For my thesis I had to do a few interviews which then had to be transcribed. If you've transcribed interviews before, it literally is the most mind-numbing thing to do. Especially when they're longer than 20 minutes.

The one major plus to doing your own transcription is really getting to grips with what the interviewee said and you'll remember important bits when analysing your data.

So if you're like me and can't persevere through the transcribing or don't have the time, then the best option is to use a transcription service. Now the downside of these services are that they are ridiculously pricey. As a student you can't pay R10 or a $1 a minute. It's just not feasible.

So I ended up doing a few transcriptions myself and then for the rest I used Fiverr.com. The best/cheapest option you'll find! You can even get deals such as $5 for 20 - 30 minutes of audio.

I've already completed two orders on Fiverr, with the transcriptions having roughly a 95% accuracy. I'm currently putting through three more orders. I highly recommend the service. If you want to test the waters, choose well rated individuals. I also suggest informing your transcriber of the common words use in your interview. Most people don't know what MOOCs are, so I gave the transcriber a little heads up.