Interview transcription for research and writing

Turn an interview recording into searchable text. Find a quotation, check it against the recording and keep a transcript with your research notes.

Start with your recording

Start with a recording you have permission to process. Review names, specialist terms and overlapping speech. Verify quotations before citing or publishing them.

Transcribe audio or video

AI transcription uses credits on eligible paid plans. If a recording trial is available for your account, its allowance appears before you start. Review the quote before confirming.

Build a transcript you can use as evidence

Choose a recording you are permitted to process. Decide whether your task needs a full verbatim review or only checked passages for quotation.
Upload the recording, select the spoken language and review the estimate. Keep the original audio and any participant notes available.
Find relevant passages in the transcript. Listen before attributing a statement, and record its timestamp with your research notes.

Keep the quotation separate from your interpretation

Check the speaker, the exact wording and the surrounding question. A summary can help locate an idea, but it should not become a quotation unless the words match the recording. Be especially careful with negation, uncertain answers and overlapping speech. Do not infer that a reported experience applies to every participant.

If someone says they planned to interview six people, a research note should not say that six interviews took place. Preserve the difference between an intention and a completed result. The linked guide includes an original sample recording and a worked check.

Check an interview transcript before quoting it

Use your transcript

Ask questions about the interview or create a summary from the same transcript. Keep the original text available while you develop your analysis.