Importance of Verbatim in Market Research Transcriptions

Market research can make or break a business. Through all the data gathered, a company can determine if consumers are satisfied with a product or service, or if now is the winter of their discontent. Through market research, you’re able to determine the consumers’ preferences, what they need, and what they are willing to buy. To figure out which is which, researchers use verbatim market research transcriptions where all verbal and non-verbal components from an audio or video recording are converted into text format. This includes grammatical errors, slangs, pauses, even external sounds like side conversations or the sounds of doors opening and closing. 

This brings up the question, what is the value of transcribing market research in verbatim? 

Avoid misperception

Having a transcript done in verbatim could look a bit cluttered, but also within the clutter is the exact account of the speaker’s idea, opinion or experience. It is converting spoken word into text format in a way that the message is captured exactly the way it was spoken. As long as you’re able to capture everything, you now have a wealth of information you can further delve into. This becomes essential because both sides will give you vital information that you can further dissect - which they may or may not have said through their words, but their actions or mannerisms - when you get to the review and analysis portion of your research. If the interview transcription is verbatim, then you have full access to either individual’s statement and there’s no room for confusion.

The ‘How’ is crucial 

Recording everything is crucial, but the manner in which the respondents’ sentiments were spoken is equally vital. Getting the respondent’s reactions will help you know what they really feel about the research topic. There could be hesitation or excitement, confusion or enlightenment. By including the fillers and false starts, it reveals a respondent’s thought process and how they ended up with a particular perspective. Upon further analysis you can then decide whether to advise your client or company to go forward with their go-to market strategy or if their product or service does not resonate with what the audience wants after all.

Peace of mind

With transcripts are done in verbatim responses are thoroughly written and are more in-depth. There are no missing details. What’s on the transcript is what all the participants said when you were with them and when you weren’t. This way, you won’t regret putting your entire attention to the discussion instead of jotting down detailed notes or stepping out for a second to check on something. 

Completing a market research transcription in verbatim requires a certain level of sharpness. Each word, laugh, and pause should be transcribed to communicate the right information. The results of the analysis will then allow an organization to make well-informed decisions. It may seem like an exaggeration but truthfully, a sound or tone from an interview or focus group could either lead to revenue loss or a company’s groundbreaking success. Verbatim transcription may be further categorized into two; smart or pure verbatim transcriptions, but the essence really is to capture not just what was said on the recording but also how it was said and under what circumstances.