Helping to get good interview/focus group transcriptions

In order for an interview/focus group to be well transcribed, it needs to be conducted and set up in the correct way, irrespective of how many voices there are. Just like decorating, preparation is key.

The room in which the interview/discussion group is conducted should be the right size - no point in having an auditorium for a one to one interview. It may possibly sound unnecessary, but the better the acoustics the better will be the end product.

It should also be free from extraneous noises, so only the interviewer(s) and respondent(s) are captured on file. Don't try to conduct an interview in a canteen or outside by a motorway!

The microphones should be of good quality (worth the extra cost) and placed at the correct distance from all parties, so every person can be heard clearly. Experiment before the interview to get the optimum distance. If the equipment allows, and the interview is a multi-voice focus group, don't just have one microphone as some voices may end up faint and difficult to hear properly.

It is imperative that the interviewer keeps control over a multi-voice focus group. There is absolutely no point in having a general free for all and having people over speaking - a transcriptionist's nightmare. Some over speaking is inevitable, but it should not be the norm. Where possible, it helps if each respondent can introduce themselves prior to speaking, so that they can be annotated accordingly, if this is required. This is not always that practical, but trying to discern different voices can be difficult and very time consuming.

Try to avoid stutters, ums and ers, mumblings, repetitions and non contributive agreements during speech - such as okay, right, sure, yeah etc. These are very time consuming to transcribe if the transcript is to be Total Verbatim - where everything that is spoken is transcribed.

Punctuating people's speech can be quite daunting. Unfortunately, people tend not to speak in grammatically correct sentences at interview or discussion groups, so punctuation can be awkward. However, the transcriptionist should do their best to punctuate so that the spoken word makes as much sense as possible - so often you see great long speeches with little or no punctuation, making it very difficult to read. Having a good command of the english language, its grammar and its foibles is a prerequisite for a good transcriptionist and an audio transcription company should ensure that their transcriptionists are both confident with and competent in the english language.

By default, many interview and focus group transcriptions are typed as Intelligent Verbatim by many companies, as this is normally good for the majority of clients. It avoids including stutters, repetitions, and including non contributive agreements. Plus the fact they tend to be much cheaper!! However, it is imperative that you tell the transcriptionist how you want it - Total Verbatim or Intelligent Verbatim.

Much of the above also applies to telephone interviews, but here you have to be aware of the quality of the telephone connection. Additionally, overspeaking can be a little more difficult to avoid as there will be no visual clues as to when a person is about to stop speaking completely. This could be more apparent with conference calls.

And one final point to consider; try to remember about accents. For example, a very strong Scottish accent may be almost impossible to understand by someone who is not Scottish. Likewise, foreigners speaking English with strong accents are equally daunting. Consequently, these sound files can be very time consuming and will almost certainly cost more to transcribe.

About the Author
If you would like to learn more about our Digital Audio Transcription Service, please visit our website SJH Transcriptions and we will willingly discuss your needs with you. We aim to be competitive and always work with our customers to ensure the best possible transcription.
Source: http://www.goarticles.com/

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Transcriptionist Needed!

Are you ready for a new career? The transcription profession is very lucrative and challenging. Transcription is the process of listening to what someone dictates in a recorder and typing it into a text editor or word processing application, such as Word. The completed transcript is then returned to the dictator or the company the dictator works for.

First, Make sure you have the basic skills and qualities of a transcriptionist. Since most jobs are paid on production, the necessary skills required for productivity will be essential.
Second, you must have a good educational foundation. Without appropriate education in your chosen transcription specialty, it will be difficult getting a job. A good transcriptionist who understands grammar and spelling will always be in demand.

What does a transcriptionist do?
Transcription involves receiving dictation by tape, digital system or voice file and use of head phones and foot pedal for start-stop control and a word processing program.

A professional transcriptionist's job is to convert the audio documents or recordings into typed format using transcription equipments. If it is a taped dictation, then the transcriptionist inserts it into the transcriber. With foot pedal and head phones attached to the transcriber, he/she hears the recording and transcribes that into text, making sure all information are correct.

