BEST MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION CENTER IN PALAKKAD

TYPES OF TRANSCRIPTION

Transcription services have evolved and kept pace with the way businesses communicate among one another and with customers and the public. The shift from written to audio and video content has significantly increased the demand for transcription, which converts speech and select written materials into a written or electronic text document.Although transcription appears straightforward, it’s a challenging, specialized service that requires distinct skill sets. It begin by understanding the client’s specific requirements, then determine which transcription type will best meet their needs—edited, verbatim, intelligent verbatim, or phonetic.This guide defines and explains transcription types, describes who uses transcription services and why, and provides examples to help you launch a successful transcription project

.Examples of when you would need transcription

Practically any kind of information done in almost every medium may need transcription, including audio files, videos, and written materials.Audio transcription: Audio files, such as recordings and podcasts, are commonly transcribed into readable, written text.  ‍Written materials: Written PDFs and handwritten materials such as notes, letters, and manuscripts are routinely transcribed. Transcription of written materials may include converting multiple notes into a single, readable text document or extracting copy from brochures and similar materials to create a text-only layout.

Four common types of transcription

We’ve covered the kinds of materials transcription applies to, now let’s delve into transcription types—edited, verbatim, intelligent, and phonetic. Each has positives and negatives. The type of transcription you’ll choose depends mostly on the purpose you have for the transcribed content. Also, keep in mind that transcription to written text offers improved access to materials for the deaf and hard of hearing community.

Edited transcription

Edited transcription is where the complete, accurate script is formalized and edited for readability, conciseness, and clarity. Edited transcription addresses issues like grammatical mistakes, slang, and incomplete sentences. When transcribing from written materials, edited transcription also corrects spelling and punctuation and can make the spoken words sound more formal.

Yet edited transcription doesn’t apply to everything. Let’s say you’re transcribing an autobiography recorded by the author. In the example below, we highlight how using edited transcription would change the author’s voice.

Unedited: “My mama told us—me and my brother and sis, ‘Y’all shouldn’t complain about having to eat your veggies at suppertime.’”

Edited: “My mother told me and my siblings not to complain about having to eat vegetables at dinner.”

`Verbatim transcription

Verbatim transcription is the written form of spoken language converted from video and audio files. Capturing every sound made, it can include throat clearing and verbal pauses such as “ah,” “um,” and “uh.” It indicates when laughter and noises occur, such as a phone ringing or a door slamming. It can be indispensable when translating a video or an audio recording produced in specific legal settings.

Non-verbatim transcription, in comparison, may omit laughter and background noises, verbal pauses, and throat clearing, and clean up incomplete sentences. Imagine the witness testimony below (a fictitious scenario created solely for illustrative purposes) in verbatim and non-verbatim transcription styles. Which transcription style do you think should be used? The answer probably depends on whether or not you’re the defense attorney.

Verbatim: “I ah saw the er red (snickering) pickup truck hit the uh (6-second silent pause) the pedestrian.”

Non-verbatim:  “I saw the red pickup truck hit the pedestrian.”

Or suppose you’re transcribing statements from videos of your CEO for the annual report, and her fourth-quarter earnings audio includes some coughing and throat clearing due to a cold. The example below highlights why verbatim transcription isn’t the right choice.

Verbatim: “We not only beat our fourth-quarter (sniffing, clears throat) earnings projections but exceeded our projections for the first three quarters (cough) as well.”

Non-verbatim: “We not only beat our fourth-quarter earnings projections but exceeded our projections for the first three quarters as well.”

Intelligent verbatim transcription

Intelligent verbatim transcription edits out distracting fillers and repetitions from the spoken word. The intent is to provide a more concise, readable transcript while staying true to the participants’ voice and intended meaning. Examples of adjustments made with intelligent verbatim transcription include:

Filler words: Unnecessary words such as “you know,” “yeah,” “like,” and “hey” are removed.

Removes pauses, coughing, and general noises: Anything irrelevant to the topic or that interferes with the voice of the person speaking can be omitted, including nonverbal and verbal pauses, background noises, and coughing or sniffling.

Phonetic transcription

Phonetic transcription notes the way spoken words are pronounced using phonetic symbols.

Although the English language has 26 letters in the alphabet, there are around 44 unique sounds called phonemes. A phoneme is the smallest unit of speech that can make one word different from another. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a standardized representation of speech sounds in a written form that applies to all languages. 

 An example is when a word changes in pronunciation over time. For instance, if you’re transcribing a period movie not spoken in modern English and the word quandary is used, then a phonetic transcription of quandary would be appropriate. This is because originally, the second syllable in the word quandary was stressed, whereas the first syllable is emphasized today. Another example would be differences in dialects. There are four different dialects in the United States. Using the word caramel as an example, the second “a” tends to get dropped as a vowel once you’re west of the Ohio River. If you wish to retain the dialect in which the word was spoken, use phonetic transcription.