Focus group transcript template
Built for many voices: a key that gives every participant a label, conventions for people talking over each other, and a transcript table with a time and a label on every turn.
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How to use it
- Check the template in the preview below.
- Download it as a DOCX file or copy it as Markdown.
- Fill in the participant key before you start, then use only the labels (M, P1, P2…) in the transcript.
Preview
Focus group transcript
Project: …
Session: …
Date: …
Length of the recording: …
Place or platform: …
Moderator: …
Note-taker: …
Number of participants: …
Transcribed by: …
Transcription style: …
Participants
| Label | Name or pseudonym | Details (age group, role, seat) |
|---|---|---|
| M | [Name] | Moderator |
| P1 | [Pseudonym] | |
| P2 | [Pseudonym] | |
| P3 | [Pseudonym] | |
| P4 | [Pseudonym] | |
| P5 | [Pseudonym] | |
| P6 | [Pseudonym] |
Discussion guide
Questions in the order they were asked:
1. [Opening question]
2. [Key question]
3. [Key question]
4. [Closing question]
Transcription conventions
| Tag | Meaning |
|---|---|
| [00:12:31] | Time stamp at each change of speaker |
| [inaudible 00:12:31] | A word or passage you can't make out, with the time, so someone can listen again |
| [word?] | Your best guess at an unclear word |
| [crosstalk] | Two or more people speaking at once |
| [pause] | A noticeable silence |
| [laughs], [sighs] | Sounds that change the meaning of what was said |
| — | A word or sentence broken off |
| [name removed] | A detail removed to protect someone's identity |
| P? | A participant you can't identify |
| [several participants agree] | A reaction from the group rather than from one person |
Transcript
| Time | Speaker | Text |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00:00 | M | [Welcome and ground rules] |
| M | [Opening question] | |
| P1 | ||
| P2 | ||
Moderator's notes
[Group dynamics, body language, who spoke most and who stayed quiet.]
Recorded the session?
SonaFact separates the speakers for you. Rename each one once and the name changes across the whole transcript; if one voice is split in two, merge them in one click. Free: 3 transcripts a day, up to 30 minutes each; files up to 3 hours on Starter.
Start freeQuestions
- How do I label speakers in a focus group transcript?
- Give the moderator a label such as M and each participant a number — P1, P2 and so on — and write the key at the top of the transcript. A seating plan or a note about each voice helps to tell people apart. If you can't tell who is speaking, write P? rather than guessing.
- How do I transcribe people talking at the same time?
- Transcribe the main speaker and mark the overlap with [crosstalk]. If a second person's words are clear, give them their own row. Reactions from several people, such as laughter or agreement, go in square brackets, for example [several participants agree].
- What details belong at the top of a focus group transcript?
- The project, the session, the date, the length of the recording, the place or platform, the moderator and the note-taker, and the number of participants. With several sessions in one project, these details let you compare the groups later.
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