Section One: Most Common Requirements
These are the transcription guidelines we provide to our transcriptionists. Our goal is to capture all spoken English audio content only and transcribe it into clean verbatim text format. If your media contains only song lyrics, or a foreign language is spoken with subtitles on screen, the transcript should be [MUSIC] or [FOREIGN] respectively. We encourage customers to provide special guidelines if a different format is required.
Rule |
Instruction |
Example |
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Clean Verbatim Transcription
Your transcripts provide captions for deaf and hard of hearing viewers! |
Transcribe the audio content exactly as heard, but leave out
Exceptions:
Use correct American English spelling and grammar. No exceptions. When transcribing dialogue, leave out any filler words that interrupt the primary speaker.
*You may be directed to transcribe True Verbatim (transcribe exactly as said) on jobs with Special Guidelines pop-ups |
Spoken: Transcribe as: Spoken: Transcribe as:
Spoken:
Transcribe as:
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Transcript Format Beginning of HITEnd of HIT |
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Transcript Style Consistency is key! |
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Sentence Format
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Do your best to make coherent sentences out of the speaker’s speech patterns. It is perfectly acceptable to start a sentence with ‘And’ or ‘But’ in transcripts. |
So tomorrow we will see the Challenger- Spoken:
Transcribe as:
Spoken: Transcribe as: |
Names and Industry Jargon
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Exception: Some company, software and other names are not capitalized or contain unique titles with numbers etc. Represent them as they represent themselves. Note that the logo is separate from the company name. |
Massachusetts, freemium
The people working at Apple are very nice.
W3 Communication is located over there.
My iPod is broken. |
Speaker Change Flag for tasks with Multiple Speakers |
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Hey Charlie. >> Hello Amy, how are you? >> Just fine Charlie. >> [LAUGH]
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Punctuation Marks
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Do not use
Exception: If specifically shown on-screen in a title or a line of code, then these punctuation marks may be included.
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I was talking to him and he said yeah, I'd love to go see The Wizard of Oz. |
Silence, Sounds and Non-Verbal noises
All plot-relevant audio content should be recorded in your transcript.
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Check your sound settings before submitting [BLANK_AUDIO].
All sound tag shortcuts available on the right side of media tool. Do not make up your own tags.
Spoken: I know that we all want to work towards equality, (audience applauds for a second or two, overlapping the speaker's next word or phrase] but it's not always easy when
Transcribe as:
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Static In Audio |
Ignore it. Don't type sss to denote sound. If the clip is nothing but static, then use bbb.
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[BLANK_AUDIO] |
Noisy Lecture Halls |
Ignore it. Don't type sss or nnn to denote the noise. (It is not relevant to the content of the lecture) If the clip contains unintelligble crowd noise, please use bbb.
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[BLANK_AUDIO] |
Audio Issues and Cut Off Words |
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Section Two: Spelling & Grammar
1. Accepted Spellings
As part of Clean Verbatim transcripts, spelling should adhere to the following rules:
Correct |
Incorrect |
Example |
---|---|---|
All right |
Alright |
All right, are we ready to get started? |
Okay / OK button |
Kay, ok, Mkay |
Okay, when you’re ready to get started click OK. |
Mm-hm |
Mmm hmm, Mmhmm, |
Mm-hm, I agree. Mm-hm. |
Uh-huh |
Uh huh, Uhuh |
Uh-huh, I understand you. |
etc. |
etcetera |
Use webinars for classes, presentations, sales, etc. |
2. Accepted Slang
Our system will automatically correct the following slang terms, transcribe them as spoken. Example: speaker says "kinda", transcribe as kinda not kind of. If they say "kind of", transcribe as kind of.
If not included in this list, please transcribe the full, correct word as shown in your favorite dictionary. Example: speaker says ‘em, always transcribe as them.
Correct |
Incorrect |
---|---|
Yeah |
Ya, yea |
Cuz |
Cause, cus |
Yep |
Yip, yeap |
Gonna |
Going To |
Kinda |
Kind of |
Sorta |
Sort of |
Wanna |
Want to |
Gotta |
Got to |
3. Contractions
Rule |
Instruction |
Example |
---|---|---|
We'll vs. Well |
1. We'll is a contraction of we will, without the apostrophe, well, has a different meaning. |
1a. We'll meet in the morning. 1b. You have done well on this assignment. |
Let’s vs. Lets | 2. Let's is a contraction for let us, without the apostrophe, lets, is a synonym for allows. | 2a. Let's go to the beach tomorrow 2b. This ski pass lets you ski all season. |
I'm vs. Im |
3. I'm is a contraction of I am, i’m and Im are not correct. | 3. I'm looking forward to the weekend. |
Should’ve vs. Should of |
4. Should’ve is a contraction of should have, should of is not correct. | 4. You should’ve been there, it was awesome! |
Who’s vs. Whose |
5. Who’s is a contraction of who is, whose is a possessive of who. | I know a woman whose kids study there. >> Who’s that? |
4. Homophones
Rule | Instruction | Example |
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Section Three: Punctuation
Rule |
Instruction |
Example |
---|---|---|
General Punctuation |
Exception: If you are confident the HIT ends mid-sentence leave the sentence without punctuation. |
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Discouraged Punctuation Marks |
Exception: When punctuation is shown on screen in computer programming media, on-screen formatting takes precedence over punctuation rules. |
I just read The Hunger Games. She said my email address is support@cielo24.com. |
Speaker Interruption |
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Jiminy Crick- |
Punctuation and Numbers |
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Sentence Style & Breakpoints |
Hint: Generally 40-60 characters is the optimal sentence length. Ideal Transcript: |
Too long: Too short: |
Section Four: Numbers
Write out numbers zero through ten, numbers above ten represent with numerical digits.
