Etranscript Digital Transcription Services

Recording Interviews for Transcription

2011-03-07T19:16:00.000+02:00

Audio quality is once again the topic today. When one considers the importance of the input gained from each research participant, some discernment must be applied to ensure that the recording is useable in terms of its viability for transcription. Researchers are often at the mercy of their participants when arranging interviews, and these sessions can therefore take place in environments that pose significant challenges to producing a recording that is optimised for efficient and accurate transcription. A staff canteen, an airport lounge or a factory floor are certainly not optimal environments in which to conduct a research interview that is to be transcribed. (We have in fact received recordings of interviews that took place in a factory.)

An audio file recently received presented a very disappointing situation to the researcher. The interview was conducted in a French-speaking country and therefore the participant spoke English with a French accent. In this particular audio file, the participant's English could be described as "broken" but probably more accurately described as "shattered". If this interview had taken place in a quiet office it would have been "doable" but this definitely was not the case. The interview took place in a truck. From what could be discerned, not only was the English very broken, indeed so was the truck. To further exacerbate matters, the truck was in motion along a dirt road for the duration of the 75 minute trip.

To sum up, we have a recording containing an interviewee speaking broken English with a very broad French accent, travelling in a broken truck along a dirt road and ... the radio is turned on, volume turned up and a chat show now contributes to the already ridiculously noisy cabin environment. Of course, a helpful and comprehensive transcript cannot be produced from audio of this nature.

Researchers need to give cognisance to the fact that the information imparted by the participant is lost if due consideration is not given to optimising the recording for transcription.

A week in the life of a Vodacom 3G connection

2009-08-31T12:23:00.000+02:00

A week in the life of a Vodacom 3G Connection

My patience has been stretched to the limit with the telecommunications service in South Africa. I gave up my Telkom ADSL line in December 2008 and switched to Vodacom 3G because at that time, Telkom's service was abysmal I had been without ADSL connectivity for in excess of three weeks. In retrospect, this was not a move for the good, Vodacom has proved to be more problematic than Telkom. I have purchased four Vodaphone 3G modems and thousands of rands worth of data bundles since December 2008 - all of which seems to have been a huge waste of money. A typical day in the life of our Vodacom 3G connections looks like this:

05 August 2009

Time: 11.21 am
Modem status: Disconnects

Modem setting: 3G only

Will only reconnect on GPRS (signal excellent). Although there is a GPRS connection, no SMTP or POP access and no internet access either. Reconnect on 3G successful at 11.23. I am losing valuable minutes of work time trying to get this modem to work properly. Reported the fault to Vodacom three weeks ago. Received an sms last week saying that a temporary fix had been made and that they await a permanent fix. Whatever! === Time: 12.40 pm Modem status: Disconnects Modem setting: 3G preferred Modem switches automatically to GPRS (signal display: excellent). Only a roaming 3G connection available. Although there is a GPRS connection, no SMTP or POP access and no internet access either. Modem cannot find a 3G signal. GPRS speeds are as helpful to me as a full disconnect. My patience is being tested. === Time: 01.55 pm Modem status: Still disconnected Modem setting: 3G preferred Vodafone software freezes. Remove modem. Terminate mobileconnect process. Delete modem from "Device" list in Vodafone software. Exit software. Reinsert modem into USB port. Software will not automatically initiate and if manually initiated, does not see device. Reboot PC. How is it possible that Vodacom is permitted to provide such an utterly pathetic service and get away with it? ===

Time: 02.05 pm

Modem status: Connected

Modem setting: 3G preferred

When reboot completes the device can be found but still only a GPRS signal (signal display: excellent). Am now able to receive email and surf the net on GPRS. No 3G possible. What a huge waste of time this is. I wonder if I can bill Vodacom for lost work hours and lost business? ===

Time: 02.13 pm

Modem status: Connected

Modem setting: 3G preferred

Although modem light is on (GPRS green) and signal display shows "excellent", there is no longer any internet access, and SMTP and POP access has been lost. I'm frustrated. I'm incensed. Trying to operate an efficient business under these circumstances is impossible. I have an urgent email that needs to be sent out - a client is waiting for it - and I have no SMTP access. ===

Time: 02.35 pm

Modem status: Connected

Modem setting: 3G preferred

3G access possible. I wonder how long it will last this time ===

This is appalling. Vodacom is supposed to be a "service provider". What service?

