TIPS TO ACHIEVE THE BEST QUALITY RECORDING OF INTERVIEWS AND FOCUS GROUPS

If you are recording interviews or focus groups for research purposes you will want to get the best possible transcripts. Here are some tips to help ensure your recording is high quality, which in turn will produce a higher quality, more accurate transcript:

• Where appropriate set guidelines for the participants before starting to record. Request that speakers refrain from speaking over each other, and remember that all sounds around a table will be caught on the recording and may obscure speech - cups and saucers, papers rustling, fingers drumming, feet tapping on table legs can all cause interference. 

• Mobile phones should be removed from close proximity to the recorder. Even if they do not ring interference will be picked up on the recording and obscure speech. 

• Many speakers’ voices tail off towards the end of a sentence and can become inaudible. Remind speakers to speak clearly and audibly at all times. 

• If available use a good quality stereo microphone. Position the microphone at a central point between participants. 

• Where there are multiple speakers, if time allows ask each participant to introduce themselves with a sentence or two; this will allow the subscriber to familiarise themselves with each speaker’s voice.