Finding Affordable Transcription for Research Interviews

If you?ve conducted some research including one-to-one interviews, and then realised how much work is involved in transcribing them, you?ll probably be looking for an affordable transcription service. There are many transcription services available but sometimes an affordable transcription service can seem hard to find. Transcription is not cheap, because it is a lot more involved than copy typing, but that doesn?t mean you can?t find affordable transcription, and what?s more, by providing good quality recordings you can make the transcription more affordable, as it will take less time to complete.

You could do the transcription yourself, but if you are not a fast touch-typist and do not have specialist transcription equipment then it will take you a very long time. I have had clients come to me saying they started the work themselves and it was taking them 20 hours to produce a transcript of a 1-hour recording. That?s why they ended up using a transcription service!

The most important thing to remember is that it?s just not possible to type as fast as you speak. Even an experienced transcriptionist will be able to average four times as long for a good, clear one-to-one interview ? so an hour of recording will take an average of four hours to transcribe. ( Industry standards obtained from the Industry Production Standards Guide (I998), published by OBC, Columbus, OH, USA) Transcriptionists also have to make sense of what?s being said, punctuate the speech correctly and use the right homophones (words like there/their/they?re that sound the same but are spelt differently.)

So how can you make sure that your transcript is clear, in order to get an affordable transcription price? Basically, the easier you make the transcription for the transcriptionist, the more likely they are to be able to give you an affordable transcription quote.

First of all, use the best transcription equipment you can afford, and make sure it?s fit for purpose. This means that for interviews you should have a recorded with an external microphone rather than one built into the recorder, which is only designed to pick up one voice dictating. For focus groups you should have several microphones so that all participants are close to a mike, and for conferences the speakers should have good microphones and there should also be people in the audience with ?roving? microphones to take around to any audience members wanting to ask a question.

More and more transcriptionists are only taking on digital work now, rather than tapes, so to give yourself the broadest base to chose from you might want to consider using a digital recording method. These are also usually better quality.

Next, you should prepare well before each interview. Make sure that, if at all possible you have arranged a quiet meeting room, as background noise will dramatically increase the time taken to transcribe the recording, as the transcriptionist may have to listen to sections several times in order to capture the interview speech. It is helpful to spell out your interviewee?s name at the beginning of the tape, before starting the interview, and speak out any information you would like on the transcript header e.g. the date, the job title of your interviewee etc.

During the interview, unless you need to interrupt in order to take back control of the interview, try not to speak over your interviewee. Often in a normal conversation we say ?yeah, yeah, yeah? or ?right? or ?OK? more to indicate we?re listening than for any other reason. Every time you say that you are likely to be obscuring a much more important word or group of words spoken by your interviewee.

After the interview, it is enormously helpful if you can include a list of key words for the transcriptionist. Although we?re happy to go on a ?Google hunt?, searching the internet to find out how to spell technical terms, names of drugs, names of organisations etc., if you can provide this info in advance it certainly saves time, and saving time saves you money, again reaching toward that goal of an affordable transcription price. Technical work will always be more expensive than non-technical, but providing a ?crib sheet? of key words should reduce the cost.

Most transcriptionists work in a standard format, whether that be tabular, tabbed, interviews shown as initials or full names etc. Again most are happy to work to your specifications, but the standard format might well be cheaper, so think carefully about whether you need something different or not. Find out what the standard format is in advance if it concerns you, and you may be able to adapt it to your needs. If, for instance, it?s essential that you have speakers in different fonts or different colours, this will add to the price. It might be more cost-effective for you to put this in when the basic transcript is returned to you!

Finally, give some serious thought to whether or not you need a verbatim transcription. Verbatim transcription includes every repeated word, every ?um? and ?erm?, all those ?filler? phrases like ?you know? and ?know what I mean? that may be repeated a hundred times in one interview, and can also include pauses, coughs, throat clearing etc. if required. Needless to say if this takes longer. If the transcriptionist can filter out all this stuff the transcript is quicker. In my company the cheapest level is what we call ?intelligent verbatim? which cuts out all these fillers but leaves the rest exactly as it?s spoken. Different transcriptionists work this differently though, so always check when you?re phoning for your quote. Here are some brief examples. Somewhat more expensive is edited, which corrects the grammar and any mispronounced words as well as knocking out all the fillers.