06 August 2009

Time: 10.00 am

Modem status: Connected

Modem setting: 3G only

Connected but no signal. Clicked "Disconnect". Modem disconnects. 3G blue light is flashing. Signal strength immediately shows as "Excellent" for 3G but cannot connect. Switch to "3G preferred". Modem seeks network and finds a "Very Good" 3G signal. Modem reconnects and although 3G signal is "Very Good" there is no internet access, or SMTP/POP access. Here we go again … Another day of Vodacom woes. ===

Time: 10.07 am

Modem status: Connected

Modem setting: 3G only

Revert to "3G Only" to force a network search. Find a "Very Good" 3G signal. Reconnect. Access to Internet, SMTP and POP restored. 10 minutes down the drain trying to find a working connection. This is pathetic. ===

Time: 11.06 am

Modem status: Disconnects

Modem setting: 3G only

Only 3G roaming available. Set the modem to “3G Preferred”. Only a GPRS signal available. Modem connects automatically to a GPRS signal but software shows “disconnected”. Click on “Connect” – signal strength is “Excellent” GPRS signal. A GPRS connection is too slow for efficient data transfer. I work with files between 50 and 120 Mb. Downloading files of this size on GPRS is unimaginably slow and impacts on our productivity. ===

Time: 11.14 am

Modem status: Connected

Modem setting: 3G preferred

Modem reverts to 3G connection. Gee, what a surprise!! ===

Time: 11.20 am

Modem status: Disconnects

Modem setting: 3G preferred

Modem switches to GPRS and then disconnects. Click on “Connect” for a GPRS setting (signal strength “Excellent”). The frustration is near impossible to verbalise. I am spitting shiny bullets. ===

Time: 11.25 am

Modem status: Connected

Modem setting: 3G Preferred

Modem switches back to a 3G connection. What the heck is going on? I was in the process of logging into an online facility. The login has now been rejected as a “Technical Error” … Vodacom sucks! Let’s try again. Nope, still a technical error (11.28 am). Although there is a 3G signal, there is internet access, SMTP or POP access. ===

Time: 11.29 am

Modem status: Disconnects

Modem setting: 3G Preferred

Modem disconnects and then switches to GPRS (signal strength “Excellent”). How much of this can a person take before you transform into a serial killer? I still have not managed to log into the online facility. Will try again now (11.32 am). Cannot log in. Data transfer is moving at the blistering pace of 0 kpbs. There is no internet access right now but do have SMTP and POP access. Should I be grateful? ===

Time 11.35 am

Modem status: Connected

Modem setting: 3G Preferred

Internet access restored. Still on GPRS. Will attempt to log in again. It just won’t happen. I give up. ===

Time 11.40 am

Modem status: Disconnected

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

Modem disconnects and flashing green – GPRS. Error prompt: RAS Error Code 631. Clicked on “Connect”. Modem reconnects on GPRS (signal strength “Excellent”). Still can’t log in (11.49 am). *&^%$#$ ===

Time: 12:40 am

Modem status: Connected

Modem setting: 3G Preferred

Just to add insult to injury, I have just swapped modems with a colleague (Joan). After a disastrous visit to Vodacare, Joan returned to the office in tears. Vodacare have again merely updated software on her modem and have been unable to make any repairs. This modem has now been back to Vodacare four times in the last two months. Each time Vodacare merely updates the software. In essence, they’re updating already updated software. We have advised them of the technical details with regard to this modem as follows:

Given that there are Vodacom network problems in our area, the download speeds listed below are pathetic, in addition to which there is a very definite problem with the E17X modem if one considers the following: On the problematic Huawei E17X (this is the modem that has been to Vodacare three times for repair): to download a 13Mb file today - download speeds achieved between 14 and 27 kbps (on 3G setting), and modem drops connection around 1.2Mb. Download speeds of between 9 and 11 kbps on GPRS and also drops connection after about four minutes. Have tried seven times to download this file but it just won't happen. Then changed to the Huawei KB3520: to download the same 13Mb file - download speeds achieved between 71 and 113 kbps and file completed download on the first attempt on 3G only setting. Same desktop computer used for the download. Again, even though the download speeds achieved on the KB3520 are abysmal, it can at least hold a connection and complete the download. The E17X is only able to hold the connection on the GPRS setting for surfing the net but can't hold this connection when on a download exceeding 1Mb. The additional modem initialization code doesn't improve matters at all. While I understand that part of the problem can be attributed to Vodacom's current network problems, that does not explain the huge difference in performance between the two modems. When we first purchased the E17X modem, downloading large files was possible on the 3G setting for the first month of its use. This modem has been giving us problems for six months and despite desperate pleas for assistance, Vodacare insists there is not a problem and merely updates (already updated) software and firmware. If Vodacom does not have the skills to diagnose and repair the modem fault, it is surely ethically bound to replace the modem. It cannot be denied that there is a problem with this modem when one considers the performance differences between the two modems, and it is therefore a logical conclusion that if Vodacom keeps handing a faulty modem back to us, they do not have the skills to repair it. In essence, we are being punished for Vodacom's lack of technical skill - this, in addition to the fact that there are huge and long-standing network problems. It's absolutely intolerable that Vodacom continues to do business in this way.