Skills required for a transcriptionist
As with all transcription careers, general transcription requires excellent English skills - grammar, punctuation and spelling - as well as proficient use of the computer and word processing programs. Technical ability is also important. Most jobs are transferred electronically, over the internet. A general transcriptionist must have a simple method for sending and receiving files. If you are working as an independent contractor offering services, it will be necessary to know what methods are available for file transfers over the internet. You must be able to communicate effectively with clients how to utilize the file transfer system.
Some of the basic skills and responsibilities of a transcriptionist include-

1. Good keyboarding or typing skill
2. Computer skill
3. Good communicational and organizational skill
4. Able to sit and type for long hours
5. Should meet deadlines
6. Good at using reference material
7. Be a good editor

General transcription doesn't require any special training courses. You just need an eye for detail, good typing speed ands lots of common sense. But medical and legal transcription requires training to learn terminologies in their specific field. Whether you work outside the home or from home, this is one career where you will have to self disciplined.

Transcription services are always in demand and this is the perfect service to provide from home. A transcriptionist can work for various companies and individuals, transcribing voice recordings into text. All he/she needs is a computer, a head phone, a foot pedal and transcription software and you can set up your own home transcription office. Though each employer may have different equipment requirements, once you have the essentials, you will find you already have what you need for most jobs.

Salary/remuneration
Remuneration is attractive in the transcription industry and one can scale the heights at a very young age. Compensation for transcription service can range from hourly wages to payment for number of lines transcribed.
A beginner transcriptionist can make up to $10 an hour depending on the area of the county in which he/ she lives. These days, many transcriptionists prefer to work from their home offices rather than commuting to the office on a daily basis. The technology has also enabled transcriptionists to work for companies in remote locations, all from the comfort of their home office. The remuneration of a transcriptionist working from home depends upon their productivity as per their speed and accuracy.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
Ajay Prasad is the President of Global Marketing Resources, an Orange County, California based company. GMR Transcription is a unit of the company and has been providing accurate and affordable Transcription Services of all types over the years. Transcriptionist Needed is yet another project of the company to look for quality transcriptionists.

Transcription - Making Your Life Easier

When it was first used and aired over the radio, the word transcription drew large attention and become the gist of the public’s conversation. Newspapers also have many data about and everybody who can read it become interested in getting into it.

Being a transcriptionist, working on transcriptions offers a different kind of job opportunity. It is a task that you can get fond of, aside from that you will also be earning more money as compared to other jobs.

However, does working as a transcriptionist present to you the greener pasture you are looking for?

Quality transcription generally means providing the client with the clearest and most comprehensive drafts that the clients look into. In order to achieve this goal, the company makes sure that they get highly experienced transcriptionists and the best audios that can be acquired.

The work somehow leads to pressure, aside from being a deadline-driven business; it also needs a full precision. All the information that you will be hearing over the audio, you must be able to transcribe it accurately. The clients always seek for an output that is both credible and reliable.

The companies also have to make it sure, that they will deliver the complete transcripts in the quickest time as possible. Aside from accuracy, deadline is another important consideration. Once the client has given a particular cut-off limit, by whatever means, it has to be delivered.

The value of a transcription will vary on how the clients assess the work that these transcriptionists accomplished. The increase or the decrease on the number of their clients will also depend upon the quality of output that the transcriptionist produced.

Most of the noted formats that are accepted by the transcriptionist are the following:

1. Court tapes- This will be comprise of the coverage of court hearings be it in higher or lower courts. It will also include testimonies from both of the parties involve in a particular case.

2. Interviews- This will also include the dialogue usually between the interviewer and the interviewee.

3. Board Meetings and Conferences- The important agenda of the meeting are necessary things to be discussed and taken into account.

4. Roundtable Discussions- this refers to either a formal or an informal manner of laying discussing things out by a group.

5. Medical Advisory Groups- Usually, this is one of the most in demand services in transcription at present.

6. Video and Film Time Coding- Clients who are in the field of movie editing are offered these services.

On the other hand, when it also deals with the transfer of your audio in various media types, you can do it on neither of the audiotape, Compact Disc, CD-ROM, DVDs, and some can be transmitted to videocassettes. There are several preferences so that it will be easier for you to transfer the data from the audio that you needed.

The entire task in transcription needs to be done precisely. The transcriptionists make it sure that they are able to make all the necessary omissions, corrections, formatting and other technical tasks that must be done before sending the outputs to the clients.

The companies also provide for several trainings and reviews for their transcription to keep track that the quality of their work is for the better.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides transcription resources on http://www.abouttranscription.info.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/