Everyone with access to Nettskjema can use Nettskjema-diktafon. Recordings are stored encrypted on the device, and you can for security and privacy reasons not listen to the recordings in the app.
- If you have chosen delivery to Nettskjema, recordings can be accessed from Nettskjema. The recordings are also automatically transcribed using Whisper by OpenAI.
- If you have activated delivery to TSD or Educloud, recordings can only be played back in TSD or Educloud. These recordings are not stored or transcribed in Nettskjema.
If you are making audio recordings for research purposes you must have an NSD/REK approval. See privacy guidelines at UiO here.
Get started
To use the app you must have access to Nettskjema. Here is a step-by-step instruction for setting up the app for recording:
1. Set up form in Nettskjema for the dictaphone
- Create form and select Get form from template (Consent form, dictaphone etc.)
- Select either Nettskjema-diktafon - storage in Nettskjema, or Nettskjema-diktafon - storage in TSD and Educloud if you are recording sensitive data and want to store data in a TSD or Educloud project.
- A form with the following fields will be created (these fields must not be changed)
- recording (attachment field)
- app-id - text field that will receive a unique, anonymous value tied to a specific installation of the dictaphone app
- comment - text field that will receive optional user input when recording is delivered
- Codebook must be activated
- The above codebook values must be used for the app to function properly
- Remember to open the form
- At the top of the form you will find the form id
- QR code and alternate code can be used to connect the dictaphone app to the new form, shown under the tab "Connect to Nettskjema-Diktafon"
When the form is created for Nettskjema-diktafon as described above, it should as a rule not be changed afterwards.
2. Record audio in Nettskjema-diktafon
- Start the app:
- Select "Scan QR" and scan the QR code in Nettskjema, or tap "Enter code for setup" to enter the alternate code - available at "Show connection code" on Nettskjema.no
- Or: Tap "Select form" which will redirect you to Nettskjema.no login, where you can create and/or select an existing dictaphone form.
- Start the recording. We recommend enabling airplane mode.
- Stop the recording and deliver. Check that you are online and that the recording is delivered to Nettskjema.
3. Finding the recording in Nettskjema
- The recording should be available under the tab Recordings in Nettskjema (when not delivering to TSD or Educloud)
- We have enabled playback of the recordings directly in the browser, in order to discourage manual downloading the files. The recordings are stored on the server while you are working with them.
- It it technically possible to download recordings to the local deivce, but we do not recommend doing this for security and privacy reasons. Downloading recordings containing personal information contradicts the requirement for using Nettskjema-diktafon without storing data in TSD/Educloud.
Preparing for recording and recording length
- Maximum length of recordings is 90 minutes. For longer recording sessions you must first deliver the first 90 minute recording and start a new recording.
- For iOS:
- The screen must be on during the recording. The app must also not be closed, run in the background or run with the screen off.
- Enable airplane mode to avoid interruptions like phone calls or messages during the recording. All use of the microphone and the speakers on the device during the recording will stop the recording.
- Remember to charge the phone if it is low on battery.
- Note: The dictaphone app cannot be used to record phone calls, Zoom calls or similar on the same device.
Practical tips
- Check that the recording has been delivered immediately after the recording session is done.
- Always use the latest version of the app. If you delete the app, all stored recordings will be deleted from the device, but delivered recordings will still be available in Nettskjema, TSD or Educloud.
Remember backup
Occasionally delivering or storing recordings in the app will fail. For interviews and other important recordings, we recommend using a secondary device to record simultaneously. Examples of secondary devices can be a physical dictaphone or another recording device. It is also possible to use mobile devices without SIM-cards as a backup, as long as you can connect it to the internet to deliver recordings.
The app is used at your own risk. For privacy and security reasons, as well as technical reasons, it is not possible for us to restore recordings when something fails and the audio recording is not delivered or stored.
If you are recording yellow data, and want to make backup recordings, see what is allowed for yellow data in the storage guide.
Storage in TSD
Research projects registered in TSD can be connected to the dictaphone app, so that the recordings are delivered directly to the project's storage area in TSD. Nettskjema is a mediator, which in practice means that the dictaphone form has to be activated for secure storage in TSD. See the guide for activating Nettskjema for delivery to TSD here.
Remember that when you activate the form for TSD, permissions should be set to Without login - everyone with link (not ID-porten, Feide etc.)
How to find and play audio recordings in TSD
- The recordings are stored as Nettskjema attachments in the TSD-project. In order to play the audio (.mp4/.m4a) you first have to find the Nettskjema folder that the app is delivering to. See "Manage your Nettskjema data in TSD" in the TSD user guide.
- Find this folder: /data/durable/nettskjema-submissions/?long number?/form ID. Here you should find the encrypted audio files with the ending ?.mp4.asc?. Decrypt the file by following the guide for decrypting test answers.
- The file can then be played in e.g. VLC Media Player
Playback and manual transcription of recordings
The files are saved in MPEG4 audio format (.m4a). This format is optimized for speech and can be played on free software, like VLC media player. We recommend f4 & f5 transcript if you need dedicated software for transcription (information in Norwegian).
For playback directly in the browser via Nettskjema, we recommend using Chrome or Firefox. Not all browsers work as well with audio playback. For example, Safari can sometimes cause issues when playing back the recordings.
Automatic transcription
Recordings delivered to Nettskjema will from June 1 2023 be automatically transcribed by the internal UiO service Autotekst. Language settings are automatically detected from the recording. No data will leave UiO's infrastructure during transcription.
Transcriptions are available under the Recordings tab in the form on Nettskjema.no as text and VTT-files shortly after the recording has been delivered to Nettskjema.
Some users experience that the transcriptions are made in the wrong language. Read more about errors that can occur during automatic transcriptions in Nettskjema here (information in Norwegian).
Support and reporting errors
For technical assistance or other questions about Nettskjema-diktafon, contact nettskjema@usit.uio.no.
1. Reporting errors to user support
Check the following before reporting errors:
- The app is updated to the latest version
- The phone has been rebooted after the last error occured
- The form is set up correctly, or not changed after it was first used
- You have enough storage capacity left on the phone/device.
If you are still experiencing errors, you can report it to support via RT (form in Norwegian).
2. If the recording has become corrupted
If recordings delivered from the dictaphone app cannot be played back, it can be caused by file corruption. This typically happens if the app closes or the phone turns itself off while a recording is in progress on iOS. In these cases it might still be possible to repair the files. One program used to repair such recordings is called Untrunc, and it takes the corrupted recording and a working recording made on the same device and restores the file.
If a corrupted recording has been delivered to Nettskjema, and the file can be found on Nettskjema.no, you can ask for help with repairing the file via RT. The repaired file can be delivered to the same form to also get it transcribed.
If a corrupted recording is delivered to TSD or Educloud, the file can be repaired using software available in view.tsd.usit.no and view.educloud.no respectively, in the Windows VM. In TSD Untrunc can be downloaded from Software Center, while in Educloud Untrunc should be available directly (search for Untrunc with Windows search).
3. If the app crashes and you cannot deliver recordings to Nettskjema
Please send debug information from the app. Navigate to "Settings" at the bottom of the app and tap "Give feedback". A box should appear on the screen where you can write text (please enter the RT ticket number received in case you have an active support ticket), and press "Send message" to provide us with debug information.
Get the app
Other relevant information (only in Norwegian)
- Bruke Nettskjema-diktafon til opptak av fortrolige data
-
Feil spr?k og andre feil i automatisk transkripsjon Nettskjeama-diktafon
- Ta bilder med fortrolig data med appen Nettskjema-bilde
- ROS-analyse av mobilappen Nettskjema-diktafon