Vodacare is an oxymoron!

It’s fairly obvious that this modem has additional problems that Vodacom are unable to diagnose and repair but they refuse to replace the item. Joan had received a written undertaking from Vodacare that they would replace the modem but when she went to Vodacare this morning, they had changed their mind and just handed back the broken modem, saying that the software had been updated. This is absolutely appalling. To see a 60-year-old lady being reduced to tears by Vodacom’s no-care, stuff-you attitude, is more than I can bear. I have therefore taken over the problematic modem and Joan now has my modem. This should be fun …. NOT. ===

Time: 3.44 pm

Modem Status: Disconnects

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

Modem disconnects. Click “Connect” and modem again makes an HSDPA connection. Sign strength: “Excellent” but no SMTP, POP or Internet access. POP, SMTP and Interne access restored at 4.00 pm. ===

Time: 4.42 pm

Modem Status: Disconnects

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

Modem disconnected, Vodafone software freezes. Had to force quit the software and restart it. A connection was then possible. There is just no end to this battle. ===

Time: 7.22 pm

Modem Status: Disconnects (RAS Error Code 631)

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

Modem disconnected. Manual reconnect – modem running on 3G. Huh? That's ridiculous. ===

Time: 9.01 pm

Modem Status: Disconnects (RAS Error Code 631)

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

Modem disconnect. Cannot re-connect. Reconnects at 9.50 pm. ===

Time: 12.00 am

Modem Status: Disconnects

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

Modem disconnected. Manual reconnect successful. ===

Time: 12.17 am

Modem Status: Disconnects

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

Modem disconnected again. Surely there can't be a demand on the network at this time of night? ===

It's pitiful but true ....

7 August 2009

Time: 10:58 am

Modem status: Disconnects

Modem Setting: 3G preferred

Modem disconnects. Immediate manual connect possible. Why is this darn connection so unstable? Why is Vodacom not able to rectify this problem? I’m paying a large amount of money for a service that I'm not getting. It's deplorable. ===

Time: 11:22 am

Modem Status: Disconnected

Modem Settings: 3G Preferred

Modem Disconnects and immediate manual connect possible. As usual, the signal strength is "Excellent" but the connection is unstable, the service is patchy, and the customer support is non-existent. Vodacom sucks! ===

Time: 11:28 am

Modem Status: Disconnected

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

Modem Disconnects and reconnects again. No internet, SMTP or POP assess available. Full access restored at 11.46 am. Vodacom said that they would contact me when the network issues had been resolved. I have not heard from them in over two weeks. Considering that the serious network issues started eight weeks ago, we first reported the issue six weeks ago, and were told two weeks ago that there was a temporary fix, can I assume that Vodacom is unable to resolve the problem? Is it incompetence or is it unwillingness? Whatever it is, it is not acceptable that Vodacom is permitted to continue treating their customers in this fashion. ===

Time: 12.59 pm

Modem Status: Disconnected

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

Modem spontaneously disconnects yet again. Immediate manual connection made with "Excellent" signal strength but within six seconds the modem disconnects once again – "Mobile Connection Not Possible". ===

Time: 2.20 pm

Modem Status: Disconnected

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

Was out of the office for a while. Returned to a GPRS only single. Only 3G on roaming available. No POP, SMTP or Internet access. ===

Time: 2.35 pm

Modem Status: Connected

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

Still only GPRS available. No Internet, POP or SMTP access. GPRS is of no use to me at all. This is as good as having no connection at all. Have changed modem setting to 3G only but only a roaming 3G signal available. Right now I'm desperate enough to settle for receiving mail slowly – but even that is not possible. Way to go Vodacom!! Today you have risen to new heights of incompetence. ===

Time: 2.43 pm

Modem Status: Connected

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

Still only GPRS available but Internet, POP and SMTP access has been restored. Oh goody !! ===

Time: 4.00 pm

Modem Status: Connected

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

Still only GPRS available. Why? For heaven's sake, why? ===

Time: 4:35 pm

Modem Status: Connected

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

3G connection now. I need to get some tasks complete quickly before GPRS sets in again. ===

Time: 5.45 pm

Modem Status: Disconnects

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

Modem spontaneously disconnects – "Mobile Connection Not Possible". Only a GPRS signal received. AM I supposed to be grateful for small mercies – I did after all have uninterrupted 3G who almost an hour? Oh no, I pay for 3G uninterrupted, quality service … which I'm most definitely not getting. ===

Time: 6.05 pm

Modem Status: Disconnects

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

Modem spontaneously disconnects – "Mobile Connection Not Possible". A 3G signal now found and connection made. Best hold my breath now … ===