Verbatim: Erm ? well, I dunno really, know what I mean? I mean, you know, when I asked them what Mary?s, er, um, condish, condit, condition was, they said like erm ?I?m afraid we can?t, erm, tell you that, Mrs. Smith, ?cause you ain?t a relative.?

Intelligent Verbatim: Well, I dunno really. I mean when I asked them what Mary?s condition was they said ?I?m afraid we can?t tell you that, Mrs Smith, ?cause you ain?t a relative.?

Edited: Well I don?t know really. I mean when I asked them what Mary?s condition was they said ?I?m afraid we can?t tell you that, Mrs Smith, because you are not a relative.?

You can see that a whole extra line of typing is required for the verbatim work in just those few short sentences.

There are occasions when verbatim is required ? depending on your topic it might be required for legal reasons, or you might be studying the language. But if you really don?t need it, don?t end up paying for it!

There are many excellent reasons for interviewing groups of people, but don?t do this in order to try to reduce the transcription cost! It takes much longer to transcribe a group of more than two or three people (including the moderator/interviewer) because of the time taken to distinguish the different voices and the fact that people will inevitably talk over each other, especially when they get excited, enthusiastic, impassioned or angry.

And finally, a note of caution: remember that the cheapest transcription quote might not be the most affordable one in the end. There is an oft-quoted phrase: if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Will it really be cost-effective to send your hard-won interviews to the cheapest service if what comes back is gobbledygook and you have to go through the whole thing correcting every other word? How much time will you then waste that could have been spent more productively on your analysis?

Anne Hickley has many years experience in a wide variety of administrative posts. Roles have included provision of secretarial services, PA work, project management and administration, academic and business report writing and editing, and recruitment. She has worked for a range of companies and institutions from SMEs to multinational businesses. Anne has a degree and a doctorate, and also holds the Diploma in Recruitment Practice, the membership qualification for the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.

She runs her own small business, Penguin Office Services (http://www.penguinofficeservices.co.uk) and has a website specifically dedicated to transcription at http://www.penguin-transcription.co.uk These provide a wide variety of administrative services to clients around the world, from corporates to individuals.

This article is copyright, Anne Hickley, 2007.

Moderating A Focus Group for Later Transcription

Things to consider before conducting the focus group

If you are conducting a focus group and need to produce a transcript of it later on for analysis then you need to consider the transcription aspect right from the start.

What could be more frustrating than moderating a really productive and information-rich session only to find that your recording is unusable or the transcript comes back from your transcriptionist looking like gobbledegook.

Transcription of even a one-to-one interview is a tricky business and a professional transcriptionist will take around four hours per hour to transcribe a clearly recorded one-to-one interview. A focus group takes even longer because of the variety of different voices and accents, the fact that people talk over each other and the need to work out who is speaking. However, there is quite a bit you can do to make the transcription easier, and an easier transcription will take less time and therefore should cost less if you?re having it professionally transcribed.

If you?re providing refreshments preferably have the food before or after the discussion. Not only is transcription of people eating somewhat unpleasant, it?s also considerably more difficult to understand people, as you?ll know if you?ve ever listened to someone talking with their mouth full.

Do make sure you have a good enough recording system with external microphones. Putting a Dictaphone in the middle of the table is just not going to do the job. These are designed to be held close to the mouth for one person to record dictation into. For a focus group you will need a system with external microphones, ideally one per participant. If that?s not practical then one good quality microphone at the very least and preferably two or three. Do also make sure the group is meeting in a quiet self-contained room with no distractions.

