Transcription matters : issues for qualitative researchers in education

There is a small body of literature which provides detailed examination of transcription as an aspect of qualitative inquiry. Much of the literature remarks on the continued under-discussion of the integral role of transcription in the research process. This paper reports a review of the literature on transcription between 1979 and 2009. The analysis discerns and examines on-going and emerging issues concerning transcription in research. The paper provides suggestions for future research which could inform how transcription is understood, conducted and reported in qualitative approaches to education research.