Time: 6.19 pm

Modem Status: Connected

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

Modem is connected – blue light, 3G, signal strength is "Excellent" – yet no POP or SMTP access. Access restored around 6.20 pm. ===

Time: 10.46 pm

Modem Status: Disconnects

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred Modem disconnects again –"Mobile Connection Not Possible". Modem finds 3G connection again and manual re-connect. I had not needed to use email or Internet for at least two hours and in this time the modem was idle. As soon as I attempted to load a web page the modem disconnected. ===

Time: 11.31 pm

Modem Status: Disconnects

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

Again needed to use the Internet and as soon as the browser attempted to load the page, the modem disconnected and Vodafone software terminated. The modem now has a flashing blue light – this usually implies that a 3G signal is available. Will have to manually initiate the software to re-connect again. When doing this, the modem connects once again. Signal strength: excellent – again. Once again tried to load the same web page and the modem disconnects. Vodafone software quits and then re-initiates automatically and then shows error prompt: RAS Error Code 631. At the same time that this error prompt appears on the screen, the modems finds a 3G network connection and re-connects. Again, the RAS Error Code 631 prompt appears but the modem remains connected. I try to load the web page again but the same process happens again. It would appear the modem will connect but as soon as demand is placed on the modem to actually transfer data, it disconnects. This process repeats again at 11.33 pm, 11.35 pm, 11.36 pm. BTW, I'm working late to meet a deadline and need Internet access to complete my work. The same connect-disconnect process repeats at 11.40 pm. I will continue with other work in the meantime. I can only hope that some sort of stable connection will be possible within the next few minutes. Never consider Vodacom as a possible 3G service provider. They do not resolve issues, cannot repair modems and deliver the most appalling level of 3G service imaginable. ===

8 August 2009

I continue with my Vodacon (not "com") topic ... Being a Saturday and having been laid low with bronchitis, my first Vodacom connection was around 10.30 am today. Guess what? Yup, 2G only. For the entire day (and it's now 6.00 pm) I have had only a GPRS connection. The log of Vodacom troubles that I have experienced is mirrored by the other three modems being used by my colleagues. That's R10 000.00 worth of 3G USB modems that have been a complete and utter waste of money. In order that I am at least able to send completed work to my clients, I then have to swap to using an MTN SIM card which, by the way, easily finds and holds a 3G connection. This does however involve purchasing additional data bundles to use the MTN SIM card. This is not an easy remedy to our problems as the the Vodafone software is not suited to an MTN service. It gets a bit complicated and my primary option is therefore still Vodacom. The Vodacom data coverage map clearly indicates that the area in which I live and work is an HSDPA area. Back in February, March and April of this year Vodacom's service was more stable. I know therefore that decent download speeds and a continuous 3G connection are a technological possibility - but apparently has become a Vodacom impossibility. I will continue ...

9 August 2009

Time: 12.15 pm

Modem Status: Connected

Modem Setting: 3G Preferred

I connected around 10.00 am this morning. So far we have only had GPRS signal. At around 11.50 am we lost POP, SMTP and Internet access. Go Vodacon!!! I have reverted to using the Huawei KB3520 as the E172 modem is hopelessly unstable. 6.30 pm Modem Status: Connected Modem Setting: 3G preferred It's been GPRS speeds the entire day. Frustration levels are off the scale.

26 August 2009

There is still no resolution to the Vodacom connectivity issues although there has been some improvement. A 3G connection is now possible most of the time. We are averaging about four disconnects per day, per modem. Usually all the modems disconnect at the same time - except for the Huawei E172 which is now on an MTN connection. Those of us still connected to Vodacom experience between one and two disconnects during the day. These disconnects result in a switch to GPRS for anything between 10 seconds and 10 minutes, or sometimes up to an hour. The switch to GPRS usually entails no POP, SMTP or Internet access. In the evenings at any time around 7pm and 9pm, there is a continual disconnect-reconnect process that goes on for about an hour-and-a-half to two hours. There usually is no swap to GPRS, merely the disconnect and reconnect.

Last week I was busy downloading a 300 Mb file and, I kid you not, had achieved 88 percent of the download when the modem disconnected. I then had to re-initiate the transfer. In essence, I wasted almost 300 Mb of a very expensive Vodacom data bundle. Way to go Vodacom!! Money for jam. So while connectivity has improved somewhat but is still not stable enough, download speeds remain horrendously slow. I think Vodacom have worked their data donkey to death. Hopefully they'll consider purchasing another donkey in the not too distant future.

I still have not received a follow-up telephone call from Vodacom to say whether or not the temporary fix is now a permanent fix, or if the problem is still being worked on. I have to assume that 10 weeks down the line, they have still been unable to resolve the problem.

