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UnexpectedSong (original poster member #21761) posted at 11:21 PM on Friday, April 26th, 2013
I have to transcribe hours of a meeting. Do I include "um" and "hmm" and "like" and all those filler words? Should I indicate tone of voice [laughs], [growls]? Is it really a 4-to-1 ratio for experts so that a 3-hour meeting takes 12 hours to transcribe? And if I'm not an expert, I guess I'm stuck spending at least double that...
WW(SA)
"Feedback is the breakfast of champions." - Boris Becker
Going_Under ( member #11606) posted at 11:31 PM on Friday, April 26th, 2013
No, you typically do not include those words or the tone of voice.
I am a medical transcriptionist, and usually I multiply the time of a dictation x 3 to get how long it should take me. That said, sometimes I can do it x 2 and sometimes it takes much, much longer.
BS 44 (Me)
FWH 47
M 24 years
Three Children ages 22, 18, and 10
D-Day 08/10/2004, 7-Year LTA that ended 4 months before D-Day.
UnexpectedSong (original poster member #21761) posted at 11:34 PM on Friday, April 26th, 2013
I think that in medical transcription it makes sense to stick to the facts only. However, I read in one of those "how to" pages that you do include filler words when transcribing an oral interview (someone's life history), for example. This meeting falls in between a facts-only and an emotional (somewhat hostile) event. Is it still better to not include filler words?
P.S. Thanks for responding!
[This message edited by UnexpectedSong at 6:04 PM, April 26th (Friday)]
WW(SA)
"Feedback is the breakfast of champions." - Boris Becker
Going_Under ( member #11606) posted at 4:31 PM on Saturday, April 27th, 2013
It has been a while since I did anything that wasn't medical, that is for sure. One of the first things I did was an oral interview for a book on WWII and the Luftwaffe. When I started I had put in all of the things you mentioned, but was asked to remove them. 
Is there someone who is overseeing this that you can ask, or maybe you can ask to see the minutes from previous meetings so you can follow that format?
Even with medical, the places I have worked have all had different rules as to how they want it done.
BS 44 (Me)
FWH 47
M 24 years
Three Children ages 22, 18, and 10
D-Day 08/10/2004, 7-Year LTA that ended 4 months before D-Day.
cheerless ( member #38135) posted at 4:40 PM on Saturday, April 27th, 2013
I asked my friend who is a court reporter and she said she only records "non words" of they are affirmative or negative responses to questions "uh huh" "mm hm," etc.
She said she does not record other sounds such as growls, sighs, laughs, because it is not up to her to determine what people are indicating by the sounds they make.
Hope that helps.
♪I'm not fine; I'm in pain
It's harder every day ~ Maroon 5♫
BS:45 WH:47 needhelp123
8yr EA&PA w/MCOW emp/frmr emp
19y M * 25y T, 2 teens
DDay 12/31/12*5w TT
Sick tired sad
UnexpectedSong (original poster member #21761) posted at 6:02 AM on Sunday, April 28th, 2013
I've decided to remove the filler words and the commentaries. I don't want to be accused of trying to make anyone sound bad with all the "ums" and "ahs". I'll only use the square brackets for "[unintelligible]".
[This message edited by UnexpectedSong at 12:03 AM, April 28th (Sunday)]
WW(SA)
"Feedback is the breakfast of champions." - Boris Becker
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