WHAT DO WE DO? ▪ Speech errors: "I went to the bank on Thursday-- no, Friday.

"
We provide audio transcription services, which means that we convert ▪ False starts: I, um, wanted-- I have dreamed of becoming a
audio and video files into text. musician.
In our system, you can pick the files you prefer to work on. You must ▪ Filler words: um, uh, kind of, sort of, I mean, you know…
have a PayPal or Payoneer account as we make payments only ▪ Slang words Kinda, gotta, gotcha, betcha, wanna, dunno…
with PayPal or Payoneer. Payments are made every weekend, ▪ Stutters: I-I went to the bank last Tu-Thursday.
on Friday. Also, we cover the PayPal fee so you will receive the exact ▪ Repetitions: I went- I went to the bank last Friday.
amount which you earned and there will be no fee to receive payment. ▪ Only use these forms for the affirmative/negative:
To send a request for payment, go to the WORK section (STATS page). Mm-hmm, Mm (affirmative) or Mm-mm (negative)
There you can send a request for payment. Uh-huh (affirmative) or Uh-uh (negative)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Example: DOCX or PDF
1. Every time a client uploads a file, you will receive an e-mail. After that,
you need to go to the transcription jobs page and choose the files you CLEAN VERBATIM
want to transcribe. The transcribed text does not include:
2. There you will also see the information about the turnaround time, text
format (clean or full verbatim) and timestamping type if one is required. ▪ Speech errors
3. After your transcription is uploaded, you will see your current earnings ▪ False starts (unless they add information)
on the stats page. ▪ Stutters
4. Payments are made every weekend, on Friday. There will also be a ▪ Repetitions. Note: Keep repetitions of words that express
statistics page where you will see how much you have earned for each emphasis: No, no, no. I am very, very happy.
file. ▪ Filler words: Words often excessively used by the speaker but
5. All of your transcriptions are going to be checked by editors. You will when you take them out, you’re left with perfectly
receive a rating and comments to help you improve your work. understandable sentences. uh, um, *you know, *like, *I mean,
6. If your average rating is better than 4.5, you can try to become an editor. *so, *kind of, well, sort of… Be mindful of the context. Some of
7. Sometimes, the quality of audio or video files is horrible, so please let us these filler words do not always function as filler words.
know about that. We will contact the client and provide a refund for that ▪ Expressions should be kept regardless of verbatim type: Oh my
file. God, Oh dear, Oh my, Oh boy, Oh, et cetera.
8. Use US (American) spelling. Only use different spelling if a client asks ▪ Slang words must be written as "got you" instead of "gotcha",
that in the comments (use Grammarly). "going to" instead of "gonna", "want to" instead of "wanna",
"because" instead of "'cause" et cetera.
TEXT FORMAT DESCRIPTIONS ▪ "Yeah", "yep", "yap", "yup", "mm-hmm" must be written as "yes";
FULL VERBATIM "alright" must be written as "all right."
The text is transcribed exactly as it sounds and includes all the ▪ Never spell "Ok" or "OK." It must always be spelled as "Okay."
utterances of the speakers. ▪ Avoid starting phrases with conjunctions in clean verbatim. If
Those are: you really need to add the conjunction, just expand the
 sentence. For example: "I went outside but forgot to bring my Every time the speaker changes:
umbrella."
Example: DOCX or PDF
Note: For CV: Omit all the "yeah", "yes" reactions to retain a fluent text,
unless they are answers to given questions. NOTE: If there's a comment next to the audio file saying, "Please use
DO NOT remove filler words if they change the meaning of the phrase. the embedded time" or "burned-in time," you will need to download the
file in order to watch the video and use the correct time.

FV EXAMPLE: MAJOR RULES:

Speaker 1: Hey, Maya, I'd like to ask you something.
Maya: Okay. 1. If you cannot hear what word is being said, mark that as inaudible or
Speaker 1: Someone told me, applicants must now present an ID before unintelligible and specify the time. Do NOT make up your own
they can sign up. markings. Only use [inaudible 00:00:00] and [unintelligible
Maya: Yeah. 00:00:00]
Speaker 1: But I'm not sure if that is true. ▪ Use [inaudible 00:00:00] when speech cannot be heard due to
Maya: Yeah. poor recording or noise (keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + K).
Speaker 1: Okay, uh, is it true? ▪ Use [unintelligible 00:00:00] when speech can be heard but it
Maya: Yep. cannot be understood due to the speaker's manner of speech,
accent, et cetera (Ctrl + I).
CV EXAMPLE: 2. When a speaker is using conjunctions like "and", "so", or "but" to
connect longer stretches of thought, it's often a good idea to create
Speaker 1: Hey, Maya, I'd like to ask you something. sentence divisions in those places. Also, don't forget to cut out the
Maya: Okay. conjunctions in those places when they're not necessary.
Speaker 1: Someone told me, applicants must now present an ID before 3. Longer speeches should be separated into smaller paragraphs.
they can sign up. I'm not sure if that is true. Is it true? Paragraphs shouldn't be longer than 500 symbols (about 100 words or
Maya: Yes. 3-4 lines in the transcription tool).
Example: DOCX or PDF
Exception: transcribe lyrics like a poem.
TIMESTAMPING TYPES:
Timestamping time format must be: [00:00:00] (always in bold) 4. Never paraphrase or reconstruct the speech in the audio you are
ALWAYS CONSIDER THE WHOLE FILE WHEN YOU'RE TIME transcribing.
STAMPING. 5. Do not correct grammatical errors made by the speakers.
For example, if you do the 20-30 minutes part, your time stamping NOTE: Do not use [sic] tag
should start at 20, not 00 6. Always use the correct spelling for misspoken words.
Every 2 minutes:

