Are verbatim transcripts necessary in applied qualitative research: experiences from two community-based intervention trials in Ghana

Emerging Themes in Epidemiology

Analytic Perspective

Carl Kendall¹  Zelee Hill²  Charlotte Tawiah-Agyemang³  Betty Kirkwood⁴ 

[1] Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2350, 70112, New Orleans, LA, USA;Institute for Global Health, University College London, 30 Guilford St., WC1N 1EH, London, UK;Kintampo Health Research Centre, P.O. Box 200, Kintampo, Ghana;London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, WC1E 7HT, London, UK;

关键词: Qualitative research;    Methodology;    Transcription;    Field notes;    Maternal and child health;    Africa;    Ghana;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12982-022-00115-w

 received in 2021-10-18, accepted in 2022-06-20,  发布年份 2022

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

Conducting qualitative research within public health trials requires balancing timely data collection with the need to maintain data quality. Verbatim transcription of interviews is the conventional way of recording qualitative data, but is time consuming and can severely delay the availability of research findings. Expanding field notes into fair notes is a quicker alternative method, but is not usually recommended as interviewers select and interpret what they record. We used the fair note methodology in Ghana, and found that where research questions are relatively simple, and interviewers undergo sufficient training and supervision, fair notes can decrease data collection and analysis time, while still providing detailed and relevant information to the study team. Interviewers liked the method and felt it made them more reflective and analytical and improved their interview technique. The exception was focus group discussions, where the fair note approach failed to capture the interaction and richness of discussions, capturing group consensus rather than the discussions leading to this consensus.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2022