Transcripts must be accurate. So, how do you transcribe audio that contains topics and words you are not familiar with?
Transcriptionists must be able to quickly research words and topics. Research will help you better understand the content of the recording, use the correct words, and spell words and names correctly.
Here are 10 tips to conduct research and deliver accurate transcripts.
- Research words and industry terms you're not familiar with.
- Learn about the industry. If you’re doing a transcript about Internet marketing, you are expected to understand terms like Google AdWords, Pay Per Click, Clickbank, and CJ (Commission Junction). If you're not familiar with those terms, you'll have to research them.
- Verify the spelling of names, company names, product names, and cities.
- Use search engines to check the spelling and meaning of words you’re not familiar with.
- Become familiar with advanced internet searching techniques to quickly learn about any topics you need to transcribe.
- Make sure to use reputable sources. Choose the most suitable and reliable resources for your research. For example, go to an online bookstore like amazon.com to verify the spelling of an author's name. If a recording mentions Internet marketing gurus like Frank Kern, Guy Kawasaki, Yaro Starak, and Daniel Scocco, go to their website to verify the spelling of their names. Go to the company’s website to verify the spelling of a company or an employee's name.
- Consult well-established reference guides.
- Consult a legal dictionary to research legal terms.
- Use common sense. If a speaker dictator mentions incorrect information and something doesn't make sense, you should be able to detect it and flag it.
For example, if the dictation is about a problem on the left leg and later the speaker mistakenly recommends amputation of the right leg, you must notice it and flag it. Or, if you hear “The dog was dense,” but the content of the recording refers to the weather, common sense should tell you that the speaker said, “The fog was dense.” - Ask your client to give you a list of participants' names, unusual names, and terms used in the recording. Or ask your client to confirm the spelling of the names mentioned in the recording.
Here are three ways to use Google for transcription research.
- Use Google to check the spelling of a word: Google's spell checker automatically defaults to the most common spelling of a word, even if you spelled it wrong. So, you can guess the spelling of a word, search it in Google and if it’s incorrect, Google will give you the correct spelling.
- Use Google for searches to get the meaning of a word. Just put “define” in front of a word to get its definition.
- Find medication information: Search the name of a generic or brand-name prescription drug and Google will display a summary and description. You can also click through for more information about side effects, dosage, and precautions from the National Institutes of Health.
It's important to generate accurate transcripts. You have to spend time researching the spelling or meaning of words you're not sure about. Search engines are great to search for information quickly and check the spelling and meaning of words. You can also use traditional research tools like dictionaries and thesauruses.
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Research is an important skill for transcriptionists. And Janet covers research techniques in her course.
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