros:

✅ Full control over detail and formatting

✅ Handles poor audio, background noise, and accents better

✅ Highest accuracy because humans catch nuance better than AI

Cons:

❌ Extremely time-consuming

❌ Can be tiring and prone to human error over long sessions

Automatic transcription tools use speech recognition to quickly analyze audio and create
a draft transcript.

Best for:

  • Fast, low-cost drafts
  • Large amounts of audio
  • Clear, single-speaker recordings

Examples:

Pros:

✅ Very fast

✅ Much cheaper than professional services

Cons:

❌ Always needs manual review and corrections

❌ Lower accuracy with noise, accents, or jargon

Trained human transcribers produce your interview transcription, often supported by
secure platforms.

Best for:

  • Handles multiple speakers and complex audio
  • High-stakes projects (academic theses, legal, medical)
  • When near-perfect accuracy and confidentiality are required

Examples:

Pros:

✅ Excellent accuracy and quality

✅ High security and confidentiality

Cons:

❌ Most expensive option

❌ Slower turnaround (hours to days)

Other software

Besides popular tools, there are many other transcription apps worth checking out:

  • Temi Budget-friendly option for quick drafts
  • Sonix Strong accuracy and easy export options
  • Trint Collaborative editing features, good for group projects

Note: These aren’t always free, but they can be handy if your thesis requires lots of interview data.

Do you even need transcription software?

Not always! Some free tools you already use can do the job:

  • Video editing apps  VEED, Clideo, and similar editors often include automatic transcription.
  • Screen recording tools  Loom and Vidyard can auto-caption or transcribe your videos directly, sometimes on a free plan.
  • Video conferencing apps  Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams now have built-in transcription and AI meeting features.

Note: These are great for quick notes or drafts, but if you need a clean, reliable transcript, always review and edit carefully.

Step-by-step

Follow these steps to create a reliable interview transcription for your thesis or dissertation.

Transcribing-interviews-step-by-step

1. Confirm consent & prep data security

  • Always get recorded consent before starting.
  • Anonymize names with codes like [INT], [P1], and [P2].
  • Store audio files in encrypted folders.
  • Create a second, anonymized version for your appendix.

Note: Never store sensitive data on a shared device or in a public cloud.

2. Audio pre-check

  • Note length, number of speakers, and background noise.
  • Identify accents or technical terminology.
  • Decide if you need audio clean-up (e.g., noise reduction).

3. Choose transcription type

  • Manual Precise but time-intensive.
  • Automatic Fast, cheap, requires correction.
  • Professional Expensive but very accurate.

Match this to your budget, deadline, and accuracy needs.

4. Choose transcription method

  • Verbatim Every word, fillers included.
  • Intelligent verbatim Meaning intact, fillers removed.
  • Summarized Only key points.

Note: Intelligent verbatim is used for most theses unless your methodology requires full verbatim.

5. Define conventions

  • Speakers: [INT] for interviewers, [P1] for participants
  • Timestamps: Every 30–60 s or at each speaker change
  • Non-verbal: [pause 2s], [laughter], [overlap]
  • Unclear audio: [inaudible 00:14:32]

Consistency is more important than exact rules!

Example: Intelligent verbatim

[00:02:11] [P1]: I began the project in March, and those initial interviews strongly influenced how I developed my research questions.

[00:02:24] [INT]: What changed after those first interviews?

6. Estimate time & plan blocks

  • Manual transcription = ~4 hours per 1 hour of audio
  • Automatic transcription = ~1–2 hours, including corrections
  • Break work into 25–50 min sessions to avoid fatigue

7. Set up tools & shortcuts

  • Adjust playback speed and hotkeys
  • Use text expanders for recurring tags:
    • ;um [inaudible __:__:__]
    • ;p [pause Xs]
    • ;ov [overlap]
    • ;la [laughter]
  • Optional: Transcription foot pedal, quality headphones

8. Create a first draft

  • With AI: Generate an AI-powered transcription, then start corrections
  • Manually: Type straight through, minimal formatting at first

9. Use micro-automation

  • Auto-capitalization for speaker labels
  • Set up autocorrect (e.g., thnak thank)
  • Keep a glossary for technical terms or acronyms

10. Proofread & accuracy check

  • Pass 1: Fix spelling, labels, and timestamps
  • Pass 2: Spot-check 5–10 minutes across the file
  • Aim for 95–98% accuracy on quotes you’ll use in your thesis

11. Format for submission

  • One paragraph per speaker turn
  • Add headers, page numbers, and titles
  • Use a clear font and consistent line spacing
  • Name transcription files consistently (e.g., INT01_P1_Verbatim_v2.docx)

Note: Always check your university’s formatting rules!

12. Prepare for analysis

  • Add margin notes or memos
  • Highlight answers connected to research questions
  • Keep both the original audio recordings and the final transcript backed up
  • Export to your tool of choice (NVivo, ATLAS.ti, MAXQDA, Excel)

Note: Save working copies with version numbers to avoid confusion later.

Time budgeting guide

Method Time (per 1h audio)
Manual (beginner) 6–8 hours
Manual (intermediate) 3–5 hours
AI + human correction 1.5–3 hours
Professional service (QC only) 0.5–1 hour

Note: Add extra time for noisy audio, multiple speakers, or heavy jargon.

