Understanding the Art of Transcribing

Saying transcribing, the conversion of audio material into written or electronic text material ...

14:01 01 November 2020

... is only typing is similar to calling da Vinci’s Mona Lisa just a painting. Though drawing such a parallel would slightly seem to be unfair but transcribing is nothing less of an art form. In the early 1970’s the job of a transcriber, the person translating the text, was a rather tiresome one, to say the least.

 

It was often required for a transcriber to be present on location, but with the introduction of cassettes and walk-mans, this task has become much simpler to do. Flash-forward another half a century with the help of the Internet, the job of a transcriber has become an ideal scenario. However, with more manufacturers in every sector switching towards the guidance of online transcription services there is a constant debate about the accuracy and security of the method.

 

Types of Transcription

 

There are typically three types of transcriptions: verbatim transcription, intelligent transcription, and straight transcription.

 

• Verbatim transcription draws the requirement of a transcriptionist to listen to a ‘live’ speaker. We use the word ‘live’ loosely here because this can be in the form of an audio or video recording. From there the transcriptionist is required to type every word and sound that they hear. This can range from filler words such as “uh” “um” and “hmmm” or patterns of speech such as laughter, cries, pauses, etc.
  
  
• Intelligent transcription too requires the transcriptionists to notate every nuance of the live cast and audio or visual recording; however, it is not to be as literal as a verbatim transcription. The point of an intelligent transcription is to include relevant speech minus all the fillers.
  
  
• Our last type of transcription sets the most breathing room for our transcriptionist. Straight transcription requires a ‘blank slate’ mind-set to where the transcriptionist is typing out documents based on text or audio recording dealing with medical records, emails or even sometimes a series of documents. At times sensitive material is left out leaving the transcriptionist to give their input based on contextual clues.
  
  

Proceed With Speed

 

All three of the transcription forms require a sense of patience and skills. The speed of highly advanced transcriptionists averages around 120 words per minute (wpm). Where most professionals range anywhere from 80 to 95 wpm, the average typing speed of a non-professional is usually around 50 wpm. Knowing this only stresses the importance of hiring a professional transcription service to handle your project. As they can save you time, money and deliver a quality grade product.

 

Transcription Companies in South Africa

 

Every single project at AfroLingo leads to one mission: the complete satisfaction of our customers. We understand that a task as challenging as transcribing requires the skill set of highly trained professionals, therefore, we offer the state of the art technology to our translators allowing them to get the job right the first time with all the added security benefits. By offering our transcription services in Johannesburg, we hope to capture the essence of the melting pot the region has become. Our in-house native translators can cater to over 20 different languages globally and having helped more than 150 clients localize their business in the African subcontinent, we would like to extend the same opportunity to you. For further details and inquiries, contact us today.