Rule | Instruction | Example | |
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Writing Out Numbers zero through ten |
Write out all numbers zero through ten, unless they are part of the following:
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These are two of the ideas that I want to share. Spoken: Shown on screen: Transcribe as:
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Numerals for Numbers 11 and above |
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Imprecise Number Amounts |
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Range of Numbers and Consistency |
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Ordinal Numbers – First, Second, Third, etc. |
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Roman Numerals |
Use Roman numerals to describe sequences like in wars, events, or people. |
World War II, King John II, |
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Percentages
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Spoken: Transcribe as: |
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Decimal Numbers |
If the number is less than one, then use a leading 0 before the decimal point. |
0.7 seconds, 0.5%
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Year |
No apostrophe necessary when referencing the time period.
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The 1980s, the 60s |
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Age |
Don’t add zeros when referencing age range or quantity. |
She is probably in her thirties. He wrote hundreds of pages. |
Section Five: Sound Quickies
Sound Quickies are for representing nonverbal parts of media. There are several rules to follow;
- Use sound tags to indicate sound, noise, music, or periods of silence in transcripts. One tag per section of uninterrupted sound.
- Transcribe all plot-relevant sounds, music, blank audio to describe the audio content of the media. For example, if the HIT is primarily a gun fight with the musical soundtrack played simultaneously in the background, transcribe [NOISE] for the gunfight, ignore the music.
- Type short code in all lowercase letters mmm and all Tags in uppercase [MUSIC]. All else will be incorrect.
- Do not add punctuation after standalone sound tags.
Rule |
Instruction |
Example |
---|---|---|
Blank Audio Blank Audio tags are imperative for correct timing of video captions. |
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bbb or [BLANK_AUDIO] Spoken: On screen: Transcribe as: |
Indiscernible Audio
(Try to use as rarely as possible) |
Notation can be used to replace one word, or a phrase that cannot be heard. Incorrect Format examples:
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iii or [INAUDIBLE] |
Crosstalk
(Two or more speakers talking at once) |
Use when two or more speakers talk simultaneously and their words cannot be distinguished. Incorrect: tt, TTT, (??), etc. |
ttt or [CROSSTALK] |
Unknown
(Try to use as rarely as possible) |
If absolutely not sure of the word, use uuu or [UNKNOWN]. |
uuu or [UNKNOWN] |
Guess
You’re making a reasonable spelling guess based on the sound or context. |
Phonetically spell the word and append /g to the end. Google for correct spelling before using /g. |
Onomatopoeia/g |
Laugh |
Speaker laughs or giggles. May be mid-sentence or a standalone tag. Use a speaker change between laugher and previous speaker. |
lll or [LAUGH] Spoken:
Transcribe as: |
Music or singing |
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mmm or [MUSIC] |
Sound
(Heard Phone Beep, Mechanical Noises, Distinct Background Sounds, sighs, non-verbal utterances etc.)
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sss or [SOUND] or nnn or [NOISE] |
Cough
(Cough or throat clearing noise) |
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ccc or [COUGH] |
Foreign Language |
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fff or [FOREIGN]
Spoken: Transcribe as:
Spoken: Transcribe as: |
Applause |
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aaa or [APPLAUSE] |
Bleep |
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xxx or [BLEEP] |
Section Six: Currency and Time
Rule |
Instruction |
Example |
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Dollars and Cents |
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I owe you $12 for lunch today. The startup raised $1.2 million in round one. The profit margin is $0.50 per unit. |
Bucks |
If the speaker says ‘bucks’ instead of 'dollars’, spell out bucks.
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25 bucks |
Foreign Currency |
When transcribing foreign currency, type out the word for it, rather than the symbol.
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I just visited England and I have 100 pounds left over from the trip.
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AM and PM |
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1:17 PM or 1 PM |
12 o’clock |
If the speaker says o’clock transcribe it as heard.
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12 o’clock not 12:00 o’clock |
Military Time |
If spoken as x hundred hours, use the 00:00 format. |
17:00 hours |
Section Seven: Math & Science
Capture the audio content of the HIT in your transcript, use the video to guide your formatting of any numbers, variables or terms that the speaker references.
Go by audio first, use video for clarifications.
