Is Verbatim Enough? Getting The Detail Market Research Firms Need From Transcription Services

Did you know that not all transcripts are the same?

Market researchers use a lot of transcription services. But, are they always best served by the industry standard ‘verbatim’ transcripts, and what are verbatim transcripts anyway?

Not all verbatim transcripts are really a ‘verbatim’ account of your recording, and that is for good reason — different levels of detail can deliver added value to different circumstances.

Knowing your choices allows you to grab the best transcript for the job. Verbatim transcripts might not be right for your transcript needs. Here are some tips on getting the right kind of transcript for you.

Is verbatim enough for your transcript?

The most common style of transcript is known as verbatim transcripts (often qualified as intelligent verbatim or clean verbatim). Here, a detailed, near word-for-word transcript is created. However, sounds and sentence structures that do not impact meaning but damage legibility are removed/changed. For example, false starts, repetitions, interruptions, ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’.

This delivers a transcript that is as clean as possible while still remaining true to the original audio file. You’ll receive a transcription that contains almost everything that has been said, but anything that doesn’t add to the context of the spoken words will be removed from the transcript for the sake of legibility. If you’re simply asking for a transcript, then verbatim is often what you’ll get. This is a safe choice that is useful for most cases. It delivers accuracy, but not to the point that every nuance of someone’s speech is recorded.

Are verbatim transcripts right for you?

The main advantage of a verbatim transcription is that it’s simple to read. If you just want to transcribe some length of audio into something readable then verbatim is the most standard, straightforward and reliable service available. It has average turnaround times. You can also customise these types of services by requesting things like timestamps, speaker identification or having someone proofread it thoroughly to ensure there are no mistakes or misinterpreted phrases in the transcription.

The major con of verbatim transcripts is effectively the flip side of their benefit — they are a middle of the road solution. Verbatim transcripts aren’t a specialist transcript, so it is hard to say that they really excel in any one category. For that, you want to look at some more tailored options within the transcription world.

The other kind of verbatim: full-verbatim transcripts

As the name suggests, full-verbatim means that every sound said in an audio file will be transcribed to text. This includes every broken sentence, every muttered word, every false start and so on. The idea behind full-verbatim is to transcribe an audio file as accurately as possible. In addition, extra services can be requested for even more accuracy and detail if required, including annotations on tone, pauses, laughter and more.

Full-verbatim transcriptions are more expensive than regular verbatim transcriptions. This increased price is representative of the increased amount of time it takes for a full-verbatim transcription to be finished, especially if it includes multiple speakers talking on top of each other, or if the audio quality is low, making it harder to distinguish certain words.

Are full-verbatim transcripts right for you?

The benefit of full-verbatim transcripts is that everything is captured. Effectively, you are delivered a transcript that can give you almost as much information as directly listening to the recording. Specifically, if that information is needed for legal purposes, this is the transcript you need. It can also benefit market researchers looking to grasp all of the details of a focus group or interview.

The problem is that full-verbatim transcripts are expensive and hard to read. Natural speech is confusing. A full-verbatim transcript does not lend itself to a quick skim. Equally, timestamps let market researches review simpler transcripts and go back to listen to key passages. For many, this is a far better solution.

The reality is that for most people, a full-verbatim transcription service will provide too much detail, making a transcript seem overwhelming. When looking at ‘verbatim’ transcripts, it is important to distinguish between the two kinds and make sure you invest in the one that best fits your budget and transcription needs.

Perhaps less is more: Detailed Notes Transcripts

The third option is detailed notes transcripts. Detailed notes transcripts take the editing of verbatim transcripts one step further. Interview questions are summarised and off-topic chit-chat is removed. In some cases, answers are even paraphrased — although this will depend on the brief you give the transcription service.

Particularly when paired with timestamps, detailed notes transcripts can deliver better value at a lower starting price-point. You get a shorter transcript that is easy to review and to the point. The danger is that the wrong things end up being removed. To really make detailed notes transcripts work, it is advisable to work with quality transcription services that specialise in market research and deliver access to transcriptionists with industry experience. Lastly, if you find a transcription service that delivers great detailed notes transcripts, stick with them, forge a partnership and see if they will cut your costs even more with bespoke bulk pricing models.

Are detailed notes right for you?

Detailed notes can be very accurate if required, and quicker to transcribe due to conciseness. Another reason to opt for detailed notes is if you have a large batch of recordings that need summarising in order to gain quick insights from. Getting notes on these recordings makes it easier to decide whether you need to go back and listen to the recording or get it transcribed with more detail. This can help you save money while still gaining insights from many recordings.

While detailed notes are an inexpensive way to transcribe a larger batch of recordings, they’re obviously not as accurate or detailed as verbatim and full-verbatim transcripts. If you need the details of a full-verbatim transcript, detailed notes won’t deliver the right outcome. If, however, you are considering a standard verbatim transcript, taking the editing one step further might provide a better outcome at a lower cost.

Figure out what insights you want to gain

Whichever kind of transcript you need, understanding what value you can gain from each kind will help you ensure that you get the right one for you and your transcription needs.

Seeing spoken words written down can help you make sense of what was said, and allow you to pinpoint exactly what information you need. Whether it’s full-verbatim, verbatim or detailed notes, transcripts will save you time while delivering value, Make sure you know exactly what you need before buying.

You have been reading about how market research firms can pick the level of transcription detail that is right for them, going beyond standard verbatim to get the best deal. If you have more questions about ASR, basic transcription service rates or how long it takes to get a transcript, check out our Ultimate Guide to Transcription Services.