The Devil's in the Details

2009-08-04T17:51:00.000+02:00

Every transcriptionist or typist has a couple of words in their repertoire that, no matter how many times we type the word, more often than not we get it wrong. My pet words in this category are: individual, difficulty and significant. (See the pattern?) These are essentially simple words but ones in which I habitually transpose letters. Thinking that I may well be the only transcriptionist experiencing this particular problem, I broached the subject recently in a transcription forum and to my relief I discovered that most transcriptionists have a couple of "devils" in their repertoire too. It would seem most of us adjust auto correct to fix errors of this type or consciously slow ourselves down when typing these words. When all else fails, practice makes perfect! So ... this individual has significant difficulty ... this individual has significant difficulty ... this individual has significant difficulty ... this individual has significant difficulty ...

Transcription - it's not as simple as that

2009-06-11T09:52:00.000+02:00

I have read a number of articles of late that suggest a set of headphones and a computer is all that is required to be a transcriptionist. It really is not as simple as that. These basic hardware items will set you up to transcribe an audio file but THAT IS ALL it will do. These hardware items will not ensure that you are a successful transcriptionist and one that is able to produce work of an acceptable quality. Producing high-quality transcribed work entails far more effort and ability than merely using a set of headphones and a computer.

For instance, a competent medical transcriptionist requires an immense amount of knowledge to produce accurate medical reports. He/she requires a comprehensive knowledge of medical terminology, human physiology, pharmaceuticals and medical protocols. Likewise, a person peforming legal transcription is required to have expert knowledge of legal terminology, legal process and legal documentation.

A transcriptionist that transcribes one-on-one interviews is required to produce a transcript that is meaningful and coherent. If the transcript does not meet these two basic requirements, it is almost useless to the researcher. To produce a transcript that is meaningful and coherent requires some knowledge of the subject matter - and this may require some research on the part of the transcriptionist to get up-to-speed with the lexical demands of the discussion. Thereafter, a keen ear for subtlety and nuance and the ability to convert this to written language is one of the most important abilities required by a transcriptionist.

An addition to the above, a competent transcriptionist is not your Joe Average - or Josephine Average. A transcriptionist possesses certain traits and abilities that allow him/her to be successful in this particular industry.

A person with a keen eye for detail (preferably a perfectionist) is a good place to start. Transcription is the kind of work that requires consistency of effort. A transcriptionist may find a particular interview or subject matter somewhat tedious, and yet even though she is working late into the night to complete it, is required to deliver a product that is error-free and coherent. Punctuation takes on a new dimension when transcribing spoken language into written language. Where you place the comma can change the meaning, the tone and therefore the understanding of what is transcribed. Additionally, the transcriptionist is required to interpret the verbal input, tone and general sense of the discussion and lay it down in writing in a way that accurately reflects these aspects. It is this level of detail that a transcriptionist is required to maintain throughout all of her/his work.

A person that possesses a lower that usual need for kinaesthetic expression would be a person more able to cope with the sedentary nature of this work. If you are an energetic soul with a need for a significant amount of social interaction, then transcription is probably not going to be a wise career choice for you. The nature of this work is such that you will spend hours seated in front of your monitor. Transcription work does not require you to run to the office next door, or downstairs to the accounts department. A transcriptionist remains seated for most of her/his working day.

You will no doubt have gathered that a transcriptionist requires a level of language competency that is significantly higher than that of the average person. You must know where to use "dependent" as opposed to "dependant", or "ilia" instead of "ilea". Spell checkers only check the spelling; they are often inaccurate within contextual requirements. Additionally, a transcriptionist working with the English language will require comprehensive knowledge of language conventions that are typical to the country of origin. UK English language norms vary considerably from the English spoken and written in the US. The transcriptionist is therefore required to have the capacity to demonstrate an expert level in both spelling and punctuation in order to deliver a quality transcript or typed document.

A transcriptionist must be a responsible, diligent and conscientious worker. Your goal is to generate an accurate document in as short a time as is possible. This requires you to remain focused on your work and your deadlines at all times. Some transcriptionists work in home-office situations. Many people are of the opinion that working in a home-office environment offers an easy lifestyle and one that affords a parent time with their children and the opportunity to perform chores. (And some even believe that sleeping late is possible!) This could not be further from the truth. Transcription work is demanding, time intensive and there are always deadlines that must be met. My personal experience is that I have less time for myself and my family than when I worked in a corporate environment. The only benefit I see in working in a home-office environment is that I no longer have to deal with the morning and evening traffic. As for the rest of it, you get up early, you work late and you work very hard, just as you would in a regular job. You will need to be a disciplined and dependable worker and therefore one that your customers can rely on. Regularity is a must.

