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It’s easy to get daunted by the prospect of having to choose which format will best suit your research transcripts, especially if you are about to get your audio files professionally transcribed for the first time.

Your choice may be influenced by many factors, including requirements of the particular qualitative analysis software you are using, whether your supervisor or funding body requires the use of a specific template for your findings, or budgetary constraints.

By understanding the options available you can easily tailor the formatting and cost of your transcriptions to suit your needs – and more importantly – your budget.

Focus Group Transcription or Interview Transcription?

Generally speaking, transcription for research can be divided into two categories: Interview Transcription and Focus Group Transcription. Conversations between one to three people will usually fall under the category of Interview Transcription. Conversations with larger groups of people are more complex, with Focus Group discussions usually including large numbers of participants.

Speaker Identification v Speaker Differentiation

Pacific Transcription has a standard format for research transcription when it comes to both identifying and differentiating speakers on a file.

• Differentiation is where we label the speakers as “Facilitator” or “Speaker”, as the client has not requested that we use the speakers’ names.
• Identification means that where a client requests that speakers are identified – either by name, number, or code – those identifiers are used in the transcript to identify the speakers.
• De-identification means that wherever speakers’ names are used, or wherever other names are used in the transcript, these will be changed to [de-identified]. This includes all identifying information such as specific addresses, places of work, and positions within the workplace.

Interview Transcripts – Files with 1 to 3 Speakers

Facilitators and interviewees are always differentiated as accurately as possible. Unless we are explicitly instructed (i.e. through File Notes in your client account) to use the names mentioned in the transcript we will differentiate speakers as either “Facilitator” or “Speaker”, as appropriate. If there are two facilitators or interviewees, these will be further differentiated by voice, for example, Facilitator, Speaker 1, Speaker 2.

Example 1: Standard – No Differentiation/Identification

Facilitator 1: Hi, I am a facilitator.

Facilitator 2: Hello, I am also a facilitator. As you can hear, my voice is different from the other facilitator.

Speaker: Hi, I am the interviewee named Sally. The facilitators call me Sally when they speak, however no instructions were given to identify me as such, so I am simply listed as “Speaker”.

Example 2: Speaker Differentiation

Facilitator: Hi, I am the facilitator. No instructions were given to use my name.

Speaker 1: Hi, I am an interviewee and I introduce myself as Ryan. No instructions were given to use my name.

Speaker 2: Hi, I am also an interviewee and I am called Steven by the facilitator. No instructions were given to use my name.

Example 3: Speaker Identification

Alice: Hello, I am the facilitator and my name is Alice. I have requested that participant names be used.

Sam: I am the interviewee and my name has also been provided.

Focus Group Transcripts – Files with 4+ Speakers

For standard focus group transcription, we differentiate between facilitators and interviewees, but not between individual interviewees. This means that interviewees will be named simply “Speaker”, and a new line is started at each speaker turn.

This style is preferred by the majority of clients who use our transcription services as they are more interested in the content of the discussion as a whole, rather than knowing which speaker made certain comments.

If you would like speakers to be identified or differentiated, please add a note to your files requesting this. If you require names to be used, rather than numeric identifiers (i.e. Speaker 1, Speaker 2, Speaker 3, Speaker 4 et cetera), please provide a speaker log with your audio. This allows us to ensure the speaker identification is as accurate as possible.

Where no speaker log is provided, please understand that we can only identify/ differentiate numerically on a best-attempts basis, and as such this may not be possible for large focus groups. Please note also that a surcharge may apply where identification or differentiation numerically is required, so please contact us to discuss your specific requirements before uploading your files.

Example 1: Standard – No Differentiation/Identification

Facilitator: Hello, I am the facilitator.

Speaker: Hello, I am an interviewee and the first time I speak I introduce myself as Robert.

Speaker: Hello, I am an interviewee and my voice sounds different from the first speaker, who identified themselves as Robert.

Speaker: Hello, I am an interviewee with a voice that sounds different from both Robert and the second speaker.

Speaker: Hello, I am an interviewee and I could be one of the three interviewees who have already spoken or a new participant.

Example 2: Speaker Differentiation

Facilitator: Hello, I am the facilitator and I have requested for speakers to be identified by number.

Speaker 1: Hello, I am an interviewee.

Speaker 2: Hello, I am an interviewee also, and my voice sounds different from the first speaker.

Speaker 3: Hello, I am an interviewee and my voice sounds different from both Speaker 1 and Speaker 2.

Speaker 1: Hello, I sound like I am Speaker 1, speaking again.

Example 3: Speaker Identification

Facilitator: Hi, I am the facilitator and I have requested speakers to be identified by name.

Andrew: Hi, I am Andrew.

Tom: Hi, I am the interviewee Tom.

Sally: Hello, I am Sally.

Andrew: I have not mentioned my name again, but the typist has been provided a speaker log so knows it is me speaking.

De-identification

Example:

Facilitator: Hello, I am the facilitator. My name is [de-identified].

Speaker: Hi, my name is [de-identified]. I am currently living in [de-identified]. I live with my sister [de-identified], who works with me at [de-identified].

If you are unsure which option best suits your project and budget please contact Pacific Transcription for advice and to discuss further.

Updated 11/02/2025