EHHS Faculty and Graduate Students Transcription Services

General Information on Transcription Projects

EHHS faculty receive an unlimited number of hours of college-supported transcription services for non-funded projects, at no charge to the faculty member.
Doctoral students working on their dissertation and master's students working on their theses receive a total of 40 hours of college-supported transcription serves, at no charge to the student.
The Bureau accepts audio recordings in a variety of electronic formats (e.g., mp3, mp4, wma). Please talk with us if your recordings are in a different format.
Documentation of IRB approval must be provided to the Bureau prior to the start of any transcription work.
Eight minutes of a recorded file typically translates to an hour of transcribing labor. Thus, an hour of recording requires approximately 8 hours of transcribing labor. The average audio file of 40 minutes requires approximately 5 hours of transcribing labor.

Minimize background noise.
- Background noise makes it difficult to transcribe your recording accurately. Select a setting that is quiet and free of interruptions.
Discourage participants from talking over one another.
- It is difficult to transcribe audio recordings when more than one person is talking at a time.
Remind participants to speak clearly and at appropriate volumes—transcribers need to clearly hear participants.
Test recording devices prior to recording.
- Sound quality is important to having a well-transcribed interview, lecture or meeting. Test to make sure your recording device is working properly and is optimally positioned in the room to record audio clearly from all participants.
Remember, the better the recording, the more accurate, timely, and cost-effective the transcription will be!