So (thanks to you) I now understand what time-stamped transcriptions are, fundamentally, and I downloaded the Express Scribe software you generously provided...but here's my question:
How are the time-stamps normally formatted into the doc and at what intervals? Is there any standard way you do it when the client hasn't specificed? I'm assuming they're typed (07:59:03) or (19:59:03), that kind of thing?
Are they placed on in the margin or in the body of the doc itself? Are they normally at the bottom of each page? every 500 words?
I wish I could see an example of a transcription report with time-stamps on it.
Hi thanks for your question on time stamping transcription. Now usually a client wants time stamps to be used where you the typist cannot understand a word or section of audio, so you would time stamp that section. I usually do it this way: I put an * in front and then as an example if the word I can't get is at the 44.21 minute mark of the audio I would insert *44.21 at that exact point in the paragraph. Then the client just searches for all asterisks in the document and finds the time stamps and listens to that portion of the audio and they may be able to get that word or name or place that I can't get.
Some clients, very rare in my experience want time stamps to appear at the top of every page for instance so I would just put the time eg: 21:10, 32.20 at the top of each page. Also some audio I get is so bad that instead of time stamping the hell out of the document and having pages of paragraphs full of time stamps, I merely put a time stamp at the top of each page and one around half way down each page on the left margin. I advise the client I'm going to do this or sometimes the client advises me, saying it's a bad audio, so just time stamp each page twice.
So basically time stamps are used to highlight sections of audio that you the typist couldn't understand, but that your client may be able to understand and pick up later. I even time stamp names if I simply don't know how to spell them properly, I type them phonetically, but time stamp them as well.
I also don't time stamp down to the absolute half a second, etc like you indicated, ie: 44:21.5, that's never been necessary in my experience.
Also when I've finished a document I go back myself naturally to hear the section of audio that I've time stamped and by listening again I am often able to understand that section and take the time stamp out and put in the correct word or words. It's amazing what you pick up the second time around hearing the audio again and also once you've finished a transcript right through you sometimes more clearly hear names of people, places, specific terms that you earlier time stamped in the document and then you are able to fill those blanks in later on.
Here is an example of a time stamp being used:
"Welcome everybody to the financial results presentation. My name is Joe Bloggs and I am joined here today by Michael *0.29 who is our chief executive officer of the Hong Kong branch."
In this example I didn't catch Michael's surname. I would first Google his name and try and find his surname that way, but if that fails then I leave the time stamp in. About 50% of the time I find people's names by Googling them.
And with words you simply cannot hear and you know your client won't hear either I type in with no time stamp, because there's no point. Other clients want .......... typed in, it just depends on client instructions or I just use my preference.
