Transcription Tips

Avoid using speakerphones and cell phones whenever possible.

Speakerphones and cell phones can interfere with the quality of the call or cause breaks in the conversation that cannot be transcribed. Also, speakerphones pick up background noises such as shuffling papers, scraping chairs, coughing, etc., which can drown out speakers' comments.

Identify speakers.

For the most accurate transcription, speakers should identify themselves each time they speak (i.e., "This is John, and I think" or "This is Jane, and I'd like to add..."). Since we won't have heard their voices before, it is extremely difficult to accurately identify each speaker otherwise. If this is impractical, speakers should introduce themselves at the beginning of the call and at least the first few times they are speaking. Those few sentences MAY help our transcriptionist accurately identify a voice. Whenever possible, provide a participant list.

Speak slowly, clearly and do not talk over another speaker.

With multiple participants, people often tend to talk at once, making the conversation extremely difficult to decipher. Try to speak one at a time so that we can pick up the conversation in its entirety and better identify the individuals.