Sometimes you won?t need to know who?s speaking, so long as each time a new person speaks this is indicated on the transcript. This will usually be cheaper as the transcriptionist does not have to distinguish the different voices, so it?s worth considering in advance whether you need the information on who?s speaking at any particular time.

If it is important to know who is talking then you will ideally not have more than five people of the same sex or eight people altogether, unless their voices or accents are very distinctive.

Conducting the focus group

Firstly lay down the ground rules at the beginning of the focus group. Explain why the tape recorder is there and check no one objects. Have a back-up plan or policy ready if anyone does object, or make sure everyone is notified in advance.

You will obviously need to explain what you want from the participants, why the group is being conducted, what you are researching etc. but if you don?t want this transcribed switch the recorder on after you?ve done that, or tell the transcriptionist where on the tape to start. (This is easier with digital transcription as audio tape counters are not very precise.)

Explain that people talking over each other will be problematic for the recording so ask that they please refrain from doing so. Don?t be afraid to remind them of this as when people get passionate, excited or angry they will talk over each other!

Before going any further get everyone in the group to introduce themselves. Ask them to say specific things so that you get more than a name. For example, ?Hello, can you tell me your name, where you live, your job, who else lives with you and your favourite food?. This would be appropriate for market research. For a group of scientists you might say ?can you say your name, just for the purposes of the tape, where you work and a sentence or two about your current research?. The point is that the transcriptionist has a chance to ?learn? the different voices.

It?s hard to strike the perfect balance between getting all the information and letting a true discussion develop. If the purpose of the group is to develop a discussion e.g. a group of company directors discussing government policy or a group of scientists giving opinions on your company?s latest product, then you won?t want to be continuously interjecting to remind them not to talk over each other, but if your primary reason for using a focus group rather than one-to-one interviews is financial e.g. market research, then the primary goal is probably to get opinions from as many people as possible and an in-depth discussion is not really the aim. In this case you can be firmer with moderating the group. You could, for instance, ask them to say their name every time they speak e.g. ?Mike. I think it tastes like sawdust actually?. ?Hi, I?m Lisa. I think it?s a cross between a digestive biscuit and sandpaper.? ?Mike again. Yeah, sandpaper?s a good description.? The transcript would then be produced as follows:

Mike: I think it tastes like sawdust actually Lisa: I think it?s a cross between a digestive biscuit and sandpaper. Mike: Yeah, sandpaper?s a good description.

If it?s important to stick to a discussion plan the don?t be afraid to gently reign people in if they go off track e.g. ?That?s a very interesting point Mike, but what we?re really discussing here is the price. Of course taste is extremely important and we?ll certainly be discussing it later on. For now though, what do you think of the price??

After the group ? preparing for transcription

Make a list of all the names (with correct spellings) and genders, and other relevant info e.g. Dr Sandy Shaw, Blogs Hospital NHS Trust, Qualified 10 years ? Female. Give this list to the transcriber along with the names of the moderator and anyone else who is present and makes any comment e.g. someone who?s helped to organise the group or is participating in the research.

Make sure you tell your transcriptionist exactly what you want e.g. you almost certainly won?t need a ?verbatim? transcription including every ?um? or ?er? and every repeated word. If you do need this it will probably be more expensive. Don?t be confused into thinking that it won?t be an accurate transcript if it?s not verbatim. ?Intelligent verbatim? is exactly what?s said, but leaving out all the ?speech fillers?, hesitations etc. and this is probably more practical in these situations. Sometimes you might want the answers edited to tidy up the grammar, and sometimes for market research you might want each comment categorised into a table to make the results more quantitative. Each of these ways of transcribing will be differently priced and some transcriptionists will have more experience in market research categorisation, so think carefully about what you need and make sure you find the appropriate person to carry out the work for you.

Penguin Transcription (http://www.penguin-transcription.co.uk), part of Penguin Office Services (http://www.penguinofficeservices.co.uk), offers an affordable transcription service by tailoring each quote to the exact requirements of the client. The more information the client can provide us with, and the better the quality of the recording for transcription, the more affordable the transcription service will be. Why not visit our site and fill in an enquiry form at http://www.penguin-transcription.co.uk/PTS_enquiry_form.html to receive a quote for your transcription requirements.

This article is copyright, Anne Hickley, 2007.

Medical Transcription Resumes

In the constantly changing job market, a well-written, effective resume is an excellent tool for finding a desirable job. This applies to all fields, including that of medical transcription. A medical transcriber's resume needs to be written in such a manner that it instantly captivates the reader's attention. A well-written resume arouses interest in meeting candidates and learning more about them. Each resume has its own way of communicating and creating an impression. However, it is advisable for candidates to take into consideration certain things while writing a medical transcription resume.

The resume is required to clearly state the career objectives of candidates, which must match the job for which they are applying. It is essential to be precise on the skills and capabilities candidates have acquired in the field of medical transcription. It is advisable to mention personal interests only if they present talents or experience that support the career interest.

People writing medical transcription resumes need not focus on size constraints, as a resume can be of one or more pages depending on the experience of the person. On the other hand, it is also important to bear in mind that the number of pages does not necessarily increase with experience. Employers may be sometimes reluctant in picking and reading long resumes relating to medical transcription. Thus, a good medical transcription resumes should be brief, simple to read and interesting.

The skills and training that are needed to succeed as a medical transcriber are proven by a degree, which can be offered by many vocational schools, community colleges, and online courses. Many institutes also offer a Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) designation from the American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT). Individuals who plan to write their resume need to mention their education qualifications. They can also state other qualifications and diplomas if any. It is important for a medical transcriber to possess an expert level of understanding of medical terms, spellings, and diagnostic procedures.

Medical transcribers can choose from a number of different types of resumes. This includes chronological resume, functional resume and combination resume.

Medical Transcription provides detailed information on Medical Transcription, Medical Transcription Service, Medical Transcription Courses, Medical Transcription at Home and more. Medical Transcription is affiliated with Online Medical Transcription Courses.

Medical Transcription Courses

There are courses available to cater to the needs of the budding medical transcriptionist. The American Association for Medical Transcription's (AAMT's) "Model Curriculum for Medical Transcription" that educators use to develop their courses. Two-year programs are advocated that include 240 hours of externship in a medical facility. There are some schools that offer shorter programs.

Community colleges, proprietary schools and home-study programs offer medical transcription classes. It is wise to do a thorough checking of schools offering medical transcription courses. Programs that facilitate interaction between the student and teacher, as well as allow for networking among students are the best courses. These programs can mentally prepare you for the real world of medical transcription and finding a job in the field. Also, AAMT has come up with a paper called "How to Choose an MT School" that is intended to help you choose the medical transcription school that best suits your needs.

The ability to listen is a natural skill, but in transcribing it must also be learned. It requires practice and direction from medical transcriptionists who have been in the field for a good number of years. Even if you possess the mandatory keyboard skills, you d still need courses that offer transcribing practices. You must learn to integrate the medical knowledge you have, with keyboard and attentive listening skills. Intensive study is required to obtain a good level of fluency in the medical language.

Apart from developing the "Model Curriculum for Medical Transcription," AAMT also offers CDs and audiotapes for independent or classroom use. That aside, the AAMT "Book of Style for Medical Transcription" is held in high acclaim by the medical industry. Another valuable tool is the video based on "The Book of Style."

Medical Transcription provides detailed information on Medical Transcription, Medical Transcription Service, Medical Transcription Courses, Medical Transcription at Home and more. Medical Transcription is affiliated with Online Medical Transcription Courses.

Getting Started in a Medical Transcription School

In most cases, the only things you will need to get started in a medical transcription school (besides an intense motivation to work at home) will be a computer and an Internet connection. The Internet connection assumes that you select an online medical transcription school, which is highly recommended. An online program will most closely approximate the real world experience. And as you start out this extra online experience will give you a significant competitive advantage.

