Research is a critical part of transcription, i.e. research for correct spellings of names, places, technical terms etc. The accuracy of a transcript can vary greatly depending on the thoroughness of research done by the transcriptionist. For e.g., take a look at this paragraph from the oral history of Dr. Erwin L. Hahn: Well, I was destined somewhat to be a particle physicist in that I had started with Kerst as a graduate student developing a power supply, of various [...]
4 Rules of Verbatim Transcription
Verbatim transcription is the art of converting spoken word into text such that a message is captured exactly the way it has been spoken. This requires a keen ear and attention to detail. Verbatim transcripts cannot be created by mindlessly listening and typing. One has to pay close attention to every sound, tone, word and make intelligent use of punctuation to convey the correct message. Here are 4 important rules of verbatim transcription: 1. Capture EVERY word (don’t paraphrase) Many [...]
Outsourcing Transcription of Research Interviews
When planning to outsource the transcription of your research interviews it may be a good idea to invest some time in writing out a clear set of instructions for your transcriptionist because research transcription is quite different from regular transcription. Here are a few points to get you started - Identify the Transcription Style In research interviews the HOW of what’s being said is almost as important as the WHAT. For this reason the preferred style of transcription for these interviews is Verbatim [...]