We present an analysis of the Raman spectra of p-type transparent conducting Cr2O3:Mg grown by various techniques including spray pyrolysis, pulsed laser deposition, molecular beam epitaxy and reactive magnetron sputtering. The best performing films show a distinct broad range Raman signature related to defect-induced vibrational modes not seen in stoichiometric, undoped material. Our comparative study demonstrates that Raman spectroscopy can quantify unwanted dopant clustering in the material at high Mg concentrations, while also being sensitive to the Mg incorporation site. By correlating the Raman signature to the electrical properties of the films, growth processes can be optimised to give the best conducting films and the local defect structure for effective p-type doping can be studied. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.