Best practices & tips

Transcribing interviews can be a demanding part of qualitative research, but a few smart strategies will save you hours and improve accuracy:

Use transcription software

AI-based transcription tools can create a first draft. However, you should always review the output carefully, especially if you plan to quote it in your thesis or dissertation.

Work in a quiet environment

Background distractions make it harder to catch details. Use good headphones to hear every word clearly in your audio recordings.

Always double-check accuracy

Even professional transcription services aren’t perfect. Spot-check timestamps and quotes to make sure your transcript reflects what was actually said.

Create a consistent style guide

Decide early how you’ll handle pauses, filler words, overlaps, and non-verbal cues like laughter or long silences. Write these rules down and apply them consistently.

Highlight key parts relevant to research questions

As you go, mark the sections that connect directly to your research questions or coding scheme. This makes the later stages of working with your qualitative data much easier.

Challenges

While transcription is a vital step in qualitative research, students often run into difficulties:

Ethical issues

Confidentiality and consent are critical. Make sure to anonymize personal data and follow your university’s ethical guidelines when working with transcription files.

Long interviews

A single 60-minute audio recording can take several hours to transcribe manually. Always factor this into your research timeline.

Background noise

Café recordings or group settings often produce “dirty” audio. Cleaning the file with speech recognition software helps, but some parts may remain [inaudible].

Accents and dialects

Strong accents or regional dialects can be hard to understand, especially for non-native speakers.

Technical terminology

Subject-specific jargon can slow you down if you’re not familiar with it. Keep a glossary of recurring terms to ensure consistency.

FAQs

Transcribing an interview means converting spoken words from an audio recording or video file into written text. In qualitative research, this step is crucial to analyze data systematically and connect findings to your research questions.

Manually, it usually takes 3–6 hours depending on audio quality and experience. With transcription software or AI-powered transcription, you can reduce this to about 1–2 hours including corrections.

Popular transcription tools like Otter.ai, Notta, or Sonix offer affordable plans, real-time transcripts, and editing features. Always review the transcript carefully to ensure accuracy before using it in academic writing.

  • Add timestamps
  • Anonymize sensitive data
  • Use consistent speaker labels
  • Note pauses or inaudible sections

Format transcripts in a clear, readable way: one speaker per paragraph, consistent font, timestamps, and anonymized names. Follow your university’s formatting guidelines and include interview transcriptions in the appendix if required.

By

Leo Neumann

 
About the author

Leo Neumann has completed a bachelor's degree in Marketing Management from IU Nuremberg. They have gained practical experience and regularly wrote scientific papers as part of their academic journey. Their expertise makes them an excellent fit for the BachelorPrint team, where they emphasize the importance of high-quality content and aim to support students in navigating their busy academic lives. As a recent graduate, Leo understands the challenges students face and the kind of support they need.

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Bibliography

Neumann, L. (2022, August 29). Transcribing Interviews – Complete Guide For Students. BachelorPrint. https://www.bachelorprint.com/methodology/transcribing-interviews/ (retrieved 10.05.2025)

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(Neumann , 2022)
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Neumann (2022)

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Neumann, Leo. 2022. "Transcribing Interviews – Complete Guide For Students." BachelorPrint, Retrieved October 05, 2025. https://www.bachelorprint.com/methodology/transcribing-interviews/.

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(Neumann 2022)

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Leo Neumann, "Transcribing Interviews – Complete Guide For Students," BachelorPrint, August 29, 2022, https://www.bachelorprint.com/methodology/transcribing-interviews/ (retrieved October 05, 2025).

Footnotes

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Neumann, "Shortened title."

Bibliography

Neumann, Leo: Transcribing Interviews – Complete Guide For Students, in: BachelorPrint, 08.29.2022, [online] https://www.bachelorprint.com/methodology/transcribing-interviews/ (retrieved 10.05.2025).

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Neumann, Leo: Transcribing Interviews – Complete Guide For Students, in: BachelorPrint, 08.29.2022, [online] https://www.bachelorprint.com/methodology/transcribing-interviews/ (retrieved 10.05.2025).
Direct quote
Neumann, 2022.
Indirect quote
Neumann, 2022.

Bibliography

Neumann, Leo (2022): Transcribing Interviews – Complete Guide For Students, in: BachelorPrint, [online] https://www.bachelorprint.com/methodology/transcribing-interviews/ (retrieved 10.05.2025).

In-text citation

Direct quote
(Neumann, 2022)
Indirect quote
(Neumann, 2022)
Narrative
Neumann (2022)

Bibliography

Neumann, Leo. "Transcribing Interviews – Complete Guide For Students." BachelorPrint, 08.29.2022, https://www.bachelorprint.com/methodology/transcribing-interviews/ (retrieved 10.05.2025).

In-text citation

Parenthetical
(Neumann)
Narrative
Neumann

Bibliography

Number. Neumann L. Transcribing Interviews – Complete Guide For Students [Internet]. BachelorPrint. 2022 [cited 10.05.2025]. Available from: https://www.bachelorprint.com/methodology/transcribing-interviews/


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