How to Transcribe an Oral History Interview

Transcribing an oral history interview is almost as important as the interview itself. Creating an accurate transcription of someone's oral history narrative takes the right equipment and the right amount of editorial discretion. By following several guidelines, you'll be sure to transcribe an oral history interview correctly and future generations will be able to experience the past through someone else's story.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Recorded interview (voice or video)
• Computer with word processing program

1. Create a summary of your oral history interview. Most transcribed interviews have at least a paragraph introduction, which gives a brief summary of who was interviewed, why and the topics discussed.

2. Make a copy of the original recording of the interview, if possible, before attempting the transcription. It's best to have at least two copies of the original recording in case any accidents occur during the transcription that may accidentally damage or erase it. More expensive digital voice recorders allow you to transfer recorded data to a PC via a USB port.

3. Listen to the interview recording and type the interviewee's narrative into your computer's word processing program.

4. Rewind and re-listen to any segments of the interview that are unclear. If, after several listens, a section is still inaudible, ask another person to listen. If it is still unclear, write "[unclear]" in that section of the transcription.

5. Include the interviewee's grammar and speech patterns. Don't change spellings or phrasing to make the interview more grammatically correct. Keeping these unique speech patterns will paint an authentic picture of the interviewee.

6. Use your own discretion about insignificant words that fall into normal speech patterns, such as "um," "uh" or "ah." Including them all may make for clunky reading, but eliminating all of them poses the risk of losing the interviewee's speech pattern.

7. Re-listen to the recorded interview after the transcription is complete. Read the transcribed interview while listening to the recording, editing the transcription as necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• Transcribing machines can be purchased for transcribing oral history interviews, but these are usually expensive and are intended more for professional rather than amateur use.
• Place certain activities in brackets they pertain to the interview, such as "[laughs]" or "[dog barks]."