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Is Automatic Transcription Good For Qualitative Research?

an image depicting automatic transcription an image depicting automatic transcription

Researchers in qualitative studies are often faced with the challenge of analyzing complex human interactions. Nonverbal cues and lack of contextual information present a challenge interpreting data, not to mention collating the findings, and transforming them into something that can be analyzed in bulk. Yet being efficient with one’s research can raise questions whether automatic transcription is “good enough” for qualitative research. Spoiler alert: AI transcription not useful in an academic setting. Fortunately, qualitative transcription companies like Ditto are helping to solve this modern problem.

So, how can research bodies strike the right balance between technological and human insight? And, what are the implications of relying on automatic transcription for qualitative research?

In this article, you’ll learn:

  • Automatic transcription has an 86% accuracy rate, which is insufficient for qualitative research.
  • Human transcribers capture nuances and contextual cues that AI often misses.
  • Ethical concerns arise when using AI transcription for sensitive or confidential research data.

What Is An Automatic Transcription?

Automatic transcription, also known as automated speech recognition (ASR), is a solution powered by artificial intelligence technology to perform audio and video transcription for different industries. 

This process involves feeding or uploading the video or audio file into an AI platform or app. Alternatively, the audio can be dictated directly to the program or device. The program or device then transcribes audio recordings using speech recognition. Depending on the process, the transcript is either used immediately or reviewed or edited manually by a transcriber or proofreader. AI-powered transcription automatically converts video or voice record files without human intervention.

What’s Good About AI Transcription Tools?

Anyone not living under a rock knows that AI is the next big thing in tech. Anything plastered with “artificial intelligence” is bound to have some pull. Artificial intelligence’s best and most prominent feature is its capability to learn. Here are some of the ways it can feed upon information

Learning MethodDescription
Supervised LearningAI learns from labeled data, making predictions based on human input-output pairs.
Unsupervised LearningAI discovers patterns in unlabeled data without guidance, which is useful for tasks like clustering.
Reinforcement LearningAI learns through trial and error by interacting with an environment, aiming to maximize rewards.
Transfer LearningAI leverages knowledge from one task to improve performance on a related task, reducing data needs.
Online LearningAI learns continuously from incoming data streams, updating its model in real time.
Data AugmentationAI artificially increases training data diversity by applying transformations like rotation.
Ensemble LearningAI combines predictions from multiple models for better performance, which is useful in classification.
Active LearningAI selects informative data points for labeling by humans, optimizing learning with relevant examples.
Meta-LearningAI learns to learn by acquiring knowledge about learning strategies, aiding adaptation to new tasks.

Is Automatic Transcription Good For Qualitative Research

We can’t deny that artificial intelligence is a blessing to researchers worldwide. With it, pattern recognition, predictive analysis, experimental procedure automation, research data optimization, and better simulation are undoubtedly faster. 

Perceptive readers might notice that transcription is ostensibly absent on this list. Why is that? 

That’s because current research puts the accuracy rate of speech recognition and AI transcription at 86%. 86% accuracy may be fine for taking notes or setting up reminders—anything that doesn’t require professional or procedural use. 

However, 86% accuracy is simply unacceptable for research projects. Don’t believe it? 

Many universities have already banned the use of transcription companies that use AI.

If you don’t agree, consider this: would you trust any type of research data if there is a 14% chance that it is completely and utterly wrong? UMass certainly doesn’t – and neither does this CNET reporter.

Crucial Reasons Not To Use AI Transcription For Qualitative Research

I don’t want to be biased. AI is faster than humans, and the same is true regarding transcriptions. However, there are other reasons why you shouldn’t rely on automatic transcription for qualitative research than risking precision for the sake of being “faster.” Here are the reasons you shouldn’t consider automatic transcription as good enough for qualitative research:

Prone to Data Misinterpretation

Verbatim transcripts from experienced professionals can be used for more accurate coding and thematic analysis. Researchers are also fully aware that precision is the foundation of reliable findings. Even minor mistakes can impact the outcome of qualitative research. 

Authentic, professional transcribers excel at capturing all sorts of nonverbal cues that AI software will overlook—emotional statements, contextual cues, baby crying, dog barking, you name it. Accents or cultural references can also confuse a sentence. For example, a participant talks about his life back in down undah. The point is that researchers must weigh the implications of potential errors caused by automatic transcription.

Undermining Research Credibility

Researchers must maintain accurate and reliable data to protect the individual or the institution’s reputation. Unfortunately, unverified automated transcriptions or records can undermine one study’s credibility.

Journal reviewers often scrutinize methodology sections by questioning the validity of research that relies solely on machine-generated transcripts. However, experienced transcribers, conversant with academic standards, can produce transcripts that can withstand scrutiny, even in courts. 

Also, prioritizing accuracy over speed can significantly influence how research is perceived within academic circles.

Ethical Concerns in Data Handling

Qualitative research sometimes involves sensitive conversations or vulnerable populations, so some ethical concerns must be considered. 

Meanwhile, automated transcription can raise concerns about data privacy. Researchers must abide by the IRB-approved researcher-participant agreement for collecting and protecting research data. Of course, outsourcing transcription to automated or non-certified services may violate these agreements. Also, automated systems could mishandle personally identifiable information, leading to unintended disclosures or a data breach. 

Conversely, professional transcribers are trained in research ethics and data protection protocols. The best part is that they can sign confidentiality agreements, like NDAs, to ensure protection. We do that here in Ditto Transcripts and more. 

