Key takeaways
- Get consent on the recording itself; in the US, Wikipedia notes recording laws vary by state, and some require every party's consent.
- States that generally require all-party consent include California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington, with variations in others.
- Label each speaker consistently, and choose verbatim or clean verbatim to match the purpose of the transcript.
- ATLAS.ti's research guide recommends cross-checking the transcript against the recording and anonymising it where confidentiality requires.
- Check every quotation word for word against the audio before it is published.
An interview recording holds what someone said; a transcript is how you use it. Journalists quote from transcripts, researchers analyse them and writers build drafts on them, and all three depend on the transcript being accurate and fairly obtained. This guide covers the steps from consent to a checked quote. It is general information, not legal advice.
Step 1: consent, on the record
Ask permission to record, and record the answer. Beyond courtesy, the law may require it. Wikipedia's article on recording laws notes that in the United States, laws vary by state: some require only one party to be aware of a recording, while others generally require all parties to consent. States it lists as generally requiring all-party consent include California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington, with variations: Connecticut's all-party rule applies to electronic recordings, Hawaii's to devices installed in a private place, Montana requires notification, and Oregon distinguishes electronic and in-person conversations. Other countries have their own rules; Wikipedia notes, for example, that Germany treats recording a call without all parties' consent as a criminal offence.
A simple opening line, "Is it all right if I record this so I can quote you accurately?", followed by a clear yes on the recording, is a simple way to ask. Where local law sets a stricter rule, such as notifying everyone on a call, follow that rule.
Step 2: record well
An interview gives you more control over the audio than a lecture does, because you can choose the room. Pick a quiet place, put the phone between you and nearer the interviewee, and make a short test recording first; speech-to-text accuracy tips covers placement. For calls, record at the source where possible rather than holding a phone near a speaker.
Step 3: transcribe
Run the recording through transcription software, or type it yourself. ATLAS.ti's research guide describes the manual approach: listen carefully, slow the playback, and use shortcuts to rewind a few seconds. ATLAS.ti notes that human transcription is slower than automated transcription; automatic output still needs the checking steps below.
Step 4: label speakers
ATLAS.ti lists speaker identifiers as a core element of an interview transcript. Use them consistently:
| Situation | Labels |
|---|---|
| Journalism | Names or initials, such as "JS:" and "AK:" |
| Anonymised research | "Interviewer:" and "Participant 4:" |
| Group interviews | A label per person, set at the start |
Start a new line at every change of speaker, so turns are easy to follow.
Step 5: choose a style
Decide how literal the transcript should be. ATLAS.ti describes verbatim, which keeps fillers, false starts and non-verbal cues, clean verbatim, which drops fillers but keeps every meaningful word, and intelligent transcription, which edits grammar. ATLAS.ti says clean verbatim is usually preferred when the focus is on the content of the speech, while verbatim keeps the detail needed when how people speak matters. Verbatim versus clean verbatim covers the choice.
Step 6: cross-check and anonymise
ATLAS.ti recommends that the finished transcript be reviewed and cross-checked with the recording for accuracy, and anonymised if necessary to protect participants' confidentiality. Anonymising means replacing names, workplaces and other identifying details with neutral labels, used consistently, and keeping any key that links labels to real people separate and secure.
A worked example: checking one quote
The transcript reads: "We never said the project would launch in May." Before quoting it, you listen: the speaker actually said, "We never said the project wouldn't launch in May." One contraction reverses the meaning. A short word like this is easy to mishear, and names and numbers are the details the listing singles out for checking. That is why the listing for our transcription app says to check quotations against the original audio before anything is published, and to keep the recording for tone and context.
Step 7: make it navigable
For long interviews, add timestamps at topic changes and next to anything you may quote, so you can find the audio again in seconds; adding timestamps to a transcript explains formats and frequency.
Store and share it carefully
An interview recording and its transcript are personal information about the person you spoke to, and sometimes about others they mention. Keep both somewhere access-controlled, not in a shared folder; share only the parts a colleague or editor needs; and if you promised the interviewee anything, such as reviewing quotes, anonymity or deleting the recording after a project, write it down and keep to it. Research projects may have formal rules on storage and retention, so check them before the first interview rather than after the last.
Transcribing interviews on Android
Transcribe Audio to Text PRO, one of our video and utility apps, turns interview recordings into text to work through before drafting an article or research. Its guide covers the full workflow.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Do I need permission to record an interview?
How do you label speakers in an interview transcript?
How do you check quotes from an interview?
How do you anonymise an interview transcript?
Sources
- Telephone call recording laws (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia — accessed
- Transcripts in Research: Overview, Types & Examples (opens in a new tab)ATLAS.ti — accessed
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