When it comes to conducting interviews or lectures, there are two ways that you can capture the information from the source. One of them is going the traditional way by scribbling notes or note-taking as the interviewee speaks. The other option is using the digital voice recorder to capture the interview.
Although both options are still widely used by journalists, students, and researchers, etc., which one is the best option? Well, it is difficult to say which one is better than the other. However, we can deduce some of the main pros and cons of both recording and note-taking see which one works perfectly for you.
Note-Taking Pros and Cons
First, it is essential to note that taking notes is one of the oldest forms of capturing interviews. What you need is just a pen or pencil and a paper or a notebook. The idea is to manually jot down key points that make the whole story complete. Here are the main pros and cons of note-taking:
Pros
- Cheap- pens and notebooks are cheap
- Portability- it is to transport a notebook and pen with you
- It is less obstructive hence keeping the source at ease More reliable- you don’t have to worry about a dead battery
- You can write down additional questions or info that may arise during the interview or lecture
Cons
It is difficult to capture everything that source says with note-taking. What would you do if you are dealing with a fast talker?
- Pencil can break. The pen can freeze, or the notebook becomes soggy, making it impossible to correct crucial information from the source.
- Time-consuming as you will need to type up the notes later
- Difficult when dealing with multiple speakers
- Accuracy problems
Recording Pros and Con
Recording involves the use of modern technology to capture information from the source. With a recorder, you have the easiest way of collecting info from interviews, lectures, etc. what you need is a digital recording gadget, including your smartphone to capture the interviews. Them you can come back to the recorded clip and start extracting key points to convert the audio to text.
Currently, you automatically transcribe audio to text using various software. For instance, check out https://audext.com/, which is one of the best audio to text converter online in the market. In just a few seconds or minutes, you will have a word-for-word text for the whole interview using such platforms.
Pros
- Get everything the source says
- It provides more time to write down comprehensive notes
- It is perfect for technical interviews since you cam note jargons more accurately
- When recording, you are to maintain eye contact with the source. That makes the interview more of a conversation.
- As an interviewer, you can protect yourself against allegations about what the source said during the interview.Recording helps to develop a better relationship between the interviewer and interviewee.
- Automatic transcription option saves you time
- You can have multiple speakers without a problem
Cons
- The recording gadget can malfunction. Maybe a battery can die in the middle of an interviewYou have to deal with external voices
- Sometimes, interviewees can become nervous
- Some sources may accept to be recorded
Why Recording The Better
Even with several downsides, there is no doubt that recording is the best option. It is more advanced and makes it easy to collect information from the source. The fact that you can automatically transcribe the recorded piece to text makes recording even better. If you are pondering how to convert audio to text, you need to check Audext.
What is Audext?
Audext is online audio to text converter. After you have recorded the interview or the lecture, you just need to open Audext.com website, upload the audio clip, and to convert it to text. The software is also able to identify speakers and structure the text accordingly, based on the number of speakers and what they said. That is why it is one of the best audio to text converter online in the market.
After transcription, you can edit the text in the website’s editor for the final piece. However, it is essential to note that Audext does not transcribe audio files or convert text to audio. In addition, it can transcribe audio clips with background noise such as music. Lastly, it not a generator.
Audext is extremely versatile in application. It can be used transcribe podcasts, press conferences, lecture notes by students, voice memos, voice recording from mobile phones amongst other users. In addition, medical practitioners such psychologist can use this audio to text converter online to transcribe audio sessions.
Technology is changing how we do things, and collection information is one of them. The recorder is a tech advancement, and that is why it has so many benefits over the note-taking. However, we recommend that you add automatic transcription to make your work easier. Audext is one of the best audio to text converter online you can pick from.