As far as computers go, it is generally not necessary to go out and buy a brand new computer in order to get started in a medical transcription school. A used Windows based computer will do nicely. You really just need something that is a Pentium class or higher and that has Internet connectivity. You will also need a good word processing software package, such as Microsoft Word. Any computer that was manufactured in the past 5 years or so should be adequate for most medical transcription schools. If you feel compelled to purchase the latest and greatest computer make sure you shop around. A lot of the high end capability of most new computers will be wasted as most of what you will be doing will revolve around word processing. The most intensive computer activity you will likely be performing -- either in your training or on the job -- will be downloading digital dictation files from the Internet to your hard drive.

Once you have the requisite equipment, you are ready to enroll in a medical transcription school. If you have done your homework you should feel confident about your enrollment decision. Paying for your schooling is probably the biggest obstacle most people have to overcome. Many medical transcription schools have counselors that work with prospective students to help them explore financing options. A reputable school will probably have access to Sallie Mae financing, which is an academic finance company that specializes in educational funding. Depending on your school, you may also find a variety of other financing options and possibly scholarship opportunities that will help defray the costs of the program. Don't be afraid to ask about these things when you discuss your enrollment options with an enrollment counselor.

It can be hard to know where to start in selecting the right medical transcription school. Make sure you choose a medical transcription school that understands your needs as a person, and can work around your budget, schedule, and lifestyle to aid you in becoming the best MT possible! Remember, all you need are a few basic skills and a medical transcription education, and you'll be on the road to personal freedom and financial stability!

Chris Dunn has created a website to help stay-at-home moms (and others) pick a good medical transcription school.

Voice Recognition And Medical Transcription

You've probably heard different opinions and views on this subject. If you're a medical transcriptionist you may even be concerned about voice recognition taking over your career... and you're not alone.

Let's dig a bit deeper into voice recognition.

As you already know, doctors are busy people. This is never more obvious then when they're dictating their notes. It's understandable they're busy, and as their MT, I can surely forgive them but will the latest voice recognition software be as forgiving as me?

Not likely.

As a transcriptionist you will have typed through background noise, patients moaning, doctors eating their lunch, personal conversations (oops they forgot the recorder was on) and other incomprehensible noise. Not to mention, ESL doctors with heavy accents and very tired ER doctors after a long shift!

At this time there is no voice recognition software which can handle this type of voice recognition. It is impossible for the software to determine actual speech from mistakes in conversation, background noise, heavy accents, etc.

So what does this mean for our future?

Rumors of MTs being out of r a job have been around long before I became an MT. Eight years later, there are still no real advances in this field.

Can voice recognition ever replace transcriptionists?

Sure it can.

If a doctor is willing to sit down and take the sufficient time to train his voice recognition software to recognize his voice and speech patterns (this takes time and is not done automatically), yes it is possible.

If the doctor thereafter dictates very clearly, using proper punctuation in his speech (stopping for periods, pausing for commas) without any background noise or interruptions. Yes, it is possible.

Will the document be 100% accurate?

No.

Remember medical records have to be in compliance with a number of very strict regulations. Most doctors, will not trust voice recognition enough to send these records through without at least a quick glance through.

Even under the best dictating circumstances the report will still need to be proofread and edited. So, yes under the "perfect" circumstances, voice recognition can replace a transcriptionist.

Is it likely? Not unless every physician out there is willing to take the time, energy and ongoing effort to train their voice recognition software and maintain a certain standard of dictation.

I don't see that happening any time soon. Doctors are busy people, remember? ;)

If anything, us MTs should embrace voice recognition and use it as a tool to help us in our MT careers. If applied properly, it can be a time-saving tool. So why not use it for our purposes?

As with any business to stay ahead of the game you have to adapt to change and technology. Learn how to use it to your advantage instead of being frightened by it. That's the only way to stay ahead of the competition.... Voice recognition or otherwise.

Mila Sidman is an experienced MT and owner of www.AskTheMT.com - an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions.