Foreign Language Data Entry, a feature in FACTS called ExoForms, enables marketers to transcribe verbatims in any language supported by Microsoft Windows. All answers are captured in user’s native language and made available to them in several different data formats.

John Harrison, executive vice president of Optimum Solutions noted that today consumers have more choice and this has lead to increasing complexity as it relates to understanding and tabulating the buyer preferences and thinking that lie behind choice.

The next generation of FAQSS introduced in a significantly enhanced solution called FACTS can deliver all the factual information marketers need in precisely the format they want it in, claims Harrison.

FACTS is a fast and accurate automated data capture system that offers capabilities such as Telescoding, which allows clients to capture a level of refinement in the answers that was not possible earlier in the history of market research.

“Taken as a whole, FACTS builds upon the foundation of the world’s fastest, most accurate and reliable data capture system and extends it to meet the needs of 21st Century marketers and research organizations that need more and more information than ever before,” said Jeffrey Schneider, executive vice president of Research & Development of OSC and the inventor of both the original FAQSS and new FACTS system. “We believe FACTS will revolutionize the way companies gather information from their customers in a way that will have a profound impact on the way companies develop their future marketing programs.”

Interviewer: Did you ever correspond with him at the time?

Interviewee: [Silence] No… er… I don’t recall that. I think.. um… I think I have some letters from him in my file though…which came some months…years later.

In the verbatim style of transcription text is NOT edited to remove fillers (ums, ahs, ers, etc.), false starts (incomplete sentences), repeated words/sentences, and even grammatical errors. Everything is typed just as it’s there on the recording.

The style can also be customized to specific needs of a project. For example, a project might require noting any pauses that are 5 seconds or more or it might be desirable to have the main interviewee’s words transcribed verbatim but not necessary to give the same amount of detail for the speech of additional participants.

Verbatim transcription is ideal for research transcription, PhD interviews, market research interviews, movie scripts, B-roll transcription, and other projects where HOW something is said is equally important as WHAT’s being said. However, if you’re looking for a clean, easy-to-read document Clean Read transcription may be a better choice.

The style requires a keen ear, attention to detail, and a LOT more time than other styles of transcription.