How to Transcribe Interviews for Your Thesis
So you’ve finished your interviews—finally. That moment of triumph quickly turns into dread when you realize what comes next: transcribing hours of audio into usable text. It's tedious. It's time-consuming. And it can feel like it never ends.
But don’t worry. Transcription doesn’t have to be a painful, mind-numbing slog. With the right tools, techniques, and strategies, you can turn your interview recordings into clean, structured text that actually helps you write your thesis—not slow it down.
Here’s your full student-friendly guide to transcribing interviews for your thesis—efficiently, accurately, and without going insane.
Why Transcription Matters in Research
Before diving into how, let’s talk about why this matters.
If you’re doing qualitative research, your interviews are your data. Transcribing them isn’t just a formality—it’s how you interact with, analyze, and extract meaning from what people said. A strong transcription can help you:
Find key patterns and themes
Quote respondents accurately
Conduct content or discourse analysis
Prove rigor and transparency in your methodology
Bad transcription? That can lead to misunderstandings, missed insights, or even incorrect claims.
So yes—it matters a lot.
Manual vs Automatic Transcription: What’s the Best Option?
Let’s break down the two main methods:
Manual Transcription
You play the audio, pause every few seconds, and type it out. It’s accurate—but incredibly time-consuming. Expect 4–6 hours of work per hour of audio.
Best for:
Small datasets
High-sensitivity topics
Students on a tight budget with time to spare
Automatic Transcription
AI tools can transcribe your interviews in minutes. Some even add timestamps, speaker labels, and paragraph structure.
Best for:
Large batches of interviews
When speed matters
When you still plan to review and edit afterward
Pro tip: Use an AI notetaking tool like Duetoday, which lets you upload your interview files and instantly generate transcripts, summaries, key themes, and even searchable highlights. It’s especially helpful when working under a thesis deadline.
Step-by-Step: How to Transcribe Interviews (The Right Way)
Here’s a complete walkthrough of how to transcribe interviews for your thesis:
1. Choose Your Tool or Method
Your first decision: manual or AI?
Manual Options
Google Docs Voice Typing (for playing back and dictating into text)
Express Scribe (free transcription software with keyboard shortcuts)
Just a simple audio player + Word document
Automatic Options
Duetoday AI: Upload your audio and get instant transcriptions, organized notes, and even the ability to chat with your interview to extract insights
If your interviews are long, filled with academic or technical language, or need fast processing, AI-based tools like Duetoday are a no-brainer.
2. Get Your Audio Ready
Before transcribing, make sure your audio is clear and clean.
Remove background noise if possible
Rename your files clearly (e.g., “Interview_01_Tina_Sustainability”)
Trim any empty space or irrelevant chatter at the start/end
Better quality in = better transcript out.
3. Transcribe Using AI or Type It Out
If using AI:
Upload your audio file to Duetoday (MP3, MP4, WAV all supported). It will return:
Full text transcript
Paragraph and speaker separation
Optional summary + action points (helpful for themes)
If manual:
Play, pause, and type. Use a foot pedal or keyboard shortcut if you’re using tools like Express Scribe to make it faster.
Don’t stress about perfect grammar. Get the words down first—cleaning can come later.
4. Decide on Verbatim vs Cleaned Transcription
There are two styles of transcription:
Verbatim: Every “um,” “uh,” and pause is included. This is often required for discourse or conversation analysis.
Cleaned (intelligent): You remove filler words, stutters, false starts, and adjust for grammar/clarity without changing meaning.
Check your thesis or department guidelines. Most qualitative research allows cleaned transcripts unless language use is central to your analysis.
5. Edit and Format Your Transcript
Once your first draft is ready (whether typed or AI-generated), do a review pass.
Look for:
Misheard words (especially names, jargon, or accents)
Timestamp alignment (optional but helpful for long interviews)
Speaker labels (“Interviewer,” “Participant,” or use real pseudonyms)
Paragraph breaks for readability
Remove “background noise” notes unless required
You can also highlight or tag major themes or insights during this stage, which helps when it’s time to analyze.
6. Add Anonymization and Ethics (Super Important)
If your interviews are confidential, you must remove any identifying details:
Replace names with initials or pseudonyms
Remove location details, institutions, or personal data
Consider using brackets: [Institution], [Participant 3], etc.
Most ethics boards require you to protect participant identity. Do this before sharing your transcript with anyone else or quoting in your thesis.
7. Store Your Files Properly
Keep a folder structure like:
Also back up your work in Google Drive, Dropbox, or an external hard drive. Losing your transcripts days before a deadline is a nightmare you don’t want to live through.
8. Analyze With Confidence
Once transcripts are ready, you can start your analysis:
Highlight themes
Use coding software like NVivo, Atlas.ti, or MAXQDA
Group quotes by topic
Insert direct quotes into your thesis (with speaker ID and context)
Thanks to your clean transcripts, you’ll save hours during the write-up stage.
And if you use Duetoday, it’ll even suggest major themes or generate summary tables for each interview—perfect for thesis chapter drafts.
Quick Tip: What If You Have Accents, Multiple Speakers, or Background Noise?
AI tools sometimes struggle with:
Heavy accents
Crosstalk (people talking over each other)
Background chatter
To improve accuracy:
Use noise-cancelled recordings
Ask participants to speak clearly and not interrupt
Review and manually fix sections where needed
No AI tool is 100% perfect—but you’ll still save 80–90% of the time compared to typing every word yourself.
faq
Should I transcribe every interview myself?
If you have the time and it's a small dataset, go ahead. But if you’re doing more than 3–5 interviews, using AI tools like Duetoday can massively cut down your workload without losing quality.
Can I use automatic transcription for academic research?
Yes—just make sure to review and clean the output. Most universities accept AI-assisted transcription as long as you declare it and ensure ethical compliance.
What format should I save my transcripts in?
.docx, .txt, or .pdf are all fine. Just keep them consistent and well-labeled. Some qualitative software also prefers .txt for importing.
How do I cite interview transcripts in my thesis?
Use in-text citations like:
(Participant 4, Interview, March 2025)
Always check your department’s citation guidelines for qualitative data.
Can Duetoday AI handle interview transcripts with multiple speakers?
Yes. Duetoday separates speakers, summarizes key takeaways, and even allows you to chat with the transcript to pull out answers or themes faster.
Final Thoughts: Make Transcription Work For You
Transcribing interviews doesn’t have to drain your energy or your time. With tools like Duetoday, smart workflows, and a little structure, you can turn your raw data into usable, organized content ready for thesis chapters, citations, and analysis.
Remember: it’s not about doing it all manually—it’s about doing it smart. Your future self (and your thesis supervisor) will thank you.