A transcriptionist must possess the ability to adapt to changing situations and be flexible in their work routine. Work schedules will change according to work flow demands, and hence the transcriptionist must be able to move from one priority to the next without becoming disrupted or causing undue delays to current projects. Keeping a manageable work schedule is sometimes a balancing act of extreme proportions but one that is key to maintaining a positive working relationship with clients.

Finally, the trait of persistence is without a doubt the most important trait of all. Transcriptionists are required to work long hours at high concentration levels and must therefore possess the capacity to follow through with work requirements until the work is complete. Work that is interesting is a joy and will keep you absorbed for hours but it will happen that some projects are not as interesting and it is that much more difficult to maintain focus. Work of this nature will sap your energy and push your frustration levels off the scale. Even at these times, a transcriptionist is required to persist until the end. Slog on!

You will no doubt see that there is more to transcription than a set of headphones and a computer. Beware of those that offer transcription as an easy way to make extra money. It really is not that easy.

A conscientious transcriptionist will focus on the quality of his/her work as being the single most important factor in maintaining their client base. Without the above mentioned capacities and traits, this will not be possible.

Finally, it must be said that transcription work is not for the faint-hearted. This is demanding work and better suited to those that possess the traits and capacities mentioned above.

New Heights Towing - Angels in the Night

2009-06-08T13:33:00.000+02:00

Being unable to find any site on the net that provides the opportunity to compliment a company for their outstanding service, I have created a blog entry to do just that.

I very strongly recommend New Heights Towing to anyone who may need a towing service ... you will indeed be in the very capable hands of professionals.

To Majam and friends, thank you very much for all that you did for us.

Uncompressed Audio Files

2008-03-13T08:01:00.004+02:00

When recording audio for transcription purposes, and especially when recording interviews and multi-participant meetings or hearings, it is imperative that you record the interview in an uncompressed file format such as "wav". This format ensures the best possible audio quality and will therefore result in a transcript that is coherent and accurately reflects the input of the participants.

As I have mentioned before, the environment in which the recording takes place is an important factor to consider if the recording is to be transcribed. In instances where you will need to record a qualitative research interview in a public place, recoding in a "wav" format is the only option. The "high-resolution" of a "wav" file will allow the transcriptionist to attempt to process this file in order to minimise background noise or to gain additional volume. Although I usually find that this is not necessary with "wav" files as the clarity of the input is sufficient to allow for efficient transcription.

All digital files have an extension. For example, a MS Word file can be saved as a "doc" or "dot" file. Audio files work on the same principle. In other words, "wav" is the three-letter extension that will appear after the name of your audio file e.g. interview1_Jones.wav or sessionA.wav.

Please refer to the manual that you received when purchasing your recording device in order to choose the correct settings to record a "wav" file. Some devices refer to an "LP" setting. The "LP" stands for long-playing and will record in a compressed file format such as "mp3" or a proprietary file format associated with your recording device. Do not use the "LP" setting for interviews.

Web hosting anger and a new website

2008-02-13T10:48:00.007+02:00

My levels of frustration are soaring. My existing website is loading so slowly that I am sure that my prospective clients are just as frustrated as I am right now.

I have taken the matter up with my ISP but they have told me that the problem is caused by a network connection outside of the scope of their responsibility. My email requests for further assistance have been ignored.

I therefore had no choice but to set up another site as I have no idea how long it will take to remedy this problem. My existing clients can therefore continue to upload their audio files via the new site.

I will now concentrate on the page ranking of the new website .... aargh... I need this like I need a hole in the head ...

Ciao Ciao

MY intellectual property

2007-09-12T08:03:00.001+02:00

I am spitting shiny bullets. Someone has taken information from my website and added it to their own website. This is theft and I am angry.

The is the second time this has happened to me. The intellectual property laws of South Africa protect my website information. If you take MY information, it's theft and I will treat it as such. I discovered this theft over the past weekend and pursued the website owner and host with vigour. The matter was concluded yesterday when the offending website was shut down. Darn!

The website owner claims that she didn't know that she couldn't take the information. What? It took me hundreds of man hours to assemble this information. Hundreds more to tweak and hone the information on an ongoing basis and many years of experience and research added to this. And you think you can merely copy and paste MY information? If I had to convert my time, effort and revenue generation into rands and cents, it's worth thousands and thousands of rands. I am therefore highly territorial about my intellectual property. Be warned!

Aargh (end of vent...).

Transcription of Podcasts

2007-05-22T07:43:00.000+02:00

I have read a number of articles with regard to the transcription of podcasts and SEO. It stands to reason that if the bot is looking for keyword density and oodles of text, it is going to be beneficial for you (the blogger or website owner) to have the podcast transcribed to text and then to post the transcript on your website. Your site visitors could even download copies of the transcript if they so require (and if you deem this permissible).

