Transcription Guide
Hello Umritun Team!
Kindly review this standard guide for general transcription. We will be using this guideline if the clients did not provide any specific style/format of their transcript. Applicants and Newbie must review and follow this guideline.
TRANSCRIPTION GUIDE
(For General Transcription)
I. TRANSCRIPTION TYPE
For STRICT VERBATIM, insert all false starts, stutters, repeated words, slang words, etc.
For CLEAN VERBATIM, the transcript is neat. Meaning, we remove all the stutters, false starts, and repeated words.
Slang words should be changed to their correct English form.
Examples:
gonna (should be changed to “going to”)
wanna (should be changed to “want to”)
there’s many (should be changed to “there are”. Some speaker uses “there’s” or “there are”, but it is meant to be used for “there are”)
lemme (should be changed to “let me”)
We DO NOT transcribe foul words whether in clean or in verbatim.
II. SPEAKER IDENTIFICATION
For Interview Transcription, we will be using the following format:
Interviewer: What is your actual role now and kindly tell us your professional background?
Interviewee: My actual role now is a [inaudible 00:00:00]. I have been an instructor for 15 years…
If the speakers introduced themselves at the start of the segment of the audio, we must identify properly the speaker’s name. If full name is given, we will just use the first name and identify the speaker properly by using:
Mr. / Ms. - Example: Mr. Gary:
Mrs. - Option to use “Mrs.” if the speaker mentioned or allowed to address her as “Mrs.” Example: Mrs. Claire:
Dr. - if identified as doctor. Example: Dr. Wally:
Adjust the Line Spacing as single spacing and After each paragraph or After each speaker, adjust the spacing to 6 pt. You can adjust the spacing in the “paragraph” tool/menu.
After the Speaker ID and the colon, we have to use two spaces before each statement/dialogue of the speaker. Use bold font for the Speaker ID, including the colon.
Interviewer: Where do you live?
For additional speakers aside from the Interviewer and Interviewee, just include the speaker IDs consistently.
Example :
Interviewer: (Interviewer is considered as Speaker 1)
Interviewee: (Interviewee is considered as Speaker 2)
Male Speaker 3:
Female Speaker 4:
III. GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION
Try to do self-review on grammar rules and punctuation.
Suggested websites:
www.grammarbook.com
firstsiteguide.com/grammar-checker-tools
www.englishgrammar.org/tools
IV. FORMAT
For NUMBERS: from 0 through 10, transcribe them in words: zero, one, two, etc. From number 11 onwards, we will be transcribing them in figures such as: 11, 12, 13, 14, etc. But when the number is mentioned at the start of the sentence, transcribe it in word.
For CURRENCY, we will transcribe it as heard in words. Examples: two million dollars, eight million pesos, 12 million dollars, half a million or a half million, etc.
For DATE, TIME & ADDRESS, transcribe as heard.
Example for transcribing an address:
Interviewer: Where do you live?
Interviewee: I live at No. 42, Block 7 Lot 20, Apple Street, San
Francisco, California 94116.
Example for transcribing the date and time:
Interviewer: When did you start working in that company?
Interviewee: I started working in our company on March 25, 2017. I was transferred to a new department on May 15th. (Note: Superscript should not appear in the transcript.)
Interviewer: What is the tour of your duty or work?
Interviewee: The tour of my duty is from 8:00 o’clock in the morning up to 8:00 in the evening.
Interviewer: What time did you arrive at the hospital?
Interviewee: I arrived there at 9:00.
(Always use this format 0:00 when the speaker mentions about the time.)
For ABBREVIATION, we will transcribe it as heard in words:
Except for: Mr. and Mrs.
Doctor (not Dr., we can only use “Dr.” for speaker identification)
All right (not alright)
Okay (not OK or Ok)
Until or ‘til (not till)
‘Cause or because (not ‘coz or ‘cuz)
Brand/Product names/places/acronyms/etc. just do proper search of brand names or products, particular places, countries, restaurants, and companies, organizations, or associations’ acronyms and the like.
For SPELLING OUT, if a speaker spells out a particular word, we can transcribe them as:
Interviewer: What street?
Interviewer: A-P-P-L-E. Apple Street.
For INTERJECTIONS, for strict verbatim, we may include: [laughs] for laughing sound of the speaker and we can ONLY use the following:
Uh-huh, Um, Ah, Nah, Nah-uh, Mhm, Yep, Yeah (not yah)
Oh, Ooh, Oops or Uh-oh, Whoa (not Woah);
For clean verbatim, we DO NOT include: Uh-huh, Um, Ah, Nah, Nah-uh. Instead, we may use: [Affirmation] or we may transcribe whether “Yes” or “No”.
For unclear or inaudible words, we will use this format: [inaudible hh:mm:ss] or [unintelligible hh:mm:ss].
Example:
Interviewee: My actual role now is a [inaudible 00:00:00]. I have been an instructor for 15 years…
For phonetics, we will mark the words (proper names, terminologies, acronyms that we are unsure. Use this format in bold font: [Cyril 00:00:00], [ACE 00:00:00].
For filler or stutter words (for strict verbatim), we will transcribe them as is. Follow the format below:
a-apple, b-because, um- um not all the time,
I-I will just check, check on this. I will, I will proceed to the agenda. (Note: we will use comma for
repeated words like this. Comma is used for pauses also, but the speaker is able to complete his/her
sentence/thought.)
re-red wine, uh- uh yes, of course.
In m-my house… Are you coming? I will have to um... (Note: we will use ellipsis for change of thought
or for incomplete sentences. Ellipsis is used for long pauses, and the speaker is changing his/her
thought/statement.)
For cross-talk, use this format: [cross-talk hh:mm:ss]
IV. FILE SAVING AND SUBMISSION
When file saving, always save your transcript with the same filename of the audio file plus your nickname or your short name:
Example:
Audio File: 9252017_Interview.mp3
Transcript File: 9252017_Interview_RIC.doc
For Submission of Test File,
Audio File: 9252017_Interview.mp3
Transcript File: 9252017_Interview_RIC_testfile.doc
When SUBMITTING THE TRANSCRIPT through email, use as Subject Line the filename of the audio file plus TR (TRANSCRIPT):
SUBJECT: 9252017_Interview_TR
IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE SUBMITTING THE CORRECT TRANSCRIPT FOR PARTICULAR SUBJECT OR AUDIO FILE.
Just post your questions about the guidelines through email or through our chat support.
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