Dissertation Transcription Services

During the last year of a Master’s or Ph.D. degree academic major, every student is required to write a dissertation, or in other words, a scholarly thesis. A dissertation is an academic paper based on a specific topic that the academician has studied for several years during courses, lessons, and practice studies. The scholars acquire a library of information beneficial to their thesis from these sessions.

This article provides a helpful guide to help you understand the critical role dissertation transcription services play in making the final leg of school more manageable.

An Introduction to Dissertation Interview Transcription

While compiling the information for a dissertation, some of the essential parts include audio data from various interviews and lectures, videos, and other vital sources collected into a digital file. The audio files are usually attached to the paper version of the dissertation. These act as proof of all the information gathered for the thesis. A dissertation transcription is also attached, as the audio files take a while to listen through. 

Transcribing is tedious, especially when working with a lengthy audio file or one with complex jargon. Listening to the entire file and the repetition involved with this work typically leaves scholars hardly any time to prepare the dissertation itself. Therefore, it’s not surprising that students turn to professional transcription companies and websites, cutting their work in half and allowing themselves a stress-free environment to study too.

When to Outsource Transcription Services

When dealing with a group discussion-based recording, the information received is scattered, and the main ideas and data may be hard to sort through without a transcription. Every group member has different opinions as the communication is very information driven. The speech overlaps are often notorious for making the transcription process challenging and, in some cases, almost impossible to create a flawless script. And this is where a professional transcriptionist comes in handy!

Deciphering a recorded classroom lecture can quickly become tedious, especially when you have several lined up to sift through. You may also need to transcribe conference or seminar audio files along with interview data and classroom lecture recordings. The level of precision required for such files is pretty high, as the recording may contain valuable references or study material that is essential for a dissertation later on. A transcriber can easily compile all of that information for easier access.

There are times when students need time to conduct further research on a topic, yet they still have pending interview audio files to sort through. Although you can always transcribe the massive file independently, the process is time-consuming and will limit your study time. 

Transcription is used not only for audio files but also for taking notes and video file analysis. Since retaining the exact information (verbatim) is critical, taking notes from dictation or videos should be captured accurately. Thus, transcription services are ideal when the work is required within a limited period.

One of the hardest things about transcribing is that people can easily mistake spoken words for others. Accurately representing the language and its forms is particularly difficult if you’re not professionally trained for it. Consulting a professional transcriptionist, therefore, is ideal to ensure accuracy, precision, and good grammar.

How to Prepare for an Academic Transcription

Preparation beforehand is a sure way to ensure the dissertation interview exercise runs smoothly. Below are ways to prepare for your session regardless of whether you’ll transcribe the transcripts yourself or outsource transcription services.

• Get your transcription equipment ready

Imagine a scenario where you secure a vital interview and ask all the right questions, only to discover later that the speech is inaudible. Or worse still, the recorder wasn’t even on! The best way to avoid similar situations is to perform a test run beforehand. Ensuring the microphone, audio recorder, and any other tools are fully functional will keep you on track.

• Choose the best transcription equipment

A superior microphone and recorder will give you better sound quality than a cheap one. However, you’ll need to identify the interview setting first to determine the equipment to use. For example, while smartphones are convenient and widely acceptable, they work better in environments without ambient noise. 

• Be transparent with your interviewee

It’s advisable to inform your guest or speaker in advance that you plan to record the interview. It would help if you also let them know how you plan to use the information you collect. Doing this will eliminate the surprise element and possibility of rejection on D-day. In turn, the interviewee will prepare themselves adequately, allowing the session to be productive and run smoothly.

Choosing Between Human and Automated Services

After the dissertation interview is over, the next task is transcribing. Whether you prefer to outsource human dissertation transcription services or an automated service will depend on your budget, time, or skills. In this section, we’ll look at the pros and cons of each.

Automated services use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to convert speech to text. One of the main reasons why people prefer these services is because a lengthy audio file can be ready for use within just a few minutes. However, if the recording is of poor sound quality or laden with speech overlaps, you’ll be lucky to achieve 80% accuracy. You may waste a big chunk of your time listening to the recording and editing the text.

On the other hand, human transcription services are costlier and take longer than ASR-based services. But thanks to transcription experts, the final text will have 99% accuracy, allowing you time to focus on working on other aspects of your dissertation. And if you want a faster turnover, most transcription services are happy to help but at a higher rate.

What Type of Transcription Do You Need?

Before engaging a transcription service for the job, it’s essential to pick your preferred transcription type. Your choice depends on how you’ll apply the text to your dissertation. Below are the options available.

• Full Verbatim

Here, the transcriptionist will capture all aspects of the interview, including pauses, stammers, and speech fillers (umm, er, ah, etc.).

• Clean Verbatim

This option captures the main body of the interview and eliminates any stammers, pauses, or fillers. Clean verbatim is easy to read, a trait most scholars value for dissertations.

• Detailed Notes

Here, the transcriptionist goes through the entire file and summarises the content into several pages of notes. This option is preferred in cases where some of the speech content is considered unnecessary or when you want quick notes to refer to when needed.

What to Look for When Hiring a Professional Transcription Service

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about hiring a professional to transcribe your files is the price. Below are things to look out for when outsourcing transcription services.

• Go for a reasonably priced professional team. These services work perfectly for people working on a low budget, e.g., students and small research businesses.

• When hiring a transcription service, the key to success is finding out if the business offers confidentiality and data privacy. We all want to keep our documents safe and untouched by anyone else. An agreement on a safety policy would be the best option.

• A clean and understandable company structure goes a long way in showing how professional a transcription service is. For example, if the company uses the latest transcription tools in the market, this signifies a flexible and adaptable company structure. Such features will help you know the quality of services you seek before you give them the contract.

• Most transcription companies have a team of professional transcribers to ensure your interview files are sorted out fast and accurately. In cases of technical glitches, their representatives should reach out, inform you of the delay and offer practical solutions. After all, you’re paying for a time-based service that should make your life easier, not harder.

Get Your Dissertation on Track

A clean and accurate dissertation transcript can have a significantly positive impact on your career. As such, starting on the right footing from the onset is crucial.

By choosing GoTranscript as your trusted transcription service, you’ll be making the best decision to complete your degree’s final leg. Why? Because your work will be in the hands of a professional team of transcribers providing quality transcriptions and fast results. GoTranscript uses the newest transcription tools in the market to give you only the best solutions to handling your dissertation interviews, lectures, and meetings.