University Case Study

The 3-Year Tracker Project

At McGowan Transcriptions, we regularly support academic research projects, providing accurate and secure transcription services for university research, interviews and group discussions. These projects range from small one-off studies to large-scale, multi-year trackers. Below is an example of how we successfully managed a three-year university tracker project. 

Client Objectives

A leading UK university required transcription of 1,600 in-depth interviews, each lasting around 60 minutes. The project ran over a three-year period and included both face-to-face and telephone interviews. 

Key requirements included: 

• Fast turnaround – transcripts needed to be delivered within 48 hours of upload. 

• Multiple users – several researchers would be uploading recordings. 

• Strict budget – cost was a heavily weighted part of the tender. 

• Security and quality – safeguarding sensitive data and ensuring accurate transcripts was essential. 

Our Approach

To address these challenges, we worked closely with the university team from the outset: 

• Collaboration: We held virtual meetings to clarify requirements, set up secure multi-user access, and created a project-specific transcript template. 

• Specialist team: A select group of senior transcribers was trained on the project. They worked collaboratively, sharing knowledge and maintaining consistency in terminology and formatting. 

• Quality control: Every transcript was reviewed twice, first by the transcriber and then by our dedicated quality control department. Any unclear words were re-checked to ensure the only limitations were down to recording quality. 

• Workflow system: Using our bespoke Global Lounge system, researchers could securely and quickly upload audio files. The system automatically distributed recordings to our transcribers, tracked every stage of the process, and generated a full audit trail. 

• Security: Completed transcripts were delivered via secure download. The client opted for an additional security layer, accessing transcripts only through our system rather than email. 

Conclusion

The university team benefitted from: 

• Reliable delivery – transcripts returned within 48 hours, including over weekends, ensuring no delays in analysis. 

• Accuracy and consistency – all transcripts were true to source, without paraphrasing or interpretation. 

• Peace of mind – a fully auditable process, high-level data security, and in-house transcription (no outsourcing). 

Ease of budgeting – itemised monthly invoices made it simple to track costs across the three years. 

Ultimately, the project was awarded to McGowan Transcriptions due to our competitive pricing, robust security systems, and commitment to quality. By managing every stage in-house and maintaining a streamlined workflow, we helped the research team maximise productivity and eliminate downtime. 

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If you have never used a transcription agency before, or are looking to change your existing provider, please do contact us on 0800 158 3733 or office@mcgowantranscriptions.co.uk.