Prepare for the Interview Before Recording
Agree with participants in advance about recording the conversation and the subsequent use of the material. Check the microphone, ask the interviewee to introduce themselves and clarify the spelling of their name, position, and titles. Keep questions short and allow the person to finish their answer.
If the conversation is remote, decide who will store the file and where. Make a short test recording: can both participants be heard, is there any noise or overlapping voices? These conditions affect the accuracy of speech recognition.
Get a Working Transcript
Upload the recording to the "Audio to Text" page and wait for the result. Start with a general overview, then review the full text. Check who the remarks belong to, and if necessary, manually identify the participants.
Save timestamps for strong quotes and contentious fragments. If you're unsure which part of the work to assign to the service, compare manual and automatic transcription.
- Recording
Check sound and usage conditions.
- Text
Receive a transcript with timestamps.
- Quotes
Verify words, facts, and context.
- Structure
Compile material and remove repetitions.
- Approval
Clarify sensitive wording.
Verify Facts and Quotes
Check names, positions, brands, dates, amounts, and numerical comparisons. Listen to direct quotes in full along with the question: the same phrase can be perceived differently out of context.
If you notice a factual error in the response, do not silently replace the interviewee's words. Record the discrepancy, verify the information, and agree with the editor on how to reflect it in the material.
- Names and Titles
- Spelling of surnames, companies, brands, and terms.
- Positions
- The interviewee's role at the date of the interview.
- Numbers and Dates
- Amounts, units of measurement, periods, and comparisons.
- Direct Quotes
- Exact words, the question, and neighboring remarks.
- Sensitive Information
- Usage conditions and necessary approvals.
Turn Transcript into Material
The sequence of questions in the recording doesn't have to become the structure of the article. Formulate the main theme, group responses, reduce repetitions, and add editorial links. Do not combine phrases in a way that gives the interviewee a new position.
In the "question — answer" format, maintain the interviewee's natural voice. In authored text, use verified quotes that support the idea. Separate literary editing from fact-checking.
Reduce Pause, Keep Condition
- In the Working Transcript
- “We, uh, plan to open a second office in the fall, if we finish the renovation.”
- After Editing
- “We plan to open a second office in the fall, if we finish the renovation.”
If you remove "plan" or "if we finish the renovation," the cautious intention turns into a promise. Such an edit cannot be considered a simple text cleanup.
Final Check
Before publishing, check the headline, introduction, interviewee's signature, quotes, and sensitive information. Specify the actual author of the material and the real publication date. If necessary, send the interviewee the parts that need agreement according to editorial rules.
Maintain the connection between the article, the verified transcript, and the original recording. This will help answer any clarifying questions and return to the quote's context after publication.
Practical Checklist
- Agree on the recording of the conversation and the use of the material.
- Check the spelling of names, titles, and positions.
- Keep timestamps for selected quotes.
- Verify who the remarks belong to; sign them manually if necessary.
- Separate fact-checking from literary editing.
How to Complete the Task in Transkribator
On the "Audio to Text" page, upload the finished recording and wait for the result. First, assess the overall meaning, then check names, numbers, and terms by timestamps. Download the TXT and continue editing in your usual tool.
If the interview is recorded on video, use the guide on how to extract text from a finished video file. To verify quotes, keep the original recording.
Key Points
- Agreement and accuracy are more important than publication speed.
- Timestamps allow you to verify a quote along with its context.
- The transcript is a source for working on the article.
- Editing should preserve the interviewee's position.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to transcribe every word?
It depends on the task. A working transcript can be complete, while the publication is edited to preserve the meaning. Determine in advance whether a verbatim transcript or a readable material is needed.
Can I change a quote for readability?
Follow editorial rules and do not change the meaning of the statement. Significant edits should be agreed upon. If a paraphrase is needed instead of exact words, format it as indirect speech.
How to label speakers?
Match the remarks with the voices on the recording and assign clear labels: for example, "Interviewer" and the interviewee's name. If the remarks are not separated or the labels are incorrect, mark them manually.
What to do with an unclear part?
Mark it and save the timestamp, then listen to the fragment along with the adjacent remarks. Do not guess the wording: if necessary, clarify the words with the interviewee or omit the unverified quote.
