Click the play button above to hear a recording of an interviewer speaking to Jonathan Fagan, Director of TP Transcription Limited, and Trustee of the Ten Percent Foundation, the charitable trust we donate 10% of our profits to. You can see full examples below by clicking the relevant links:
- Fully Edited Transcript – Audio and Transcription Example
- Lightly Edited Transcript – Audio and Transcription Example
- Intelligent Verbatim Transcript – Audio and Transcription Example
- Anonymised Intelligent Verbatim Transcript – Audio and Transcription Example
- True Verbatim Transcript – Audio and Transcription Example
- Jefferson Transcription – Audio and Transcription Example
We also offer Jefferson transcription standard, which involves the use of symbols to denote expression and pauses etc.. – click here for a full explanation and a chart of symbols.
A quick explanation of each level is below.
Level 1 – Fully Edited Transcript – the transcriber will transcribe the main parts of each sentence, and make informed decisions on what to leave in and what to take out in order to retain the structure of the sentence but shorten wherever possible and adjusted if necessary, adding words in to complete sentences etc..
Level 2 – Lightly Edited Transcript – edited by the transcriber for readability and clarity. Here the transcriber will transcribe the exact words but leave out any pauses, hesitations or sounds.
Level 3 – Intelligent Verbatim Transcript – certain elements are omitted if they add no meaning to the script. This is mainly ums, errs and repetitions and false starts. This is the level used for most transcription work – it is recommended for research interviews, group discussions and focus groups.
Level 4 – True (or Strict) Verbatim Transcript – a complete record of every sound or utterance on the recording, which will include coughs, stutters, false starts, any “erms” and “ahhs”. Useful where a researcher is analysing conversation or language.
Level 5 – Discourse Analysis (or Jefferson transcription) – Conversational Analysis (CA). The additional inclusion of specified features, such as hesitation, tone pitch or emotion. For details and an explanation of symbols used in this type of transcription, please click here.
Choose the Level Around Your Research Question
Decide what you will analyse before choosing how much speech to remove. A transcript that reads smoothly may omit features you later need as evidence.
When the content of answers matters most
Intelligent verbatim can be a useful starting point for interviews where the main focus is what participants say. Read the example above and check that the treatment of repetitions, fillers and false starts fits your method. Do not assume every project labelled “thematic analysis” needs the same editing rules.
When the way people speak matters
If pauses, hesitation or repeated words are relevant to your question, consider true verbatim and specify the details to retain. For work examining interaction, review the Jefferson example and agree the symbols and level of detail required with your supervisor or research team.
When preparing readable material
A more edited transcript may suit material being prepared for reading or publication. Keep it distinct from the record used for analysis, and check quotations against the recording before using them.
Set the brief before the full batch
Choose an extract that represents your recording and agree its treatment before applying the instructions to all the other audio. Record decisions on speaker labels, timestamps, anonymisation and unclear passages alongside the editing level.
Transcription choices form part of your research method. The research team should approve the specification; an editing-level label alone is not a substitute for that decision.
For an online example of detailed project instructions from a researcher, see the UK Data Service transcription instructions (PDF).
Discuss your transcription brief with University Transcriptions