Welcome to Module 1, Transcription Rules and Guidelines. You may use these guidelines for transcript consistency if the client does not require you to follow a specific set of rules. If you're a subcontractor for a transcription company, rules and formatting style may vary.
Now let's begin with clean verbatim versus full verbatim. Clean verbatim transcription does not include false starts, verbal tics, stutters, and other speech or sounds not relevant to the transcript. However, sentences are not paraphrased. Full verbatim, on the other hand, includes false starts, verbal tics, stutters and all utterances.
Filler words or verbal tics are words that are apparently meaningless that marks a pause or hesitation. For example, you know, um, uh, like, kind of. These are examples of filler words or verbal tics. Just like in this example. Take note, be careful not to omit words that are not used as fillers but are necessary to make the sentence complete.
In this example, the correct sentence is What was that like for you? The word like is needed in the sentence. So it's incorrect to type What was that for you? A false start means that the speaker says one thing and then goes back and changes what he was saying.
To make the speaker's message clearer, you don't have to include everything else before the actual start of the sentence that is irrelevant. This is an example of a full verbatim. The words highlighted in blue are filler words or verbal tics and false starts.
Let's remove all the words highlighted in blue and full verbatim becomes clean verbatim. This is the correct and final sentence. Always use clean verbatim unless the client instructed to use full verbatim.
And take note, sentences are clean but not paraphrased. Don't transcribe thinking noises. Thinking noises are if someone just keeps on saying uh-huh, right, okay, yeah while someone else is talking.
It's a thinking noise if it's not a direct response to what the other person is saying. This is an example of a conversation with thinking noises. The words highlighted in blue are thinking noises. noises. Let's remove the thinking noises of the interviewer it's highlighted in blue.
This is the right way to type the conversation. Still under thinking noises, do not omit if it's a direct response to a statement. In this example, the interviewer asked, you have been there, right? Uh-huh.
That is a direct response to the question. So do not omit the word uh-huh. Still under transcription rules and guidelines, slang form should not be used. Examples of slang forms are gonna, wanna, gotta, alright, cause, and others. These slang forms should not be used.
Instead, use going to, want to, got to, alright, and because. Speakerss often overuse and and sometimes transcriptionists tend to create very long sentences because of this conjunction. You may divide a long sentence into short sentences and drop the conjunction and if it's unnecessary. Take into consideration clarity and readability. In this example that you see on your screen, the conjunction and is highlighted in blue.
Now, let's remove the conjunction and replace it with a period. This is the clean and clear and final version of the paragraph. If there are words in the audio that you can't decipher, you may mark them with indiscernible or inaudible or unintelligible.
You can also include timestamps so that the client can go back to that portion and re-listen to it. Speakers tokens. Identify the speakers by first name unless your client instructed otherwise. If it's an interview and the speaker's names are not identifiable, use interviewer and respondent. Lastly, keep paragraphs short.
White spaces make a transcript more readable. Please do take note of the following. As a freelance transcriber or independent subcontractor, you can always accept or decline transcription assignments.
Never accept assignments you're not 100% sure you're able to produce quality transcripts for, especially if you're just starting out. Always submit on time. Communicate with your client if you need more time to finish the transcript or if there's going to be a delay in delivery of the transcript. Inform your client if and when problems arise. Never leave your client hanging.