This guide will walk through data preparation tips for interview data.
Transcription:
If your data are not already transcribed, we recommend the following affordable services to assist:
- Otter.ai
- Rev.ai
- Otranscribe
Anonymization:
After your data are transcribed, it is best to anonymize and format the document before upload. You can edit text-based documents within Dedoose, but it is more efficient to do revisions beforehand.
Naming Convention:
Similarly, assess if you want to name your files to indicate the participant ID, pseudonym, or any other information that would be helpful for you to reference in the title.
Document Format:
Word Document or plain text format is best for upload. If your documents are PDFs and you need a converter, we recommend Adobe's free converter:
Caution
If you are working with any text-based documents, it is best to upload in .doc or .docx (word document) format. PDFs are a more difficult file format for applications and software to decode. Unless you are interested in visual distinctions within your documents (i.e., a pictures, drawing in margins, handwriting, etc.), opt for word document format instead.
Troubleshooting
If your word document will not upload, perform the following and then re-upload:
- Copy and paste the text into a new word document and select “keep text only.” This action will clear any formatting that may have been hidden in the file from your transcription service or other programs.
- Remove any tables from the document.
- If you want to highlight, bold, change font color, or have live links within the document, Dedoose will maintain them upon upload, but it may decrease the efficiency of your coding.