Slightly under the weather while conducting my third interview, I sluggishly recorded the pearls of wisdom that were being shared with me, commenting that I wish I had a voice recorder. The interview participant asked if I had an iPhone, which I do, and then pointed out the voice memo app which is a standard feature. I had noticed it before, but never explored this option. It was remarkably easy to record our entire conversation and the sound quality was excellent.
When reviewing and summarizing my interview notes, I was happy that I had the print and recorded notes to refer too. These notes were much more robust and thorough than they had been for the first two participants.
Participant #4 suggested that I look for an app that would allow me to convert the audio file directly into text. I have not gotten that far yet, but am pondering the wonders of modern technology.
A side point: recording an interview adds an additional layer of ensuring the participant's confidentiality. In my case, I have agreed to delete the recording once the participant has approved my notes.
One last comment: I am so appreciative of the fact that the interview participants are sharing their knowledge on my research topic, but also are sharing their knowledge on techniques and tools that have real world applicability to my future career as a librarian extraordinaire!
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