Focus Group Transcription: Guide for having focus groups transcribed

There are some aspects to consider when deciding how much detail you will need to include in your focus group transcripts to meet the needs of your project.

For example, if the focus group participants need to be identified in the transcript by their name, initials or participant 1 (P1), participant 2 (P2) etc this is a more expensive option for focus group transcription as it is a more time-consuming process for the transcriptionist.

A good analogy for why this is more time-consuming is imagine you are with a group of people you have never met before and you are blindfolded (apologies for my terrible doodle). Now try to identify each person by their voice. This is what it will be like for your transcriber listening to the focus group recording, although the transcriber will have the benefit of being able to rewind and listen again and again.

For this type of focus group transcription an experienced transcriber will need to keep a detailed record of each participant and the characteristics of their voice to refer to throughout the transcription and will, more often than not, have to flick backwards and forwards through the recording to pinpoint and double check voices.

One of our recent clients found a way around this by interjecting with the individual’s name each time a new participant spoke, which made the focus group transcription less complex and therefore a cheaper process.

Alternatively you might consider that it is not necessary to identify the participants but to give each new speaker a new paragraph in the transcript. Again, this is a cheaper option.

It goes without saying that a good, clear and audible recording is necessary for focus group transcription.

For more information and to get a price for focus group transcription visit the King Audio Transcription & Typing Services Focus Group Transcription page.

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