Clinical MethodsIs verbatim transcription of interview data always necessary?
Introduction
Interviews have been widely accepted as a common means of data collection in a range of health disciplines, including nursing, sociology, social work, and allied health, because they facilitate interactive dialogues between participants and researchers (Burnard, 1994a, Fasick, 2001, Fielding, 1994, Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2003, Wellard & McKenna, 2001). Given this relationship and the emphasis on exploration and inquiry of human phenomenon, interviews have traditionally been a method of data collection associated with the naturalistic (qualitative) paradigm (Halcomb & Andrew, 2005). More recently, however, interviews have become recognized for their broader application in biomedical and collaborative research. Although details regarding the management of interview data and the process of transcription are often poorly described in published research, many investigators report that they audiorecord interviews for subsequent analysis and then somehow transform these audiotaped data into written text (Poland, 1995, Wellard & McKenna, 2001). Although several articles discuss how to manage interview transcripts (Burnard, 1994b, McCormack, 2000), the contemporary literature provides limited direction and guidance regarding the specifics of the transcription process (Easton et al., 2000, Fielding, 1994, Poland, 1995, Wellard & McKenna, 2001). This is a substantial gap in the literature considering the significance of the management of verbal data in the reliability and validity of the research process.
Although rarely explicitly defined, transcription refers to the process of reproducing spoken words, such as those from an audiotaped interview, into written text. In addition to spoken words, various authors have debated on the extent to which nonverbal cues (e.g., silences and body language) and emotional aspects (e.g., crying, coughs, and sighs) should be incorporated into transcribed text (MacLean et al., 2004, Wellard & McKenna, 2001). Verbatim transcription refers to the word-for-word reproduction of verbal data, where the written words are an exact replication of the audiorecorded words (Poland, 1995). Poland (1995) asserted that “the very notion of accuracy of transcription is problematic given the inter-subjective nature of human communication, and transcription as an interpretative activity” (p. 292). The way in which interview content is both heard and perceived by a transcriber, however, plays a key role in both the form and accuracy of transcription (MacLean et al., 2004).
Wellard & McKenna (2001) asserted that transcription forms part of the data analysis process and should be clearly disclosed in the methodology of a project. It is therefore essential for a transcription method that is congruent with the theoretical underpinnings of a specific investigation to be used. This observation identifies the potential to use alternate processes for managing verbal interview data other than conventional verbatim transcription techniques provided that they are consistent with the underlying philosophy of the methodology.
Initially, a review of the current literature relating to transcription and the use of interviews as a data collection strategy is presented. The cases for and against verbatim interview transcription are then discussed before an alternate method of data management for audiorecorded interview data is proposed.
Section snippets
Current state of the literature
In the 10-year period between 1990 and 2000, there were 2,957 articles published in biomedical journals and indexed in the CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PsychInfo databases with the keyword “qualitative research.” Remarkably, when this search was repeated in the 5-year period between 2000 and 2004, there were 3,914 articles published. This demonstrates the significant increase in interest regarding qualitative data collection strategies in biomedical research. It is therefore timely to
Types of research interviews
Although collecting data using interviews has traditionally been associated with purely qualitative research, data collection strategies are not always linked solely to a single research paradigm (Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2003). Fig. 1 shows how the underlying philosophical approach can effect variations in interview purpose, process, and technique. It can also be identified that although an interview will generate verbal data, the richness and depth of these data will vary according to the
The case for verbatim transcription
A combination of verbatim transcription and researcher notation of participants' nonverbal behavior has been cited as being central to the reliability, validity, and veracity of qualitative data collection (MacLean et al., 2004, Seale & Silverman, 1997, Wengraf, 2001). Although a few authors advocate the use of selective transcription, there is limited discussion or definition of how this is to actually be achieved (Gilbert, 1993). Within the current literature, authors fail to convincingly
The case against verbatim transcription
The costs associated with interview transcription, in terms of time, physical, and human resources, are significant. Britten (1995) wrote that for every hour of taped interview, 6–7 hours of transcription is required. It is also widely accepted that the process of verbatim transcription is not only time consuming but also complex and fraught with technical dilemmas (Fasick, 2001, Wellard & McKenna, 2001). Whether researchers transcribe the tapes themselves or engage professionals, transcribers
An alternative method of data management
For investigations located in the middle of the spectrum of interview types that do not require a particular closeness between researchers and the verbal interview data, we propose a reflexive, iterative process of data management (Fig. 2). The steps in this process are described in the subsequent subsections.
Implications for further research
It is undeniable that verbal data provide unique and valuable information to the investigation of health care. In spite of the increasing interest in the psychometric testing of patient-reported outcomes, many constructs such as quality of life, anxiety, and depression are inherently difficult to quantify. Furthermore, administration of a psychometric measure infers that a researcher is preempting the constructs and emotions of those under investigation. The implementation of the method
Conclusion
There is limited literature regarding the process of transcription of interview audiorecordings in the health research literature despite a growth in the use of interviews as a method of data collection. As an important step in data management and analysis, the process of transcription must be congruent with the methodological design and theoretical underpinnings of each investigation. Although purist qualitative methodologies inherently require a high level of immersion of researchers in the
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