Transcribe the audio using transcription software.
- Express Scribe: http://www.nch.com.au/scribe/index.html
- Transcriber: http://trans.sourceforge.net/en/presentation.php
- f4: http://www.audiotranskription.de/english/f4.htm
- inqScribe: http://www.inqscribe.com/download.html
FIRST RUN [getting started]
The first thing that I always do is listen to the audio, at
least, once and get a feel for the context and subject that is being spoken
and/or talked about and do research about the terms that you come across. So, when
you’re transcribing the audio, you know the terms and know what is going on
rather than just jumping in blindfolded.
Always, keep and maintain a text file of terms that you
encountered when listening to the audio. It would be good that you did the
research and kept the correct spellings and terminology to help you out during
the actual transcription process.
SECOND RUN [the actual]
Transcribe what you hear as fast as possible, without going
back to hear if it is right or is accurate. Use abbreviations as much as
possible and don't dwell on the correct spellings at all, especially of proper
nouns (names of people and places). Mark speakers separately using numerical
denominations unless you know the spelling (M1, F2, Male 1, Female 1, Speaker
1, Speaker 2 and the like, you get the drift, right?). If obvious, put in
punctuation, but don't dwell on it at all. This is the most time-intensive run,
so the key here is no to do anything but put down rough text unless the time it
takes to do additional stuff is negligible.
Time taken for this process should be in the neighborhood of
50-60 minutes, but it greatly varies with audio quality, speaker enunciation and
recognition of dialect/accent, crude typing speed, getting used to specific
words, and using more abbreviations.
THIRD RUN [the review]
Go over the transcribed segment with the audio again, correcting
proper nouns (names of people and places, format according to the template or
what has been given by the client) with their proper spellings, punctuation,
and first time phonetics and inaudible segments. Don't stop for spelling errors
of non-proper nouns. Put in the correct speaker names (format according to the
template or what has been given by the client, not first-time usage) using the
software.
Time taken for this process should be in the neighborhood of
25-35 minutes, but it greatly varies with audio quality, speaker enunciation
and recognition of dialect/accent, transcriber's knowledge of the subject.
FOURTH RUN [running errands]
No audio usage. This process is used at the end of the
process when you have gone through the transcribed text and have finalized the
transcript. Replace the abbreviations with full-form content (Use a macro will
greatly fasten this process and will help in quickly doing the usual ones all
at once). Proper case should be automatically done. Spell check the document
before sending it off to the client or the end person (Time and again I cannot
stress how important this is). Put in first time speaker references.
Time taken for this process should be in the neighborhood of
5-10 minutes, but it greatly varies with varies with the amount of speakers in
the file.
[NOTE: The article "Transcription Process for Freshers and Experienced Alike" first appeared on the Transcription, Online Presence, Articles, eBooks, and What Not... blog.]
[Follow: Devesh Prabhu is an avid blogger and blogs on many topics. He has been associated with the blogosphere for the past 8/9 years. You can follow Devesh Prabhu on social media through the buttons provided on the blog.]
[DISCLAIMER: All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information. These terms and conditions of use are subject to change at anytime and without notice.]
Posts
