Also, I've done onsite interviews where I've gotten a tour of someone's business....I can't imagine chasing them around with a recorder. Do the digital one's have good range? Do you think you could get away with stuffing it halfway in a jean's pocket so it would record while you walk around with someone?
The answer is YES, my digital recorder has fantastic range (most do), and YES, I "chase" people around with it!
It's funny you mention taking a tour of someone's business because it's something that's given me anxiety in the past. See, I haven't mastered the walking-and-note-taking-at-the-same-time thing, and mini-cassette recorders are, like you said, pretty "craptastic." So, to ease my worries, I'd plan to take the tour, jot down some messy notes along the way, and reserve extra time to sit down face to face. Then, I'd simply set my cassette recorder on a desk during the interview. Problem was, even when it was close to the subject, the clarity never was great. Not to mention, I had a zillion little tapes lying around.
Which brings me to my digital recorder. A couple of weeks ago I needed to take two tours, both of which required a lot of Q&A while on the walk. So, much like a TV reporter would hold a microphone, I held out my recorder. It's small enough that I can hold it in the same hand that holds my notebook. (I imagine I could sit it in my pocket, but I prefer having it where I can easily keep an eye on time, battery power and create index markers while it's recording.) It's worthing mentioning that part of one of the tours took place inside a very noisy warehouse and yet the recorder still picked up all the dialogue.
I am a very fast typist and type while the person is talking. I let them know I am doing this so they know why there is a pause before I ask the next question or make a comment (and why they probably hear all the clickity clacking in the background). I read back what I typed if I'm not sure I got a particular quote correctly.
I'm a fast typist when it comes to writing out the thoughts inside my head. For instance, right now, I'm zipping through this post at the speed of light. It's a different story when I'm listening to someone and having to "translate" what they're saying into typed word on my computer screen. I can get enough key points as the conversation goes along, but then I have to go back and fill in the gaps via transcription. The strange flipside is that whenever I do manage to type fast/accurately during an interview, I'll find that I'm hearing my subject but not really not listening. This leads to awkward pauses as I attempt to phrase a follow-up question or some kind of comment. I need to find the middle ground on this one.
