Interview transcript template
A ready layout for one interview: the details at the top, who is speaking, the conventions you transcribe by, and a table for the transcript with a time 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 parts in square brackets, then type the transcript into the table, one turn per row.
Preview
Interview transcript
Project: …
Interview ID: …
Date: …
Length of the recording: …
Place or platform: …
Interviewer: …
Interviewee: …
Transcribed by: …
Transcription style: …
Speakers
| Label | Name or pseudonym | Role |
|---|---|---|
| I | [Name] | Interviewer |
| R | [Pseudonym] | Interviewee |
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 |
Transcript
| Time | Speaker | Text |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00:00 | I | [Introduction and consent to record] |
| I | [Question] | |
| R | [Answer] | |
Notes after the interview
[The setting, the mood, interruptions — anything the recording doesn't show.]
Have the interview recording?
SonaFact writes the transcript for you, with speakers told apart and timestamps, and exports it as DOCX or as files for NVivo, MAXQDA and ATLAS.ti. Free: 3 transcripts a day, up to 30 minutes each, no card.
Start freeQuestions
- What should an interview transcript include?
- The interview details (project, date, length of the recording, who interviewed whom and who transcribed it), a key to the speaker labels, the transcription conventions and the transcript itself, with a time stamp at each change of speaker. The template has a place for each.
- How often should I add time stamps?
- At each change of speaker is the most common choice, because it lets you find any answer in the recording. For long answers, add one every two minutes or so as well. Write the time in the same format throughout, for example 00:12:31.
- How do I anonymise an interview transcript?
- Replace the person's name with a pseudonym or a label such as R1, and replace other details that could identify them with a tag in square brackets, for example [company name removed]. Keep the key that links pseudonyms to real names apart from the transcripts.
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