Transcriptions
KERN offers a professional transcription service to create written records of German or foreign language audio or visual material. A transcription is the result of writing down spoken texts and situations from audio and video recordings, which are available as audio cassettes, audio CDs, DVDs, and MP3 files or other file formats, such as Wave. The range of texts that need to be recorded in writing includes video conferences, telephone interviews which are the result of a data collection strategy in social research, and interviews for films and television productions, to series of lectures.
Experience has shown that an hour of audio material gives approximately 30 to 40 standard pages of typed text. The time required for transcribing audio material can be measured by a factor of five to nine, depending on the quality of the recording, the speed of the speech, and the degree of accuracy required for the transcription to be adapted for its purpose. The relatively high level of time and effort required for a transcription is due to dialects of the speakers and background noises, which make it necessary to repeatedly play back the sentences. A transcription of the audio material that contains neither gaps nor errors, and in which even small details of the utterances are recorded, even when speakers were speaking at the same time, requires the highest level of concentration.
Appropriate transcription guidelines must be taken into consideration, depending on the purpose of the transcription. Unless the client requests otherwise, the material shall be transcribed in words and in detail, i.e. not phonetically or in a summarised form. Dialectal features and sounds such as er, um, etc., are generally not transcribed. Language and punctuation are made closer to written language. Long pauses are marked by ellipses and passages of texts that were particularly emphasised are underlined; interjections from other people, laughter, or sighs are noted in brackets. Changes in speakers are indicated by blank lines and, if applicable, an anonymous designation (Speaker 1, Speaker 2). Other features of an interview situation, such as entering or leaving a room or a telephone ringing may also be of interest and can be noted upon request. After the text has been recorded in writing, a spell check must be carried out and the text must be formatted according to the client's specifications if this is requested. Following the transcription, there is also the option of having the texts translated.
So that KERN AG can give you the best possible support with transcribing your audio or visual material, your KERN project manager needs the following information:
- What format is the audio material in (MP3 files, cassettes, etc.)?
- How many minutes/hours of audio material are there?
- What kind of audio material is it
(interviews, sections of presentations, extracts from films, etc.) - What is the purpose of the transcription?
- What file format is required for the transcribed text?
- Do you have any particular formatting requests or transcription rules?
- Do you require a translation after the transcription?
We can be reached 24 hours
a day
Hotline: +44 (0) 207 831 5600
E-Mail: kern.london@e-kern.com
Fax: +44 (0) 207 831 5606
