When an organisation sends a recording to a transcription service, it is not simply outsourcing a task. It is transferring a data file that may contain personal information, sensitive personal information, or special category data under UK GDPR to a third-party processor. The legal and professional responsibilities that attach to that data do not transfer with it. They remain with the organisation that owns the recording. Understanding how your transcription provider handles

A practical guide for professionals who need to choose between Human and AI transcription

Qualitative research is built on what people say. The interview, the focus group, the participant observation recording - these are the sources from which analysis is drawn and arguments are constructed. The transcript is the form in which that material becomes usable data. And yet, in many postgraduate research projects, transcription is treated as an administrative afterthought: something to be arranged after the fieldwork is complete, using whatever service is cheapest or

Journalism depends on accurate records. A journalist's ability to stand behind a quote, verify a source's account, and demonstrate the factual basis of a story begins with the integrity of the interview transcript. When transcription is inaccurate, the document that underlies the story is compromised. When transcription is slow, editorial deadlines slip. When confidentiality is inadequate, sources are exposed. These are not peripheral concerns. They are the core of why journa

When a professional sends a recording to a transcription service without specifying the format they need, one of two things tends to happen. Either they receive a document that captures every hesitation, false start, and repeated phrase - which can be technically accurate but practically difficult to use. Or they receive a tidied, readable version that omits content they actually needed preserved. Both outcomes are avoidable. The difference lies in understanding what verbatim

Client: Case 2 Rights (Disability rights charity) Service: Certified legal transcription (verbatim, time-stamped) – evidence preparation for Equality Act matters (two separate disputes) The brief Case 2 Rights required certified legal transcription support for two separate matters: a legal issue involving a transport provider an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) course matter In both situations, the client experienced discrimination and needed accurate transcripts to subs

AI transcription tools promise speed and affordability - but at what cost? If you've ever laughed at a ridiculous autocorrect fail, you...

April Fools' Day

If you’re a researcher, journalist, HR professional or academic juggling deadlines, interviews, meetings, and a never-ending stream of...

In a fast-moving digital world, professionals in media and content creation are expected to juggle it all: interviews, research,...