If you want a transcript that can be read smoothly without any errors in grammar or word usage, it pays to take a few extra minutes during the recording of the interview or matter itself. After all, speech that is easy to understand makes it possible for a transcriptionist to beat any deadline you set as well.

  • In order to get a good quality recording, the first step is to invest in quality recording equipment. While there are many clients who prefer to use good old audio tapes or even a Dictaphone, digital recording is clearly a notch higher. In fact, many transcriptionist agencies like EQ Trans allow clients to upload a digitally recorded file directly on the home website as well.
  • Depending upon the number of people who are participating in a discussion or interview, care should be taken to give a good quality microphone to each participant. This ensures that each participant can talk slowly and clearly allowing not just the other participants to hear what has been said but it also helps a transcriptionist decipher each word more accurately.
  • Participants must be reminded to talk clearly into the microphone and at a pace which makes listening to the speech a pleasure. Although, humans tend to talk faster in a group, it becomes confusing for a transcriptionist when more than one person talks at the same time, or if the words are mumbled and not spoken clearly.
  • The moderator plays a big role in ensuring that the main objective of holding the discussion or interview is achieved without repeated interruptions, long breaks or people talking in a high pitch. These factors hamper the smooth flow of a group discussion.
  •  The environment in which the recording of an interview or discussion takes place is also extremely important as it seriously hampers the quality of a recording. If the recording takes place in a room with an echo or amidst other noises in the background, it not only distracts the participants but they may end up repeating each statement twice. On the other hand, transcribing such a recording is also a transcriptionist’s worst nightmare as it becomes hard to understand what is being said clearly. Usually such transcripts may contain text that has nothing to do with the topic of the discussion itself.

Getting a good transcript isn’t just the responsibility of a transcriptionist. By handing in a digital audio file that is clearly audible, you’ll also get your important transcript faster too!