Academic & Research Transcription
Research interviews, focus groups, and oral histories transcribed for qualitative analysis.
Who this is for
Doctoral candidates, principal investigators, research centres, and university departments running qualitative studies.
What you get back
The transcript and the fields, side by side
Every extracted value carries a confidence score and the quote it came from, so a reviewer can see why a value was read that way - and which ones need a second look.
- 08:11Researcher: How did your team decide which measure to use for the second round?
- 08:20Participant: We went with the shorter instrument, mainly for completion rates.
- 08:44Participant: The attrition between rounds was about eighteen percent, which surprised us.
- 09:02Researcher: Was that consistent across the two sites?
- 09:07Participant: I would have to check the site-level numbers before saying.
- InstrumentShort formHigh0.95
- Attrition18%High0.93
- Rounds2High0.97
- Site-level splitNot confirmed on recordReview0.54
- Ethics approval ref—Not found
The participant declined to confirm site-level figures. Recorded as stated, not estimated.
How academic transcription works
Qualitative research stands on the quality of its transcripts. If a transcript smooths over hesitation, overlapping speech, or a participant correcting themselves, the analysis is working from evidence that has quietly changed. We transcribe to the convention your methodology requires rather than applying a single house style.
That means you can request true verbatim including filler words, repetitions, and false starts where conversation analysis or discourse analysis demands it, or a cleaned transcript where thematic analysis does not. Multi-participant focus groups are returned with consistent speaker labels so coding software can work with them directly.
Research recordings frequently carry participant confidentiality obligations under an IRB or ethics committee protocol. Files are encrypted, access is logged, and material is never used to train a model. If your protocol requires named-personnel handling or a signed confidentiality agreement, tell us before you upload.
What is included
- True verbatim or cleaned, to your methodology
- Consistent speaker labels for focus groups
- Timestamps for coding and citation
- Output formats suited to NVivo, Atlas.ti, and MAXQDA workflows
- Encrypted handling for participant confidentiality
- Non-native and accented speech handled by human reviewers
Document types we handle
Pricing
$1.75/min
$2.50/min
$3.50/min
- Recordings with heavy background noise, crosstalk, or strong accents are quoted at the difficult-audio rate, from $2.25 per minute. We tell you before work starts, never after.
- Timestamps are optional at $0.25 per minute, for audio and video alike.
- Human-verified orders carry a minimum: $25 for audio and documents, $30 for video. AI-only orders have no minimum.
Academic Transcription questions
Can you transcribe to true verbatim for qualitative analysis?
Yes, and it matters which you ask for. True verbatim retains filler words, repetitions, false starts, and non-verbal sounds, which conversation and discourse analysis depend on. A cleaned transcript removes them for readability, which suits thematic analysis. Tell us which convention your methodology requires and we transcribe to it.
Is transcription allowed under our IRB protocol?
Most protocols permit a third-party transcription service provided participant confidentiality is preserved and the arrangement is disclosed in the protocol. Your IRB is the authority on your specific study. We encrypt files, log access, and do not use your material to train models; we will sign a confidentiality agreement if your protocol requires one.
How much does academic transcription cost?
Audio is $1.75 per minute on 4-day standard turnaround, $2.50 for 48-hour rush, and $3.50 for 24-hour same day. Focus groups with several speakers and crosstalk are quoted at the difficult-audio rate from $2.25 per minute. A $25 minimum applies.
Do you handle accented or non-native speech?
Yes, and this is a common weakness of automated-only transcription. Human review is where accented speech, code-switching, and unfamiliar proper nouns get corrected rather than guessed.
Ready for academic transcription?
Send us the recording and choose your turnaround. We confirm the price before work begins.
Human-verified orders carry a minimum: $25 for audio and documents, $30 for video. AI-only orders have no minimum.