This final post follows on from two previous blog posts which share slides from a webinar I held in February 2021 on "automated transcription for research purposes". Slides 1-5 provide some background information (view here), slides 6-10 (view here) provide a demonstration of key features and how to use them. This post shares slides 11-14 which focus on privacy, security, and stafe storage and makes recommendations for how to mitigate these issues (e.g. when applying for ethical approval for research projects). You can view more details in the original blog post I wrote about automated transcription and ethical, privacy, and security considerations here.
Please feel free to share this post and the images with reference to myself (Caitlin Hafferty). Do get in touch with any comments/questions at: caitlinhafferty@connect.glos.ac.uk and follow me on Twitter for updates (@CaitlinHafferty).
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| Slide 11 - practical and ethical issues with automated transcription |
When using automated transcription apps like Otter.ai in different situations, you can experience different issues. One important consideration is that Otter.ai does not currently provide transcription services for languages other than English, and can struggle to accurately transcribe some accents, speeds, and tones of voice.
"Technology can be used to increase social injustice - where do YOU stand?" - this excellent blog post by Tracey Gyateng for Open Heroines provides an introduction to some of the key social justice issues with using technology in public/social settings. The core point here is that technology is never neutral, and researchers (and practitioners) should think about who might be disproportionately impacted by its use.
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| Slide 12 - some frequently asked questions |
Here are some FAQs which I've been asked about the use of automated transcription apps - you can read more about this here.
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| Slide 13 - privacy, security, GDPR |
It's important to consider how automated transcription apps will store your data and how this is covered by data protection and privacy law. In my research, I was explicit about my use of Otter.ai, allowed participants to "opt-out" of its use, provided information about the app I was using and gave links to its privacy policy, etc.
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| Slide 14 - an example privacy statement for the use of Otter.ai in qualitative research |
Slide 11 shows a really useful privacy statement which was shared with me, which I've also adapted for my own research. Read more about this here.
"The audio recording of the interview,
which may contain personal data if you have shared this during the
interview, may be shared with a commercially available transcription
service for the purpose of transcribing the information you share during
the interview. Occasionally, data may be transferred out of the EEA,
however in such cases it will be covered by appropriate privacy
policies. For example, your data may be transferred out of the EEA for
the purposes of transcription, using a transcription service that is
signed up to the Privacy Shield Framework."