Rule |
Instruction |
Example |
---|---|---|
Equations |
Exception: cielo24 transcripts do not support the following symbols:
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Spoken: Shown on screen: Transcribe as: |
Notations (+,-,x, /) |
If not shown on screen, transcribe the spoken word instead of the symbol. (In math equations, still keep numbers as numerals even if under 10.) |
Multiplication: 4 times 7 equals 28. Division: 28 divided by 4 equals 7. Addition: 2 plus 2 equals 4. Subtraction: 2 minus 2 equals 0.
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Squared, Cubed, Power etc. |
For all equations involving exponential numbers, use the spoken word. |
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Negative Numbers |
If not shown on screen, for all mathematical notations involving negative numbers, use the spoken word. |
3 minus 4 equals negative 1. |
Trigonometric Functions |
Spell out all trigonometric functions, do not abbreviate. |
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Fractions |
For all mathematical notations involving fractions, transcribe the spoken word. |
1 plus 1 and two-thirds equals x. |
Variables |
All mathematical variables (a, b, c, x, y, etc.) should be written lowercase unless shown in the video or specifically spoken by the instructor as uppercase. |
Spoken: On screen: Transcribe as: |
Scientific Terminology, proper names |
Research name or term to ensure proper spelling. Simply input the phonetic spelling of the term into your favorite search engine to check spelling. Transcribe your best guess and append the word with /g if you are not sure.
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Leibniz notation |
Professor writing on board |
If the speaker makes noise while,
and all else is silent for 2 or more seconds, transcribe as [BLANK_AUDIO]. |
Spoken: On screen: Transcribe as: If we want to minimize J(theta), [BLANK_AUDIO] Then we’ll need to take the derivative |
Section Eight: Computers & Software
Capture the audio content of the HIT in your transcript, use the video to guide your formatting of any buttons, tabs, or other elements of the computer interface.
Rule |
Instruction |
Example |
---|---|---|
Shift |
Shift |
Shift-click to select all of the files in the folder |
Alt (And other keyboard combinations) |
Alt |
If it Sounds like : Hold alt, control, delete. Transcribe like this: Hold Alt+Ctrl+Delete |
Option |
Option |
Option+N creates the ñ character. |
Command |
Cmd |
Press Cmd+Z (Mac) to undo the last action. |
Control |
Ctrl |
Press Ctrl+Z (Windows) to undo the last action. |
Enter or Return |
Enter or Return |
Then hit Enter. |
Arrow up / arrow down |
Arrow up or arrow down |
Press the arrow up or arrow down keys to increase or decrease the pen diameter. |
Comma |
Spell out symbol keys like “comma” |
Press Ctrl+comma to increase the brush size. |
“Dot” and File names |
When a speaker says “dot” DO NOT spell it out, transcribe it with a period. Transcribe the final version of the file name as it appears on screen. |
My email address is xyz@yahoo.com.
Spoken: Transcribe as: |
Space bar |
Space bar |
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F three (or any function key) |
Transcribe as the letter and numeral |
F3 |
Double-click |
double-click |
Double-click the border symbol to open it in symbol editing mode. |
OK button |
Follow the spelling and formatting shown on screen in the computer interface. e.g. Capitalize words that are shown as capitalized in the computer interface. Only use this spelling, OK, when referring to the computer command. |
I'm gonna go to the Emulate tab, select Mobile Devices option, then click OK. |
CamelCase and code formatting (Writing compound words or phrases so that each word begins with a capital letter.)
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Follow on-screen formatting in computer-related HITs. If a line of computer programming code shows specific spacing, capitalization, and punctuation, use the same in your transcript. |
I will be using PowerPoint today. Use the onCreate method. |
Software names |
All software and company names must be spelled correctly. If you are not sure, look it up to find correct spelling and formatting.
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Spoken: Transcribe as: |
File Path Instructions |
When the speaker instructs the user to go to a menu or to press a certain combination of keys, use the following conventions, with a space on either side of the “>”. |
Spoken: Transcribe as: |
Section Nine: Internet & Contact Information
Rule |
Instruction |
Example |
---|---|---|
Spelling a Name, Address, Word, etc. |
If a speaker spells out a last name or street or something, indicate the recitation of letters with hyphens in between each letter. |
My name is Christina, C-H-R-I-S-T-I-N-A. |
Internet |
Internet must always be capitalized. |
You must have a stable Internet connection to work on Mturk. |
URLs |
Transcribe the final web address even if the speaker has completely spelled it out. |
Spoken: Transcribe as: |
Emails |
Transcribe the final email address even if the speaker has completely spelled it out. |
Spoken: Transcribe as: |
Telephone Number |
Transcribe the final telephone number in digits and dashes form. |
My cell number is (123)-444-5555. |
IP Addresses |
Transcribe the final IP address in digits and periods form. |
98.182.30.194 |
Hashtags |
If used as a word in a sentence, spell out the word hashtag. If used in the format #blablabla use the pound sign, # |
Contact me at the hashtag shown below.
Spoken:
Transcribe as: |
Twitter handles |
Use the at sign, @, when someone references their twitter handle |
Find me on Twitter @AshleyEsqueda. |
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