Audio podcasts are most often saved in MP3 format which (although a slightly compressed audio format) delivers a good quality of audio. The MP3 audio file format is compatible with our transcription software. Other audio file formats such as wav are also compatible with our software. It is a recommended practice to first record your podcast in wav format and once you have edited and tweaked the sound file, you then save it as an MP3 before uploading it to your website. You could therefore send either the wav file or the MP3 file for transcription (via our website). Our software is compatible with many audio file and video file formats, a list of these is posted on our website.

Once we receive your audio file, we will transcribe it for you and return a transcript to you in MS Word format. You will then be able to quality assure the transcript and add any finishing touches. It's as easy as that!

Audio Quality

2007-05-01T08:14:00.000+02:00

Audio quality is one of those topics that I frequently discuss with clients. I had a conversation with a client today on this very subject. Mr Client had recorded a security meeting on his cellphone. I am not a cell phone fundi and made the assumption that he must have some sort of state-of-the-art cell phone with a superior external microphone that actually has the capacity to capture voice input effectively.

When I received the audio from him, I did a test transcription which resulted in a transcription ratio of between 1:15 to 1:20, depending on the speaker. This means that it would have taken me 15 hours to transcribe one hour of recording. The charge rate then becomes too expensive and the resulting transcript is peppered with "inaudible" gaps. Sometimes we just have to admit defeat and classify it as "not viable for transcription".

We receive many interviews conducted in noisy restaurants. I think this happens as a result of a researcher offering her interview subject a meal as a gesture payment for his time and knowledge. It could be that the interview subject might feel that he is not able to speak openly at his place of employment and therefore chooses the friendly atmosphere of a restaurant where he feels more comfortable to speak about the research subject.

It just so happens that a restaurant can be a very noisy place. Adding to this, speech becomes a little more difficult to discern when the speaker has a mouth full of food. There will be moments of distraction when the waitress takes the order, serves the meals, does follow-up visits or when friends or colleagues happen to visit the same restaurant. The transcript could look something like this.

Stacey: How were you made aware of the new policy?

Peter: Well I went to the - thank you, that looks delicious - I went to the implementation meetings ... mm, this calamari is delicious - the implementation meetings were taking place on a weekly basis - would you like to try some of this?

Stacey: Ah, no thanks. I'll stick with my schnitzel.

Peter: Oh okay. Yeah, so I knew all along that the policy was in the pipeline and that the implementation was going to happen in the early part of the year. Oh what's that?

Waitress: It's the sauce you ordered.

Peter: Oh thanks. Yeah, so I knew about the policy from the start. Could you pass me the salt?
Stacey: Sure. So when was the policy actually implemented?

Peter: Thanks. Yeah, it needs a bit of salt. I think I'd like to order a glass of water as well. I guess the waitress will be back in a few minutes. Sorry, your question - oh yeah that's better --

Stacey: When was the policy implemented?

Peter: Oh yeah. Well it was planned to happen simultaneously with the commencement of the FY but then there were some glitches that happened --

Stacey: Glitches? What happened?

Peter: -- kind-of toward the end of the testing phase and we had to wait for --

(inaudible cross-talking)

Peter: Ah yes, could you bring me a glass of water please?

Waitress: Certainly.

Peter: Yeah, the implementation. The effective date was the 1st of June last year but it was supposed to have been the 1st of March ... and yeah, the system went live and we had the usual teething problems but it wasn't too bad.

Stacey: You mentioned that you experienced some glitches during the middle of the testing phase. Could you expand on that a little please?

Peter: Well we were waiting for HR and the operations guys to finalise the restructuring before we could commence with the training. You see what happens is ... um, this calamari is really good. So yeah, the training needed to happen before we could go live and the policy implementation had to happen around the same time. It was a sensitive situation because we didn't want to --

Waitress: Here's your water.

Peter: Thanks. We didn't ... yeah, so it didn't happen until about the end of March I think.

Stacey: What didn't happen?

Peter: The ... the finalisation of the ... the restructuring process. You see - Rob, hi man. Good to see you.

Okay, so we usually omit the food compliments when doing the transcription but a verbatim transcript would look something like the above sample. Now imagine the above discussion taking place in an environment that now has another 50 patrons also conducting conversations across the table. Throw in a dose of Kenny G in the background and the same 50 patrons speaking even louder to make themselves heard above Kenny G. Now add a mouthful of food to the speaker ... and we have what we would call "challenging" audio. It is standard practice for transcriptionists to increase their rates when transcribing an audio of such a nature. It stands to reason that it is going to take a lot longer to transcribe a one-on-one interview conducted in a restaurant, than one that was recorded in a less noisy environment like an office or lounge.

