If you’re still using the good old-fashioned standard or micro/mini cassette tapes then make a resolution to upgrade. The sound quality of digital Dictaphones make them well worth the investment, and they’re not as expensive as you may think. They also have the advantage that you can quickly make back-ups of your recordings and easily  deliver them to your transcribers or research assistants.

Our own recommendation would be a recorder in the Olympus range. We use and recommend the Olympus DS-30, DS-40 or DS-50 which range in price from approximately $350 to $700. They can be purchased from most electronic stores such as Dick Smith Electronics. If you’re likely to be interviewing in environments where you are unable to control background noise, we’d recommend avoiding the high-end Dictaphones as they tend to be extremely sensitive – a noise made outside can sometimes sound as clear as the person sitting right next to the Dictaphone.
If you’re unsure as to the best recording device to suit your purposes then ask around to see what experienced colleagues have found work well. You might also like to chat to staff at a company that specialises in dictation recording systems. We’ve found the staff at Sound Business particularly helpful and knowledgeable.

If you’re conducting telephone interviews, we also have some specific suggestions relating to recording these.