How to format copy time function in ExpressScribe transcription

When using the copy time Hot Key function in ExpressScribe it is easy to format how the time appears in your transcript in the following way. 

In the ExpressScribe interface click Options > display

As you can 
see in the image, under the Time Format section there are Prefix and Suffix boxes, where you can add brackets (open bracket in prefix and closing bracket in suffix). I have added a square opening bracket in the prefix box and a closing square bracket in the suffix box. Therefore, when I copy and paste the time into my transcript it will appear like this [0:08:58.7]. This time is obviously just an example to show you how the format appears. Of course, you could use any format that suits you, for example: ((?0:08:58.7)). In this example one would place ((? in the prefix box and )) in the suffix box. 

This is a really handy tip if you are a transcribing interviews for example. It makes it easy to insert time stamps into transcripts or to mark the time of an inaudible word in a transcript. 

We hope this has been useful and saves you lots of time in your transcriptions in the future. 

Alternatively, if you would like to outsource your transcription, King Audio Transcription & Typing Services in the UK would be happy to give you a quick quote. Please visit our main website at www.kingaudio.co.uk and use the contact page to contact us. 

Focus Group Transcription: Guide for having focus groups transcribed

There are some aspects to consider when deciding how much detail you will need to include in your focus group transcripts to meet the needs of your project.

For example, if the focus group participants need to be identified in the transcript by their name, initials or participant 1 (P1), participant 2 (P2) etc this is a more expensive option for focus group transcription as it is a more time-consuming process for the transcriptionist.

A good analogy for why this is more time-consuming is imagine you are with a group of people you have never met before and you are blindfolded (apologies for my terrible doodle). Now try to identify each person by their voice. This is what it will be like for your transcriber listening to the focus group recording, although the transcriber will have the benefit of being able to rewind and listen again and again.

For this type of focus group transcription an experienced transcriber will need to keep a detailed record of each participant and the characteristics of their voice to refer to throughout the transcription and will, more often than not, have to flick backwards and forwards through the recording to pinpoint and double check voices.

One of our recent clients found a way around this by interjecting with the individual’s name each time a new participant spoke, which made the focus group transcription less complex and therefore a cheaper process.

Alternatively you might consider that it is not necessary to identify the participants but to give each new speaker a new paragraph in the transcript. Again, this is a cheaper option.

It goes without saying that a good, clear and audible recording is necessary for focus group transcription.

For more information and to get a price for focus group transcription visit the King Audio Transcription & Typing Services Focus Group Transcription page.

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