A transcript can be annoyingly hard to read, intelligently edited, or very, very detailed depending on the transcription style used.

There are three basic styles of transcription:

Verbatim

Verbatim transcription is a detailed account of every word, sound and non-verbal communication (like laughter and pauses) on the recording. Here’s an example:

“…’Cause I mean…I think there are so many different needs er… different requirements within each one of those you know, those many and different segments that er… if you can hone in on each one of those segments um… and gosh there’s a lot of needs within the 25 to 54 [laughs]. I mean you know you’re getting families and…”

In this style the recording is transcribed without deleting or editing anything.

Verbatim transcription is used for research and analysis where every little detail counts.

Clean Read

This style uses editing and paraphrasing to create easy-to-read and ready-to-print transcripts. For example:

“There are so many different requirements within each one of those different segments that if you can hone in on each one of those… and gosh there are a lot of needs within the 25 to 54! I mean, you’re getting families and…”

Here the transcriptionist removes fillers, paraphrases incomplete sentences, corrects minor grammatical errors and presents the text in short, easy-to-read paragraphs.

This is the preferred style of transcription for business-related recordings

Intelligent Verbatim

This is a cross between the verbatim and clean read styles of transcription; it mixes word-for-word transcription with light editing. For example:

“…’Cause I think there are so many different requirements within each one of those many and different segments that if you can hone in on each one of those segments… and gosh there’s a lot of needs within the 25 to 54 . I mean you’re getting families and…”

In this style the transcriptionist doesn’t correct grammatical errors or paraphrase the sentences, but simply edits out the ums, ahs, you knows, etc. to create a neater transcript.

This is the default style of transcription used by transcription services unless you ask for something different.

Which one is best for you? Think of how you plan to use your transcript. A simple rule of thumb is to use verbatim or intelligent verbatim for research and clean read for business.

It’s a good idea to let your transcription service know your preferred style of transcription so that you get the right level of detail in your transcripts.

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 transcriptionists have the habit of paraphrasing statements to convey the general idea of what is being said rather than typing out the exact words. This process is called clean read transcription is much preferred in business transcription because of the easy-to-read transcripts it produces. But it’s not very popular amongst researchers and analysts who need to know exactly what was said. Here are a couple of examples to illustrate the difference between the two styles -

Paraphrased sentence: “I was screaming for my mother and she was maybe 30 yards away in the house, she couldn’t have even heard me even if she was outside.”

Verbatim sentence: “And I’m screaming. You know, I’m screaming. I’m screaming for my mother. And She was uh maybe 30 yards away in the house. I mean she could have never heard me. Even if she was outside she probably wouldn’t have heard me.”

While the meaning conveyed in both sentences is the same, the emotion is far more pronounced in the second one. Depending on what the transcript is going to be used for, this may make a world of difference. So in verbatim transcription, it’s important to type each and every word that is said.

2. Don’t leave out non-verbal communication

Communication has a lot of components other than words – such as laughter, pauses, hand gestures, etc. Verbatim transcription captures all these in order to give a true account of what’s being said.

For example,

K: What does you mother think?

N: .. Not much. . She agrees with me . yeah.

K: Really?! [Laughs] Are you sure?!

[N laughs]

Here are a few more rules for transcribing non-verbal communication:
When two speakers speak at the same time, indicate this with /, as in:

N: Yes, I have been /living here

K: /Oh you have?

N: for three years.

I.e. ‘living here’ and ‘oh you have’ were said at the same time and N continued on his sentence without stopping.

Use = when two lines come directly after one another without a gap e.g.

K: Did you like her? =

N: = Yes!

That is a very fast reply.

For short pauses add a full stop, each one representing a second. For pauses longer than 4 seconds, put time in brackets and italicised e.g. [6 second pause]

3. Catch those fillers and false starts

Fillers are the ums, ahs, you knows, that are often used by speakers to buy time to think.

False starts are sentences that are started but never completed, such as:

“I would say that’s not such a… I mean that may not be… it’best to check with an expert before proceeding in such matters.”

Fillers and false starts may break the flow of speaking but often provide insights into the thinking process of a speaker. The process of verbatim transcription therefore includes these components in the transcript rather than editing them out.

4. Note external sounds

Qualitative research and even market research often requires knowing what’s happening in the surroundings while the subject or interviewee is speaking. Some examples of external sounds can be sounds of doors opening, people walking in, a side conversation between fellow participants, etc. These sounds/events should be duly noted on the transcript in brackets and with time stamps if required.

The main idea of verbatim transcription is to capture both the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of speech. Not everyone requires the same level of detail – for example, someone may need the non-verbal communication transcribed but may not want any external sounds/events noted on the transcript. It’s always a good idea to thoroughly discuss the specific requirements with your client before beginning a transcription project so that you know exactly what to transcribe and what to leave out.

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.