Truth Revealed: The Real World of Interview Transcription


Truth Revealed: The Real World of Interview Transcription
Beth Worthy

Beth Worthy

8/10/2015

Interview transcription isn’t something most people know too much about. However, it is a major part of a variety of different industries, and interview transcription is just as prominent today as it was in the past, despite the increase in high-quality computer programs that can work to decipher audio.

Most people don’t know that they can have a career in transcription as well, and there is a variety of different types of transcription jobs. The truth is that interview transcription is still one of the most popular types because you just can’t beat the human touch.

Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of interview transcription, why it’s so popular and why it might be an ideal career choice for you. You could just find a new career or path you can use to support yourself and your family.

For Research Purposes

One of the most common uses of transcribed interviews is in the academic field. That’s because preserving interviews and materials is very important for cultural institutions, schools, museums and other facilities of the same type.

• For Research Purposes - Interview Transcription

The biggest reason why academic and scientific institutions use people to transcribe their work is that people tend to make fewer mistakes. That’s especially true when dealing with complex terms or phrases, especially in the science or medical field where a computer simply cannot handle the wording.

Another major benefit of interview transcription is that people can talk about sensitive medical topics. For example, one study used individuals to interpret and translate audio related to men living with HIV. Once collected, data can be compiled much more efficiently when real people are involved instead of computers.

Data Collection

Another reason people use transcription on a regular basis is for collecting data from things like phone surveys. In many cases, these surveys get recorded or marked down on paper, but Transcription services can be used to get a better insight into how interviews are conducted and how effective they are.
Data Collection -Interview Transcription

The most important part of transcription for data collection purposes is that people can do a better job interpreting data. When people collect data instead of machines they can begin to make assertions about how well a marketing strategy, questionnaire or anything of the like worked with the intended customer base.

That’s a major benefit for the companies that use people to transcribe their interviews and recorded audio.

Legal Practice

The legal business is one of the major users of transcription services. The biggest part of the transcription process is in the courtroom, and many attorneys will record their trial in order to have the data transcribed later. That way they will be able to listen to everything that happened and evaluate where they stand in a case.

Legal Practice - Interview Transcription

Attorneys will also be able to figure out what the other lawyer has said during a case. Transcription is a huge part of trying to win a case for many attorneys, and people simply do a much better job than computers. That’s why people will always have a place when it comes to transcription in the legal world.

Police Interviews

When the police interview anybody they are going to use a tape recorder or digital device to document the questions and responses. However, keeping tapes or digital media can be difficult for many police precincts, and in most cases, having a paper is a preferred backup option for all of the important interviews conducted. That’s why police officers and police departments are among the biggest transcription users in the world.

Police officers need to have accurate accounts of the time they spend with witnesses and suspects, and they also need to make sure they don’t come under fire if something goes wrong. Simply put, transcription helps to make the details of a case clearer while protecting the person being interviewed and the officer conducting the interview.

People do a much better job than computers when dealing with crime-related interviews as well since they understand the context of the interview being conducted.

In many cases, police also have deadlines that they need to meet in order to work on a case. Humans can work faster than machines simply because they are more accurate.

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Beth Worthy

Beth Worthy

Beth Worthy is the Cofounder & President of GMR Transcription Services, Inc., a California-based company that has been providing accurate and fast transcription services since 2004. She has enjoyed nearly ten years of success at GMR, playing a pivotal role in the company's growth. Under Beth's leadership, GMR Transcription doubled its sales within two years, earning recognition as one of the OC Business Journal's fastest-growing private companies. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids.