6 Methods for Converting Audio to Text for Researchers

If you’re an academic researcher who routinely records interviews, focus groups, oral histories, and so on, you’re seeking for a simple way to convert such recordings from audio to text.

When done manually, transcription may be a time-consuming procedure. When you have a huge quantity of recordings to transcribe, it becomes much more difficult.

In this post, we will look at 6 different techniques to transcribe audio to text based on time, budget, and complexity.

1. Manual Transcription
Manual transcription entails thoroughly transcribing audio information into text by hand. You listen to the whole audio file and then type it out using a text editor.

A Comprehensive Guide to Interview Transcription

Advantages: – High accuracy, especially for nuanced or specialized content.

– Adaptable to meet unique research needs.

Cons: – Time-consuming, with a transcribing pace of one hour for every 15 minutes of audio.

– Time-consuming, especially for long or intricate audio recordings.

Manual transcription of a 30-minute academic interview might take up to 2 hours, depending on the clarity and intricacy of the discussion.

2. ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition) Technology
Machine learning algorithms are used in ASR technology to automatically transcribe spoken material into text. It is a more efficient alternative to hand transcribing.

Pros: – Quick transcribing, substantially faster than manual approaches.

– Economical for huge volumes of recordings.

Cons: Lower accuracy, particularly when dealing with accented speech or technical terminology.

– For exact academic transcriptions, editing, and correction may be required.

Google’s Speech-to-Text API, IBM Watson Speech-to-Text, and Microsoft Azure Speech are all popular ASR solutions.

3. Approaches to Hybrid Transcription
To improve accuracy and speed, hybrid transcribing combines manual and automated processes. It usually entails employing automated techniques and then manually modifying the result for improvement.

You use an audio-to-text converter for the initial round of transcription and then proofread the output manually, which is faster and results in more accurate transcripts.

Pros: – Increased efficiency over complete manual transcribing.

– Strives for a balance of accuracy and time savings.

Cons: Manual work is still required for correction and improvement.

– The possibility of automated tool faults.

You may also use an ASR tool to start the transcription and then have a human transcriber revise and polish it.

4. Transcription Services Outsourcing
Hiring third-party services or freelance transcribers to complete the whole audio-to-text conversion process is what outsourcing transcription entails. This method may be advantageous for researchers with limited time or resources (albeit it is very pricey).

Pros: – Saves researchers time and effort.

– Capable of handling enormous amounts of audio data effectively.

Cons: Cost considerations, particularly for large projects.

– The quality of the transcription service may vary depending on its competence.

In the long run, most professional academic scholars choose to use a specialist transcribing service.

5. Specialized transcribing Software Provides a platform with capabilities targeted to transcribing demands, increasing productivity and accuracy.

This program can help you increase the speed and quality of manual transcribing.

Pros: – Simplifies transcription with features for playback control, timestamps, and formatting.

– Allows for customization to meet the needs of specific research projects.

Cons: A steep learning curve is required to fully utilize the software’s capabilities.

– A subscription or purchase price may be required.

Transcription software has particular functionality for efficient audio-to-text conversions, such as Express Scribe, oTranscribe, or InqScribe.

6. Mobile Voice-to-Text Applications
You may use your smartphone or tablet to transcribe audio utilizing voice-to-text mobile programs. This is handy when capturing brief discussions.

Pros: – Portability and ease, allowing transcribing to take place at any time and from any location.

– Excellent for fast, brief audio snippets.

Cons: Functionality is limited when compared to computer-based software.

– Accuracy varies depending on the application and audio quality.

Apps such as Otter.ai, Rev Voice Recorder, and Google Keep provide voice-to-text features for transcribing small audio snippets.