Example: DOCX or PDF Example: If a speaker pronounces "niche" [neesh] as nitche.

7. Everything with a time-stamp (e.g. [pause 00:04:24] [unintelligible ▪ Speaker labels must be written in bold, followed by a colon and
00:04:24] [00:04:24] [inaudible 00:02:24]) should be bolded. Nothing space. NEVER use the Tab button, only one click of the Space
else besides the speaker labels and marks with time-stamps should be button.
bolded.
8. Never use () instead of [] Mark: Hello.
9. Every sentence should end with a punctuation mark. Except when the Speaker 1: Some text.
sentence ends with a double dash which means the sentence was Speaker 2: Some more text.
incomplete, or an unintelligible or inaudible mark when you cannot be
sure whether the sentence is a question or not. 14. Occasionally customers dictate instructions to format the transcription
10. The beginning of every sentence should be capitalized. while they are speaking. These instructions should be followed when
11. Never change spoken contractions (e.g. y’all, ain’t, don’t, can’t, it’s, et possible, but never transcribed. Follow customer requests for spoken
cetera.) directions such as a new paragraph, comma, period, or a bullet point
Example: If the speaker says "it's", it should be kept as "it's" regardless (use a dash). Do not type out the instruction.
of the verbatim
12. Never use exclamation marks. If a speaker spells a word or a name, Example: My name is Anna. A-N-
13. Speaker labels N-A.
▪ If the speaker's name is mentioned at some point or indicated in
the title of the file, use it as the speaker's label.
15. Italicize film, book, magazine, song titles, as well as artworks, plays, TV
▪ Always use a speaker label even if there is only one speaker.
and radio programs, foreign expressions et cetera. Example: I watched
▪ Make each speaker's role in the audio as descriptive as
an episode of Friends the other day.
possible. For
example, "Interviewer", "Interviewee", "Participant
NOTE: There is no need to italicize social media sites, company names,
1", "Host", "Facilitator", "Caller", "Receiver", et cetera.
the Bible, books within the Bible, versions of it or other sacred writings
▪ If the speaker's full name is used at some point (for
(Koran, New Testament, Genesis, et cetera). John 1:2–3. If multiple
example, David Butterfield:), later in the transcription, the last
citations: John 1:3; 3:16; 6:14, 44.
name can be dropped (for example, David
Butterfield: becomes just David:). The same goes for the titles
(Doctor, Pastor, et cetera). This is optional and is not 16. Abbreviations and acronyms should not contain dashes or periods.
considered to be an error.
▪ If you cannot identify who exactly is speaking, add a question Right: USA, PhD
mark before the speaker label. For example, ?Speaker Wrong: U.S.A., Ph.D.
2, ?Interviewee 3. But if you cannot identify who is speaking Right American English: Dr., Mrs.
throughout most of the transcript, it's better to then mark the Right British English: Dr, Mrs (without the period)
speakers with a generic label like Interviewee or Participant.
Still, it's important that you are able to at least identify the 17. Always research the proper capitalization e.g., iPhone, UCLA, SaaS
person asking questions or leading the discussion.
18. Always write links like this: www.facebook.com/groups/gotranscript. 20. Numbers
Never write it like this: w w w dot facebook dot com slash groups slash ▪ Spell out single-digit numbers, use numerals for all other
gotranscript numbers: zero, nine, 10, 1492.
19. Sound events
▪ Sound events that are significant to the audio should also be Exceptions can be applied for readability (incomplete list):
noted. Use brackets [ ] for notes. The notes are always written
in lower case regardless of the position in a sentence. Money: $1, $1.5 million, $1,000 (1 grand is 1,000, 5 bucks is
▪ Sounds that the speaker makes are always on the same line $5, 8 quid is £8. Half a million dollars is $500,000).
and always in the present tense. [snaps fingers] [phone rings] Years and eras: '90s, 1990s
[laughs] [chuckles] [giggles] [scoffs] et cetera. [laugh] is a Age: 70s, 30s
normal laugh; [chuckles] is a soft laugh. Percentages: 0.2%, 100%
▪ Sounds not made by the person speaking are always on Measurements: 3 degrees, 12 feet, 8 centimeters, 7 pounds,
separate line [present and gerund]: [applause] [cheering] 1.5 kilos, 28 square meters
[chuckling] [laughter] [phone ringing] et cetera. Mathematical equations and formulas: x = x + 2 or x ^ 3 = 8
▪ Use [background noise] on a separate line for ambiance noise. Bible citation: John 1:2–3
Use [background noise] on the same line if a Fractions: 1/3
significant unidentified sound occurs while the speaker is Postal code: 91210
talking. Phone number: 123-456-789
▪ [crosstalk], [silence] - can be placed on a separate line or same Combination: If a sentence combines small and large
line wherever they occur. [silence] is used to demonstrate a numbers: transcribe all numbers in numerals.
short pause in speech; not less than 4 seconds but not longer
than 10 seconds. 21. Times of the day and dates: always capitalize AM and PM. Do this:
▪ [pause 00:00:00] bolded and time-stamped is used to 2:45 PM, 5:00 AM. When using o'clock, spell out the numbers: eleven
demonstrate a pause significant in a speech. It must be longer o'clock.
than 10 seconds for it to be marked. It is always is put on a 22. Double dashes or a single dash
separate line. ▪ Use double dashes -- when there is a change of thought (false
▪ When the audio is cut or edited, use [sound cut] on a separate start) or a speech error, or to mark an incomplete sentence. Do
line or the same line; wherever the sound cut was done. this:
▪ If a foreign language or a word (in this case, a language that is ▪ FV Speech error: I went to the bank on Tu-Thursday--
not English) is spoken, mark it as [foreign language] or [French no, Friday.
language], [German language], et cetera if it can be identified. ▪ FV False start: I, um, wanted-- I have dreamed of
becoming a musician and--
Note: Authors/titles/personalities/common sense things are an ▪ CV False start that adds to information: Sage is--
exception from this rule and must always be researched. For You’re right, that boy is my son.
example: carpe diem, Jacques Chirac, Frédéric Chopin, Alea ▪ INCOMPLETE SENTENCE regardless of verbatim
Jacta Est, et cetera. type:
▪ I wanted to say something but--
 ▪ Are you done with that or-- Correct: Jack tried a new diet, but he still gained weight.
▪ Use single dash - Correct: Jack tried a new diet but still gained weight.
▪ When the speech is interrupted in a conversation, but Incorrect: Jack tried a new diet, but still gained weight.
the speaker continues his thought. Do this:
27. Do not remove the word et cetera unless the client asks otherwise in the
Speaker 1: I thought he was- comment section.
Speaker 2: Yeah. 28. If you do not prepare the transcriptions according to these
Speaker 1: -gone. requirements, you might be removed from the team of transcribers.

