University Transcriptions regularly undertakes focus group transcription work on behalf of a range of clients from universities through to marketing companies. The quality of recording for these clients can range from those who have stuck a recorder in the corner of the room and hoped it would pick everybody up clearly, to those who mic the room up carefully and use specialist software and equipment. Our Top 8 Tips for setting up the room for a recording of a focus group are as follows:
- Make sure the room is not too big for the group. It is particularly relevant in a room that does not have any acoustic padding or dampening, for example a dining hall or restaurant space. A large hall with six people in and no sound proofing is going to be very echoey and make it hard for the transcriber to pick up the spoken word clearly.
- Do not put the recorder close to one person and not any of the others if everybody is expected to speak equally, or contribute regularly to the recording. A common problem for transcribers is that one person will be very clear and others will not because the recording device has been placed next to them. Try to seat everybody in a circle with the recording device in the middle, pointing at no-one in particular.
- The recording device should be of fairly good quality. We recommend the Olympus products for digital recording because they are inexpensive and the digital files are easy to manipulate. You can pick up a reasonably priced Olympus digital dictation machine on eBay for around £40 to £60. Try to go for one with the prefix DS. Similarly the Apple iPhones are absolutely amazing and will work extremely well for focus groups if placed flat in the middle of the room (other smart phones are available). It is not as easy to work with the audio files on smart phones as it is on a digital recorder, but they do work well at picking up sounds and recording the focus group accurately.
- Speak to the participants of the focus group at the start of the recording and ensure that you have firstly obtained their permission to record the group, but also explain to them that a transcriber is going to be typing out everything they say. Tell them to try to speak clearly and concisely. Explain that the transcriber will not want to be typing lots of hesitations and erm’s, so to keep their answers as specific as possible. Tell them not to speak over the top of each other.
- Start the recording at the point you want the transcriber to begin typing. This will save you a bit of money and it can be amazing how many minutes at the start of the recording can be spent not talking about the things you want transcribing. Explain and introduce everything first, and only once all of this is done and the focus group is going to start, press record on the device.
- Check the device halfway through your recording to make sure it is picking up well. It can be worth stopping after a couple of minutes and rewinding slightly just to make sure that the recording sounds clear when you play it back. However I would strongly recommend stopping anyway halfway through to make sure that the recording is clear enough to be transcribed. We have had a couple of nightmares over the years where a university has recorded a focus group and got it ready for processing, only to discover that the digital recorder has not picked up the participants and the transcription is not able to be completed.
- Think about the number of people that you want in the focus group. Most transcription companies charge per group of participants, so for example it can be much more expensive to record a group of ten people than it can to record a group of six people. If you do not need the extra four people it can be worth trying to restrict your numbers.
- When sending the focus group to the transcription company, try to use a server that offers SSL secure uploads. Also ensure that the recording is in a compressed format. Some formats, such as WAV and WMA use a lot of space and can fill up your hard drive as well as the server you are uploading to. Ensure that your upload is in compliance with the data protection policies of your university or company, and ensure that you have a confidentiality undertaking signed by the transcription company you are using. UniversityTranscriptions.co.uk is a listed preferred supplier to a large proportion of UK universities and is quite happy to sign confidentiality undertakings and provide a copy of its GDPR compliant data protection policy. It is also a registered data controller under the Data Protection Act and logs with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Recording a Focus Group: Additional Advice
Recording equipment and online meeting software have changed since we first published the eight tips above, but the basic problem remains the same. If you cannot hear somebody properly on the recording, the transcriber is likely to have the same difficulty. A few minutes spent checking your arrangements before the discussion starts can save a considerable amount of trouble afterwards.
We have kept our original tips above and added the following advice for researchers organising focus groups. Read these points alongside the earlier article, particularly the advice about choosing equipment, preserving natural speech and preparing files for transcription.
Test the Recording, Not Just the Microphone
A microphone light or a moving sound level tells you that the device is picking something up. It does not tell you whether the person at the other end of the table will be easy to hear.
Before starting the focus group, ask somebody in each seating position to say a few words at their normal speaking volume. Record this and listen back through headphones. Include the quietest part of the room and the seat furthest from the microphone. If you have to strain to hear the test, change the arrangement before the discussion begins.
Check battery life, available storage and the power supply at the same time. If you use a phone, check how calls and notifications affect recording. Do not assume that a recording app will carry on uninterrupted without testing it.
