Interview transcription: conceptual issues, practical guidelines, and challenges

Abstract

Background: Interviews are a common practice for gathering information in scientific studies. Although there is an extensive work about how to conduct and analyze an interview, transcription has usually remained a minor issue. Transcribing is the transformation of oral speech into a written and meaningful text that includes relevant information from the interview and that can be analyzed. Objectives: This article addresses and discusses the main conceptual and practical issues, as well as the main challenges involved in interview transcription, using an integrative approach. Main topics under analysis: What is the definition of tran-scription? Which types of transcripts exist? What content must be transcribed? How should an interview be transcribed? What special measures should be taken during a transcription? What are the main difficulties? Conclusion: Given the lack of universal protocols or rules for transcription, researchers should state their practices and deci-sions, which may influence data analysis.