2026.03.02 Wrap-up and closing data collection phase

Posted by TILEd

2 March 2026

What is ‘Wrap-up”?

The purpose of the wrap-up phase is to check transcripts of recorded sessions with participants. There are two steps:

Transcript cleaning. (This is my job!)

Revision in this project means reading through and making small edits to the transcribed exchanges. I apply a guiding set of criteria while editing. These are criteria which I have developed by reading about existing research practice and by discussing data cleaning with participants. These criteria include, for example:

i) Ensuring clarity and readability of the transcript for a non-specialist audience. In practice this means…

Adding occasional background notes to make explicit certain implied culturally specific references. An example is adding approximate age, when participants talk about their year of study, such as Grades, Key Stages…
Rewriting mis-transcribed, or including omissions from the transcript, using the audio recording as reference.
Occasional reformulation or deletion for concision. For example, as happens in natural conversation, a participant may say something then correct themselves or change their mind about what they want to say.
De-identification (anonymisation) of data. This involves removal of information which could be used to link a transcript to a participant. For example:
1. Very rare language combinations may be rephrased to keep the ‘concept’ of scarcity in the transcript without divulging actual languages;
2. Proper names, places, etc. maybe changed to make them less ‘specific’, while keeping general reference to a geographical area or region.
3. Names of individuals who are not participants. This excludes references to scholars or authors whose names and publications are in the public domain (except in the case where keeping the name could be used to link the transcript to the participant).

2. Participatory transcript revision. Participants are invited to amend their own revised transcripts, with the researcher. Participants receive the reviewed transcripts. Using ‘track changes’, participants can then..

i) Add to, reformulate or amend answers,

ii) Remove information which they feel could be used to identify them, or that they want to withdraw.

3. End of project survey. Participants are then invited to choose an option and let the researcher (me) know how they want to do the wrap up:

i) Confirmation of revised transcript => The participant just sends an email to the researcher to confirm they are happy with the revised transcript.

ii) Brief online discussion to highlight general points/references they want the researcher (me) to remove from the transcript.

iii) Participant reviews and amends the transcript => They are invited to use track changes to make changes, and return the revised transcript by a deadline (the end of the month of February in this case).

*Participants are always offered the possibility of discussing these options if none suit.