Making Readable Transcripts
Transcribing an interview involves more than just typing the words that were spoken. Spoken language is different from written language. As a result, a word-for-word transcription can be distracting and hard to follow. However, we want to ensure the transcription is as accurate as possible, capturing the phrasing to convey the exact meaning of the speaker. Thus, a balance is needed between clarity and accuracy. Often it is easier to transcribe the recording then edit for clarity and readability, than to try to transcribe and edit at the same time.
The following information provides advice and examples for the transcription and editing process. Much of the advice is taken from the “Oral History Transcript Editing Guidelines” from the Miller Center.
Brackets
Brackets are treated the same as parentheses. In general, if the bracketed material is an incomplete sentence (ex: [laughs]), the punctuation goes outside the bracket. If the bracketed material is a complete sentence, then it should be punctuated as a sentence.
Examples
- That was the funniest thing I had ever seen [laughs].
- I wasn’t sure what to do after that. [At this point the batteries in the recorder had to be replaced.]
Contractions
Leave in contractions as they help to preserve the voice and speech of the subject.
Dialect
Do not try to indicate dialect through phonetic spelling unless it is something that was specifically said. In general, words such as “OK,” “ain’t,” and “betcha” are acceptable if they are said in the interview, but words such as “gonna,” “git,” and “wanna” are not. In these examples, use “going to,” “get,” and “want to.” There are no hard and fast rules for this, so use your best judgment.
Ellipses(. . .)
Ellipses tend to denote that material has been removed from the transcript. Thus, avoid ellipses to signify a pause in speaking. If the interviewer or interviewee pause, it is acceptable to either denote the pause with brackets (ex: [pause]) or, if it is a short pause, to leave it out altogether.
The exception to this is if the speaker trails off at the end of a sentence. In this case, use four periods (. . . .) with a space between each.
Example
- And that was how we first met. So . . . .
Em Dash
An em-dash (—) is used to signify interruptions or when the speaker changing his or her thoughts mid-sentence (essentially, a self-interruption). It is unnecessary to use the em dash (or comma) to signify a false start to a sentence. In the case of a false start, transcribe the complete sentence.
Examples
- INTERVIEWER: Could you tell me about—
SUBJECT: Oh, one more thing! There was that one time—this is about that last question you asked. I was going to—no, I can’t remember it after all. - Incorrect: I think—I think—I think it was two or three years ago.
Incorrect: I think, I think, I think it was two or three years ago.
Correct: I think it was two or three years ago.
In some cases, the speaker may start and self-interrupt multiple times as he or she attempts to answer the question. In such cases, it is not necessary to transcribe each false start, unless the false start provides useful information.
Examples
- Incorrect: And so then—I think it was—no, maybe—Then we decided to stay.
Correct: Then we decided to stay.
Foreign Words
In general, foreign words should be italicized unless they are a part of common usage. Foreign titles of address are not capitalized.
Examples
- I am currently studying haggadot.
- That was the first time I visited a mosque.
- His name is BhanteGunaratana.
Grammatical Errors
Speakers do not often use perfect grammar. Leave grammatical errors in the transcript unless they are transcription errors.
Stock phrases/place-holder phrases
All speakers have phrases that signify thinking or self-editing: um, you know, like, kind of, so yeah,and so on. These phrases may be different from speaker to speaker. They do not need to be transcribed unless it would change the meaning of the sentence. Sometimes you may choose to leave them in because they fit with the voice of the speaker, but do so sparingly. Too many instances of place-holder phrases make the transcript harder to read.