Transcription Workshop
Why
transcribe?
If you want your interview to be easy to use and accessible for other researchers, you should take the time to transcribe. Transcription is the process of typing word for word both the questions and the answers from your interview into a word processing program on a computer.
Once transcribed, your audio or video documentation becomes a written document as well. Although many researchers may be intrigued by an audio interview, they often do not have the time to listen to hours of tape and prefer to scan an index or browse through a transcript for information they need.
Digital recording devices simplify transcription because the digital "files" can be imported into your computer through a USB cable or removable memory cards/stick. Many recorders come with software that allows you to advance, pause/stop and rewind the recording using keyboard strokes or the mouse. The software can be used to perform simple editing (such as minutes of dead air when an interview ends) or to slow down the recording if it is difficult to hear.
Take
time with your text
Transcription
and indexing are the most time-consuming part of the interview process.
For each hour of recorded interview, FOUR to SIX hours are usually required
for transcription. This of course depends on the speed of the typist,
the clarity of the recording and how fast the interviewee speaks.
Identify the interview in the transcript. Identify the name of the interviewee and date of the interview on the first page. Explain any abbreviations you are using (such as first and last initial) to indicate who is speaking. At the bottom, number the pages of the interview and include the total number of pages in case the pages become separated (example: John Smith interview, page 1 of 35, etc.).
Try to allow the transcript to reflect people's natural language patterns. Often, people speak in sentence fragments or thoughts and do not always use proper English. Do NOT correct this language in the transcript, but use ellipses and dashes to reflect the natural pattern of speech.
Make notations and corrections in the transcript. Sometimes the person interviewed gets their facts or dates confused; you may correct or clarify this in brackets or a footnote. Sometimes there are pauses or side conversations that interrupt the interview; you can make a note (such as "phone ringing" or "dog barking") in brackets. If the interviewee gets emotional or laughs, you may choose to make a note of this in brackets
SAMPLE Transcript:
John Smith Interview
Date: 4 December 2006
Location: Dover, Delaware
JJ: Jane Jones, Interviewer
JS: John Smith
JJ: This is Jane Jones. It is Saturday, November 4th, 2006. I am in Dover, Delaware with Mr. Smith. And your full name is, sir?
JS: John Alexander Smith.
JJ: And would you tell me your date of birth?
JS: July 17th, 1922.
JJ: O.k. Tell me about the place you were born?
JS: I was born on a farm outside of Dover. My father raised corn and vegetables and…excuse me [coughing] we had dairy cows.
JJ: Where exactly was the farm?
JS: It was located up on Appleside [Appleton] Road.
JJ: What did your mother do to help out on the farm?
JS: Well, when I was eight, my mother…[becoming emotional] passed away from pneumonia.
JJ: How horrible! I imagine that must have been very difficult for the
whole family. How were the children cared for after that?
Indexes create interest
Indexing is an important part of the transcription process. An index is a list of the various topics covered in the interview according to when it appears on the recording, enabling the researcher to pinpoint the location of the topic and find it either on the recording or in the transcript
When the interview is playing, a counter on the computer screen will show the hours, minutes and seconds. As soon as a new topic is introduced, the transcriptionist can pause, make a note of the time on the recording and the topic discussed. This may be done by hand on a notepad and later typed into a legible interview log (see Appendix for Interview Log template). Topics may be noted as often as every 2 minutes, or as long as every 5-7 minutes, remembering that a more detailed index will prove more helpful to researchers.
Index Example:
INDEX--REED
ARTS
AUTOMOBILES, 8
BAKING, 9
BOATS, 14
CHRISTMAS, 8-9
DEATHS, 5
DEPRESSION OF 1930s, 5
FARMING METHODS, (besides threshing), 3
FURNITURE, 1, 20
HOMEMAKERS CLUBS
history
of, 1-2, 8-11, 12-13, 17-18, 19-21
lessons, 1, 11, 17-18, 19-20
problems
of, current, 20
IMMIGRANTS, 14
IRONS
MILKING OR MILK PRODUCTS, 3, 4, 7
NARRATOR'S VIEWS
on
child-rearing, 12
on
crime or crime prevention, 13-14, 15
on
divorce, 12
on
homemaking as a profession, 2, 6
on youth of today, 13
PARTIES, 8-9
RADIOS, 3
SCHOOLS, attendance at, 3, 4-6
SEWING
clothing,
3, 9-10
handwork,
other than quilts, 20
quilts,
20
SEWING MACHINES, 9
STOVES
TELEPHONES, 3
TORNADOES, 16
TRAVEL, recreational, 8, 12
WASHING CLOTHES, 2, 3
WORLD WAR II, 7-8, 10
Archive for access
With all of the work that you have put into your research and interview, you should make plans to archive your work. You may choose to save your own research for future use, or look for a suitable place to donate. If yours is a local subject, inquire at a local historical society, library or museum to see if they maintain an oral history collection or would be interested in your interview.
Subjects more national in scope may fit in better at another institution, such as a college or university that specializes in the subject matter. Even if an organization is unable to accept your oral histories, they may be able to suggest an appropriate repository.
The techniques and paperwork recommended in this guide are the best way to insure your oral histories will be accessible to researchers in the future. Since no one will be as familiar with the subject as you, document every step in the process and leave a paper trail.
Some of the most important details to remember include: identifying the interview subject, place and date on the recording; obtaining a signed release form; transcribing the interview into written format; completing an index of topics; providing citation and sources for all documentary materials; and making multiple copies of all information (hard copies and computer disk/CD copies). Finally, you may even choose to organize your information in acid-free, archival folders and boxes, available through museum supply catalogs (see Resources).
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