To put this in some sort of context, even the presence of an air conditioner in a meeting room can muffle the voices of the participants. Obviously this is less impactful than the guffawing of the restaurant patron sitting at the table next to you. As insidious as white noise can be (or supposed to be), it can make a significant difference to the quality of the audio presented to the transcriptionist.

So when planning the recording of your next hearing or meeting, remember to minimise background noise where possible. It is just not possible to eliminate background noise altogether but you can make small adjustments like closing windows to minimise external traffic noise or requesting participants not to move around the room unless absolutely necessary. Remind the participants that the session is being recorded and where possible to project their voices strongly and direct themselves towards the microphone. For more information about recording environments and audio quality, please visit our website.

Video Transcription

2007-04-30T11:08:00.000+02:00

Our transcription service offering was recently expanded to include video transcription. We had up until this point only transcribed digital audio. After receiving a number of enquiries for video transcription, we decided to purchase the requisite software and equipment. As both the software and equipment required was only available in the US, the purchase was expensive but I believe it has been a worthwhile investment.

I was apprehensive at first, wondering what issues we were going to come up against while we learned the new software. I am happy to report that there have been no major issues as yet, other than bandwidth constraints in South Africa. It is not always feasible to use FTP (even less feasible with https) to transfer these files electronically. It would seem that the best option is still to save the files to DVD and have these couriered to us.

Nevertheless, it certainly makes the transcription of group sessions such as hearings, conferences, meetings and training sessions a lot easier to transcribe, especially when the camera has been moved to focus on each speaker. Attributing names to voices is no longer a complex and cumbersome process of making sound bites for accurate voice-name attribution. I do suspect, however, that it will be a long time (if ever) before businesses will use video recording as opposed to audio recording for conferences and meetings. Here in South Africa, many companies are still recording onto standard audio cassette.

Using audio alone for the recording of a 10-member meeting presents some challenges to the transcriptionist. I use audio software to make soundbites of each voice and this certainly helps to make accurate voice-name attribution but it is not perfect. This system only works if all members remain seated in exactly the same position and always project their voice in the same direction. A voice that is captured speaking directly toward the microphone can sound significantly different when the person turns to speak to someone at the other end of the table. This is the primary contributing factor to the increased turnaround time for the transcription of group sessions. The benefits of making a video recording of a meeting or training session would therefore be reduced cost and improved accuracy of the transcript.

We recently transcribed a video of a meeting held between parties who were attempting informal mediation to resolve a number of issues. The transcript produced from this video included thumbnails of the diagrams drawn on the flip chart and the whiteboard (this cameraman was definitely awake). Besides the fact that it was very interesting work for me, I'm sure the transcript will be a valuable tool during the parties' preparations for court. (Yup, the mediation was not successful.) However, our client was very happy with the transcript and believes he will now be using the camera more often. Excellent idea!

We have also been transcribing videos of interviews to be used in the making of a local documentary film. In total, there were about seven hours of video (and an additional two hours of audio). I transcribed all the video and my colleague transcribed the audio. We were able to complete the entire project in one working week. We now look forward to seeing "our work" on local TV.

Diverse Knowledge for Transcription

2007-04-29T18:04:00.000+02:00

The knowledge I have gained as a transcriptionist is not limited to my field of work. Transcribing interviews, meetings, reports and the like gives me insight into businesses, lives, issues and information and that I would otherwise never be exposed to. (Of course, the specific content of my work is strictly confidential and will never be discussed in this blog but I will refer to my work on a more general level.)

I recently completed a number of interviews conducted by a researcher in the IT field. My experience with this subject had up until this point been specifically in the context of IT outsourcing. The first day or so was a bit rough as my learning curve deviated on a vertical path skywards. In all honesty, IT-speak is in a league of its own. Whole sentences can be formed consisting of little more than a litany of acronyms; and terms that bear little resemblance to the spelling thereof e.g. iSCSI is pronounced "iscuzzy". Huh? For the IT informed, iSCSI is "iscuzzy" but to the average Joe, iSCSI is i-S-C-S-I. Yup, it's a mouthful and I understand why the IT folks would transform it into "iscuzzy" (I am yet to understand what the term actually means though ...) By the way, iSCSI stands for Internet Small Computer System Interface. I'm still clueless as to what that means. As time goes on, I will of course understand this too ... I hope.

I usually Google myself to death for the first few days and from then on it becomes easier as the terminology becomes more familiar to me.

I have learned heaps about product branding, many aspects of HIV/AIDS, resource allocation, education, apartheid, domestic violence, politics, call centres, decision-making theory and the list goes on and on. While I'll never have the depth of information required to get my PhD, I have accumulated loads of knowledge and can hold my own in a discussion about retractable syringes and even adult learning. I have a very long way to go before I'll even consider entering an IT discussion. I am, however, very happy to announce that I do now know the difference consolidation and convergence ... No, really.