Choose Equipment for the Group You Actually Have
The equipment examples and prices in our original article reflect when it was first written. Treat them as historical examples rather than current buying advice. The important question is whether your chosen recorder and microphone can capture everybody in your particular room.
A phone in the middle of a small table may be sufficient for one discussion, but the same arrangement can struggle with a larger group, a long table or a room with a lot of echo. A device designed mainly for one person dictating close to a microphone may not be the best choice for several people sitting some distance apart.
Keep microphones away from anything likely to knock or rub against them. Papers, cups and people tapping the table can create surprisingly loud noises on a recording, even when nobody notices them during the discussion.
Let Participants Speak Naturally
Our original article suggests keeping answers concise and avoiding hesitations. For research focus groups, we would qualify that advice. Participants should have the opportunity to answer naturally, and the recording should preserve the detail your research requires.
Pauses, repetition, hesitation and the way somebody responds to another participant may be relevant to your analysis. Do not ask people to remove these features simply to make the transcription easier. Decide instead which transcription style you need and tell the transcriber before work begins.
It is still helpful to ask people to avoid talking over one another where possible. However, if the way participants interact is part of the research, explain this to the transcriber and agree how overlapping speech should appear in the document.
Read our guide to transcription editing levels.
Make Speaker Identification Easier
Recognising voices can be one of the more difficult parts of focus group transcription. You may know exactly who is speaking because you were in the room. A transcriber listening to the recording does not have that advantage.
If your research arrangements allow it, ask participants to introduce themselves using their allocated participant codes. A seating plan and a short note about the speakers can also help. Use codes rather than names where this is appropriate for the project.
Tell us whether you need individual labels such as Participant 1 and Participant 2, or whether a different approach will meet your requirements. Where voices are very similar or several people speak together, a recording may not support reliable identification of every contribution.
Take Extra Care with Online and Hybrid Focus Groups
For an online focus group, check that your university or organisation permits the platform and recording arrangements you intend to use. Make a short test recording and check the exported file, rather than relying only on how the meeting sounds through your own headphones.
Hybrid discussions need particular attention. The people joining remotely may hear the moderator clearly but struggle to hear other participants in the room. Equally, the room recorder may capture everybody around the table but miss the people speaking online. Test both sides of the conversation.
Where your approved platform offers separate audio tracks, consider whether these would help and check that you can export them. Keep the complete recording as well. Let the transcription provider know what files you have before sending several versions of the same discussion.
Check whether automatic transcription, meeting summaries or recording assistants are enabled. These features may introduce additional processing of participants’ information. Use only the arrangements approved for your project.
Keep the Original File Before Converting Anything
Our original tip about compressing files needs some additional explanation. A smaller file is easier to upload, but reducing its size can also remove audio detail that would help a transcriber understand quieter or less distinct speech.
Keep an unchanged copy of the original recording in your approved storage location. Do not convert a WAV file simply because it is large. Ask the transcription provider whether the original format can be uploaded first.
If a conversion is necessary, work from a copy and use an approved tool. Avoid repeatedly converting between compressed formats. If you have made an enhanced or noise-reduced version, retain the original as well and explain which version you are supplying.
Send a Short Brief with the Recording
A little background information can make a considerable difference. Before uploading your focus group, put together a short brief covering:
- The number of participants, including the moderator.
- The speaker labels or participant codes you want us to use.
- Your required transcription style.
- Any timestamps, anonymisation or formatting instructions.
- A list of specialist terms, abbreviations or names likely to come up.
- Your template, if you have one.
- The deadline and any sections that do not require transcription.
If an introduction or closing discussion does not need transcribing, give the relevant start and end times. This allows you to retain the complete recording while making clear which sections you want included in the transcript. Follow your approved research procedure when deciding what to record.
Agree File Handling Before Sending Sensitive Material
Use your university’s or organisation’s approved arrangements for storing and transferring recordings. A secure upload link is one part of the process, but it does not answer every question about who will access the material or how long copies will remain available.
Confirm any confidentiality requirements, access restrictions and retention or deletion instructions before sending files. If you need a Data Processing Agreement or supporting information for your research paperwork, request it before the project starts.
For further guidance on preparing research transcripts and documenting your requirements, the UK Data Service provides useful data management tools and templates.
Need a Focus Group Transcription Quote?
Tell us how long the recording is, how many people take part and when you need the transcript. Include your preferred transcription style and any speaker identification, anonymisation or formatting requirements.
If you are concerned about the sound quality, contact us before sending the full project and ask about supplying a short sample through an agreed secure channel. It is much easier to discuss the recording and your requirements at the outset.
