How Does a Transcription Work?

Understanding Transcription

A transcription is a word for word dictation from audio to text. This transcription is usually ordered by a client and done by a professional. Transcription is used in many industries including the medical, educational and entertainment fields, as well as any other field in which text is needed to help clarify a recording.

Process of Transcription

The process of transcription is done by playing audio files, segment by segment, and typing in text what is being said. The transcription is done verbatim, except in the cases of stuttering, nervous repetition of words, and "ums" and "uhs." Other words may be changed or omitted dependent on the company or client specifications. The transcriptionist is also required to have a superior knowledge of the English language, using correct spelling and punctuation where necessary. The professional must also be able to hear the difference between homonyms and contractions.

Tools of Transcription

A transcriptionist can use a series of tools to help in their transcription. The speed at which people speak and the quality of their diction on audio recordings can vary dramatically. Some may speak at such a speed and clearly enough that the transcriptionist can easily type at the same speed without stopping and rewinding the audio. However, most audio recording are not like this. When the audio on the recording is not clear, or the person talking is speaking too fast, a transcriptionist will often use a transcription pedal. This pedal allows the transcriptionist to rewind and pause the recording while still having her hands free to type. Some transcriptionists will also use technology to slow down the audio. This allows the the transcriptionist to keep up with the speed of the audio. Some transcriptions will also use voice recognition typing technology. This technology recognizes what is being said by the speaker on the audio and automatically transcribes it to text. However, since most programs have a hard time determining homonyms and contractions, and may also mistake what is being said. This is why this type of software is not recommended for transcription use.

Medical Transcription

A unique aspect of transcription work is medical transcription. A medical transcriptionist takes dictations by doctors and translates them to text for charts and records. This field adds the necessity for the transcriber to have some amount of medical knowledge, especially medical terminology. Most medical transcribers will also use medical and prescription dictionaries to help them spell difficult diagnosis and drug prescriptions.