Flawed Analysis and Results

Researchers often engage in iterative analysis by revisiting transcripts multiple times, which means every error in the transcript can compound over time and skew the entire analysis. Worse, it could have a ripple effect on flawed coding, thematic analysis, and unreliable results.

Now, experienced transcribers, especially those familiar with the research topic, can create more accurate transcripts that can be used for analysis. Again, humans can accurately capture niche terms, jargon, dialects, or conversational nuances that automated systems might miss. There’s a lot at stake, so prioritize accuracy over anything else.

Inaccurate transcriptions can lead to serious legal repercussions, especially in sensitive research areas such as criminal justice or corporate investigations.

In particular, misrepresenting participants’ words due to transcription errors could result in defamation claims or, worse, violating confidentiality agreements.

In addition, legal considerations extend beyond data protection laws. Many jurisdictions have strict regulations about handling personal data, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union, and automated transcription services may not comply with all relevant laws.

However, human transcribers can be contractually bound to maintain confidentiality and adhere to specific legal requirements, so they should be the go-to option if you want to stay on the good side of the law.

How Should You Get Qualitative Data Transcription Then?

There are two ways to get a transcript: research assistants or commercial transcription companies. Let’s discover the pros and cons of each. 

Having Your Assistants Do It

Having your research assistants transcribe qualitative data may seem easy and cost-efficient. However, before going down that route, it’s important to consider that transcription is time-consuming. Generally, it takes a professional transcriptionist three to four hours to transcribe one audio hour. 

Note the use of the word professional here. That means that particular transcriptionist comes with years of skills and experience in transcribing audio. They’ve had time to develop a standard transcription template and workflow to do things faster. 

Your assistants, skilled as they might be in your field, are likely not at the professional transcriptionist level. Instead of saving time, you’ll most likely lose more time, which doesn’t help researchers. Besides, wouldn’t you rather have them work on something more important, like overseeing the collection and data analysis process? 

Outsource Transcription To The Pros

Qualitative or even quantitative research can take massive amounts of time and effort. However, the role of transcription in qualitative research methods is an overall positive addition. So, should you add hours upon hours of transcription projects to your workload to reap the benefits? 

Of course not. You can hire a professional transcription service to get all the advantages. A+ if you can get an accurate, professional, yet affordable provider, like Ditto Transcripts. 

Benefits Of Professional Transcription For Qualitative Data Analysis

Research objectives and the nature of the data may change, yet the benefits of transcription are of great importance to all researchers. 

Accurate Transcription Process

Qualitative research may require a deeper immersion in the data. Professional transcription services offer high accuracy in converting spoken words into written text. Accurate transcripts ensure researchers have a reliable text representation of their audio or video data, which can be used in manual analysis or through computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software. 

Having inaccurate transcripts, meanwhile, can inflate workloads and negatively impact productivity. Speaking of which—

Enhanced Analysis

As mentioned earlier, transcripts make it easier to perform qualitative analysis techniques such as coding, thematic analysis, or discourse analysis. Researchers can easily read through collected data transcripts, annotate them, and identify patterns and themes. Depending on the research, the data from transcripts can also be fed through advanced analysis tools like AI to reduce working time. 

Ease of Sharing and Collaboration

Sure, multi-gigabyte interview videos for academic research can be stored in flash drives or uploaded to the internet for sharing. Unfortunately, even with the fastest internet speeds, uploading still takes time. 

On the other hand, transcripts only take up a literal fraction of the space, which means they can be easily stored and accessed. 

That’s why transcribed data is more accessible to share with team members, advisors, or other stakeholders involved in the research. Furthermore, it facilitates collaboration, as research members can review, annotate, and comment on the same text document—something that could be done face-to-face back in the day. 

Reduces Work Time

Conducting qualitative research represents a significant commitment to time. 

Using transcription services, researchers can save valuable time and focus on data collection and analysis—arguably the most critical aspects of any project. 

Ensuring Security And Privacy

Transcription services will have unprecedented access to your research data and methodology, so you need to be able to trust them with both the accuracy of transcription and the security of your information.

Look for providers that offer high-quality encryption, elevated user access management, scaled network redundancy, VPN integration, and compliance with various regulatory bodies to protect your qualitative research data. And yes, Ditto checks all the boxes.

Don’t Settle For Automatic Transcriptions In Qualitative Research

The significance of transcription for qualitative researchers worldwide cannot be understated. However, this all depends on choosing the right transcription service. 

So, here are the top considerations when looking through the types of data transcription service providers out there—and how Ditto meets and exceeds all requirements. 

  • Accuracy: Ditto offers 99.9% accuracy for qualitative data transcription services
  • Confidentiality: Our security measures are CJIS, FINRA, and HIPAA compliant, ensuring full control over safety and confidentiality
  • Experience: Ditto has provided qualitative transcription in varying fields since 2010.
  • Turnaround Time: In a hurry? Get your transcripts in 24 hours or less for rush projects.
  • Transcriptionists: We only work with the best human US-based transcriptionists in the market. We don’t allow AI (or any other omniscient beings, for that matter) in our process. 
  • Cost: Enjoy our competitive pricing without compromising on quality. We also offer more economical options if you’re on a tight budget.
  • Customer Support: Contact us for anything you need, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can

With Ditto, you’re getting your money’s worth. Check out our website’s many examples of satisfied customers, and get the best manual transcription services today.

Ditto Transcripts is a HIPAA, FINRA, and CJIS-compliant Denver, Colorado-based transcription services company that provides fast, accurate, and affordable transcripts for schools, universities, and companies of all sizes. Call (720) 287-3710 today for a free quote, and ask about our free five-day trial.

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