FV Stutter: Why is this m-m-moist? Ratings which are given by editors:

FV Repetition: Why is this- why is this moist? 5 - from 96% to 100% accuracy
4 - from 92% to 95% accuracy
23. Quotation marks 3 - from 88% to 91% accuracy
▪ Double quotation marks "" are used whenever there is a direct 2 - from 83% to 87% accuracy
quotation. Example: She said, "Don't bother telling me." 1 - from 0% to 82% accuracy
Quotations are introduced by a comma, not a colon.
▪ Internal dialogues are seen as direct quotations as well. ▪ Transcribers should know that mistakes like the following will be
Example: And then I thought to myself, "What if I can't make it?" harshly penalized by editors. Along with accuracy, editors will
(Notice how the question mark is inside of the quotation. This is be rating your files based on your grammar mistakes and/or
because the quotation itself is a question. However, if the rest of lack of research.
the sentence is a question containing a quotation, then the ▪ If a new transcriber finishes 3 transcriptions and has 3.6 or a
question mark would be outside of the quotation marks). lower average rating, he/she will be removed from the team.
▪ When quoting, the first word of a complete sentence should be
capitalized. Useful links:
▪ Do not use quotation marks in indirect quotations (when the https://gotranscript.com/transcribing-software - GoTranscript
speaker paraphrases what has been said). Example: The man online tool for transcribers
said that he was in a hurry. http://www.nch.com.au/scribe/ - Software for transcribers
▪ Commas and periods always go inside the quotation marks. http://grammar.about.com/
24. If there are curse words in the audio, transcribe them word for word. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/
25. Capitalize logical divisions and nouns followed by numbers or letters that INTERESTED?
are part of a series (E.g. Grade 8, Section B, Chapter 1, Article VI, et If you are interested in working with us, you need to read the provided
cetera). However, do not capitalize smaller divisions: page 1, paragraph instructions again and then finish our test job (clean verbatim; no
7, et cetera. timestamping needed), which you can find here:
26. If the conjunction [and, for, or, nor, so, yet] precedes an independent The test job link: https://gotranscript.com/transcription-jobs/apply
(main) clause, use a comma before the conjunction. Let us know if you have any questions.