University Transcription Services

For over 20 years, The Typing Works has been supporting universities, researchers and students across the UK, Europe and worldwide with professional human transcription services. During this time, we have transcribed hundreds of thousands of minutes of academic interviews, focus groups and lectures for leading institutions, including:

  • University of Leeds
  • University of Cambridge
  • University of Manchester
  • University of Southampton
  • University of Oxford
  • University of Kent
  • University of Exeter
  • University of Sheffield
  • Swansea University
  • University of Sussex
  • University of Greenwich
  • Queen Mary University of London (QMUL)
  • University College London (UCL)

Trusted by UK academics

Our fast, accurate and reliable service has grown almost entirely through recommendations. Many PhD students, researchers and academics pass our details to colleagues after experiencing the benefits of our university transcription service first-hand.

At The Typing Works, we know how vital academic research is in shaping future knowledge and policy. Since 2003, we’ve transcribed thousands of hours of research interviews, one to one interviews, multi-speaker recordings, oral histories and focus groups for universities, and we continue to enjoy supporting this important work. Our transcribers enjoy their work and assisting our clients to produce accurate transcriptions.

Accuracy you can rely on

Our experienced transcribers:

  • Research project-specific terminology, jargon and place names to ensure precision.
  • Insert square-bracket notes and timestamps when words are inaudible or uncertain (e.g. [inaudible 0:14:56] or [Imperial Avenue 0:46:10]).
  • Deliver transcripts that reflect the true meaning of your recordings without cutting corners.

Flexible transcript formats

Every project is different. While our standard template suits most clients, we can adapt formatting to match your requirements. We are also experienced in producing transcripts ready for import into NVivo qualitative analysis software. Please contact us if you’d like NVivo-ready transcripts for your research project.

We also include timestamps every 10 minutes as standard, with more frequent timestamping available if required.

Verbatim vs Intelligent Verbatim

We offer two popular transcription styles:

Intelligent verbatim (clean verbatim):
Q: And what days do you go to the primary school?
A: I usually go there on a Thursday, that’s when the taxi arrives to pick me up. The driver is always really helpful.

Full verbatim:
Q: Um, and what – what days do you go to the primary school?
A: I – I – I usually go there on a – on a, um – on a Thursday, that’s when the, er, the taxi arrives to – to pick me up. Um, the driver is always really, er, helpful.

Confidentiality guaranteed

We understand confidentiality is paramount in academic research. Participants often agree to take part only if their comments are treated with discretion, and many topics require full anonymisation. Our team can anonymise transcripts on request, replacing personal names, places or organisations with placeholders such as [name], [place], [organisation].

The Typing Works also follows strict data protection policies:

  • Secure file transfer with 128-bit TLS encryption.
  • We password-protect returned documents.
  • We can offer Egress encrypted email for the return of all transcription.
  • GDPR-compliant data handling and confidentiality agreements.
  • We are registered suppliers, or preferred suppliers, for most universities, with data processing agreements already signed.

You can read more in our Privacy Policy.

Get a quote today

To find out how we can support your academic project:

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