From Hashes to Ashes – A Comparison of Transcription Services

In recent years, semi-structured interviews gained more and more importance in cyber-security research. Transcribing audio recordings of such interviews is a crucial step in qualitative data analysis, but it is also a work-intensive and time-consuming task. While outsourcing presents a common option, maintaining research quality requires precise transcriptions – a task further compounded by technical jargon and established expressions in the research field. In this study, we compare different transcription services and evaluate their outcome quality within the context of cybersecurity. Our findings provide insights for researchers navigating the complex landscape of transcription services, offering informed choices to enhance the accuracy and validity of qualitative data analysis.