You've completed your interview — great work! This page will walk you through how to prepare your audio recording and transcript for submission in Canvas. Read through each section carefully before you upload.
⚠️ Note: Your interview guide worksheet (Page 4) was submitted separately. This page covers only the audio recording and transcript submission.
🎙️ Part 1: Recording Your Interview
You have several good options for recording a 15–20 minute audio interview. Choose the method that works best for your situation.
Recording Tools
💡 Tip: If your interview is in person, place your phone face-down on a flat surface between you and your interviewee for the clearest audio. Test a 30-second recording first to check the volume.
Using Otter.ai (Step-by-Step)
🦦 Getting Started with Otter.ai
- Go to otter.ai and create a free account using your email.
- On the dashboard, tap "Record" (microphone icon) to start a new recording.
- Otter will transcribe your interview in real time as you speak.
- When finished, tap Stop. Your transcript will appear automatically within a few minutes.
- To export: click the three-dot menu → Export → choose TXT or DOCX for the transcript, and MP3 for the audio.
- Review and lightly clean up the transcript before submitting (see Part 3 below).
💡 Tip: Otter's auto-transcription is not perfect — it may mishear names or stumble on unusual words. Always proofread before submitting.
📁 Part 2: Audio File Format
Canvas accepts the following audio formats. Do not submit a video file (MP4, MOV) — audio only.
💡 Need to convert your file? Use
cloudconvert.com — free, no software download needed. Upload your file, choose MP3 as the output format, and download.
⚠️ File size: Canvas has a 500MB upload limit per file. A 20-minute MP3 or M4A is typically 15–30MB — well within the limit.
📄 Part 3: Preparing Your Transcript
Your transcript should be a typed, word-for-word record of the interview. Light paraphrasing for clarity is acceptable. Submit as a Word (.docx) or PDF file.
Formatting Requirements
- Use your first name only for yourself and the interviewee's first name only (no last names, no identifying information)
- Label each speaker clearly at the start of each turn
- Include the date, location, and approximate duration at the top
- Use standard formatting: 12pt font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins
- Minimum length: typically 3–5 pages for a 15–20 minute interview
Sample Transcript Format
Interview Transcript
Date: March 15, 2026
Location: In person (Modesto, CA)
Duration: Approximately 18 minutes
Interviewer: [Your first name]
Interviewee: Maria
---
[Your name]: I want to start with a broad question. When you hear the word "liberty," what does that mean to you?
Maria: That's a big one. I think of it as being able to make my own choices — about my life, my family, my work — without the government or anyone else telling me what I have to do. But I also think there are limits. Your freedom ends where mine begins, right?
[Your name]: Do you think Americans today value liberty the same way the founders did?
Maria: Honestly, I don't think most people think about the founders at all. We think about our own lives. But I think the idea is still there — this sense that America is supposed to be a place where you can start over, make something of yourself. Whether that's actually true for everyone is a different question.
---
[Continue for full interview...]
💡 Using Otter.ai? Export the transcript as a DOCX, then reformat it to match the sample above. Otter formats speaker labels differently — adjust them before submitting.
⚠️ Privacy reminder: Do not include your interviewee's last name, address, workplace, or any other identifying information in your transcript.
📤 Part 4: Submitting in Canvas
You will submit two separate files to the Canvas assignment: your audio recording and your transcript.
- Log in to Canvas and navigate to HIST 101 → Assignments.
- Click on "Interview: Audio Recording & Transcript".
- Click "Submit Assignment" in the upper right.
- Under File Upload, click "Choose File" and select your audio file (MP3, M4A, or WAV).
- Click "Add Another File" and upload your transcript (DOCX or PDF).
- Add a brief comment noting your interviewee's first name and the date of the interview.
- Click "Submit Assignment". You will receive a confirmation email.
💡 Tip: Submit at least a few hours before the deadline in case you run into technical issues. Canvas sometimes takes a few minutes to process large audio files.