Sample Interview Logs and Summaries

Log/Summary Sample D1: A minimalist log
An interview log that provides some useful information about the context in which the interview was conducted but minimal information about the content of the recorded interview. The log does indicate the sequence in which topics were discussed, but without some indication of duration (e.g. tape counter or elapsed time), it would be difficult to find any particular section.

Log/Summary Sample D2: Indexing multiple dimensions of a recorded interview, segment by segment
An interview log that indexes four dimensions of an audio-recorded interview by attaching words and numbers to discrete subsections of the recording. General topics are listed in one column and a narrative summary of the interview content in another. The sequence of topics is indicated by the vertical page formatting and by numbers from the tape counter. The tape counter can also be used to calculate the duration of each section within the index and makes it easier to find where each section appears on the audiotape. The narrative summary also provides some additional information about context and possibilities for additional analysis. Note: Tape counters may vary from one recorder to another, so the “numbers” indicated are relative rather than absolute. Indexing for elapsed time on the recording provides a more precise index. Few tape recorders provide a read out of elapsed time, but this is a routine dimension of digital audio recordings.

Log/Summary Sample D3: Summarizing complex content, segment by segment
This interview log and index that provides excellent summaries of topics discussed during the interview, but it does not distinguish words of the interviewer from those of the interviewee. A cumulative time index makes it easy to find sections of the interview if the original recording (or a copy) is in a digital audio format.

Log/Summary Sample D4: Annotating themes within and across segments
This interview log provides a detailed summary of the interview context and content. A tape counter index provides sequence and relative duration. The table format makes it easy to scan for key words or to examine more detailed annotations.

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