Discounted Focus Group Transcription

Focus group transcription falls under the heading of multi-voice transcription services, which also includes round table discussions, Q & A sessions, feedback meetings and market research settings but for ease of reference, we will talk about focus group transcription (which will encompass all the above scenarios)

In order to get accurate transcripts from your focus group meetings, we would advise you to visit our focus group recording advice page but also review the tips below.

We carry out focus group transcription from digital and analogue audio as well as video, so please feel free to contact us to discuss the set up of your meeting to ensure that you get the best recordings and we produce the most accurate transcripts we can for you.  Our experience has included focus group transcription of groups of three people and up to fifteen people, and we reiterate, clear recording is paramount therefore please read carefully the following guidelines prior to carrying out your meeting.

• Choose a quiet location (remember open windows in the summer will pick up outside traffic noise, lawn mowers and especially road works)

• Pick the correct microphone (refer to our advice page)

• Very important - get the participants to say a little about themselves first before starting the discussions. Two minutes of introductions by each participant can make the difference between voices being identified throughout the recording or the transcriber having a number of question marks where the initials of the participants should be. Without sufficient introduction time no identifiable trends in tones, voices, accents or other identifiers can be established and therefore a 'road map' of what voice goes with what name is impossible. That little bit of extra time at the beginning of your session will enhance the opportunity for the transcriber to accurately reflect who said what and when

• If you think people are quiet or difficult to hear the recording (and subsequently the transcriber will certainly notice that), either get them to move closer to the microphone or ask them politely at the beginning to speak up a little for recording purposes 

• Thanking the person by name after they have spoken is always a good idea too, in case they announced their name quickly, only the first name is necessary for identification and people with the same first name can be easily differentiated by e.g. D (David) and Da (David)

• Don't have drinks available during the session but have them in break times. Cups and crockery cause terrible problems when transcribing material. It obscures what is being said when something is put down heavily or dropped (and can deafen the transcriber when they turn up the sound to hear a quiet speaker and a spoon gets dropped onto a ceramic surface!)

• Ask all participants to turn off their mobile phones. Phones set to vibrate or silent ring will still cause signals to be picked up by speakers/microphones

• If using a microphone that uses the table to resonate sound the above especially applies

• Where possible use digital medium (digital recorder) for a better sound recording/playback quality

• Choose someone with extensive experience in transcribing these sorts of meetings

• Have a practice run through with colleagues in the room you choose to use to check on recording levels, placement of the microphone and background noise. Listen to the recording through headphones, because this is what the transcriber will use

• When people return from breaks ensure they sit in the same places. A 'road map' is devised for these sessions by an experienced transcriber and if recorded in stereo, people can be identified by their position (i.e. participants being heard through the left hand speaker and others through the right hand speaker) - which all goes awry if you allow people to choose their seating on their return.