recorded interview formatting - speechink formatting guide.pdf · recorded interview ......

R E C O R D E D S T A T E M E N T F O R M A T T I N G

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Statements are taken by insurance company personnel (adjusters, fraud investigators etc.) to develop baseline information on an insurance claim. These interviews are recorded on cassette tapes or digitally and may be taken over the telephone or in-person. The length, sound quality, and skill of interviewer may vary dramatically from interview to interview. The fast and accurate transcription of these statements help insurance companies settle claims and recover money more quickly and efficiently.

Many insurance companies depend on for document production.

Our ability to transcribe even difficult interviews accurately and completely – A clear measure for insurance companies of how compares with their in-house staff or other service providers. This supports our belief that will distinguish itself most in situations that are difficult and complex.

Accurate verbatim transcription – Interviews are transcribed word for word (and sound for sound) as recorded on tape. Oftentimes, valuable information is picked up from these transcripts based on the pauses, sighs etc. that are uttered by the interviewee.

Professional and consistent document format – Providing our customers with a clean document format that is consistent regardless of which transcriptionist has completed the work.

Extra attention to person and place names – Names are items that insurance customers have commented on as a high revision area. Researching place names and noting difficult person names adds significant value to our customers and reduces revisions needed.

Documentation – Giving feedback on specific difficulties with the document provides valuable information and shows our professionalism.

The Basics The most important thing to remember when transcribing recorded interviews is to keep everything verbatim, representing as closely as possible what is on a tape or digital recording, even if it is grammatically incorrect. Always type every single word that is spoken, stutters, “ums,” “uhs,” repeat words, etc.

Keep in mind this transcript is going to be read, not listened to, and readability is critical. A transcript that is full of partial words, bracketed items that are referred to by the participants, and/or false starts is very cumbersome and confusing to the reader. If a participant is continually saying things like “w-, i-, e-, what time is it?” for readability purposes, you may want to leave out a few of those false starts, especially if it’s just a sound and you aren’t sure what word they were starting to say.

Another thing that affects readability is run-on sentences. It is OK to break up run-on paragraphs into separate sentences as long as it doesn’t affect the meaning (see “Paragraphing/Run-On Sentence section.)

Rule of Thumb: If you hear it, put it in.


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Type all “uh,” “um,” stutters, etc., keeping in mind the readability of the transcript as stated above.

Type all repeats of words and stutters (for readability, put no more than three repeats as per the example below), such as:

“Well, I, I, I thought that he, uh, she, she was going to turn left.”

Use the internet to locate spellings of city and street names.

Check the adjuster list for correct name spelling. We have an adjuster listing database on Shared Transcription Resources folder on the H: drive and FTP.

Cross check claim numbers, name spellings, tape envelopes, and information attached to tapes for pertinent information regarding dates, name spellings, claim numbers, etc.

Be consistent in spellings when more than one interview under same claim number is submitted by the customer.

Quality control and spell check your documents before returning them to Operations for processing.

Key A key at the beginning of each transcript is automatically created for you when you enter names in the Transcription Information Box in the transcription template. The template will list the names in the key in the correct order.

Main Participants. The interviewer and interviewee names go in the appropriate fields of the Transcription Information Box of the transcription template. Note: You cannot close the Transcript Information Box without filling in the Q: and A: sections. Do not use (________) in the transcription key; use Unknown if you do not know the name of a participant.

If the full name of a participant is given in the interview, insert all the provided components in the field.

If the full name is given, but a nickname is referenced in the recording, use the full given name in the field, not the nickname.

NOTE: See Transcriptionist Procedures for complete instructions on filling out the Transcription Information Box.

Additional Participants. When additional participants are involved in the interview (not including interpreters and attorneys, see below), enter their names in order of appearance on the recording in the B:, C:, D:, etc. fields of the Transcription Information Box in the transcription template.

Interpreters. If an interpreter is involved translating for a participant and is identified by name or operator number, note that information in the interpreter field of the Transcription Information Box of the transcription template. If no name is given for the interpreter, put Interpreter in the key, do not use Unknown. If more than one interpreter is used, check with Operations for the proper formatting.

INT: Interpreter

INT: Jose Carena

INT: AT&T Operator Number 2187

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Attorneys. If a person is involved in an interview is specifically introduced as an attorney, enter their name into the attorney field in the Transcription Information Box of the transcription template when filling it out.

ATTY: Joe Smith

ATTY: Cameron Henderson [SP]

NOTE: If a person is involved in an interview from a law office but is not an attorney (paralegal, etc.), enter their name into the B:, C:, etc. field (not the ATTY: field) in the Transcription Information Box of the transcription template when filling it out.

NOTE: The tab following the speaker token ATTY: closely aligns to the hanging indent at 0.5 inches. This is the standard format. Do not add any additional tabs or spaces after the ATTY:

For names of participants, [SP] or [sounds like] should be noted in the key of the transcript, rather than in the body text. Enter this information into the appropriate field of the Transcription Information Box of the transcription template when filling this out.

Do not use [SP] and [sounds like] together. Use one or the other.

INCORRECT: Q: Bethanie [SP] Sunclaire [sounds like]

CORRECT: Q: Bethanie Sunclaire [sounds like]

Glossary of Recorded Statement-Related Words The following is a brief list of words commonly used in recorded statements and their correct usage. Please see the expanded list of recorded statement-related words in the Shared Transcription Resource folder on the H:\ drive and FTP.

911 NOT: 9-1-1

4 x 4 refers to a four-wheel drive vehicle

2 x 4, 2 x 6, etc. NOT: two by four, two by six

10 and 2 NOT: ten and two or 10:00 and 2:00 (unless o’clock is stated)

AAA NOT: A-A-A or Triple A

actual cash value

adjuster NOT: adjustor

affect (v.) to have an influence on

effect (n.) result; intent

aftermarket (adj.) one word as in “aftermarket parts”

arbitration

a hold two words

airbag one word

all right two words

all righty two words

a.m. / p.m. lower case, separated by periods

(capitalize if first word in a sentence: A.m. / P.m.)

area code lower case, two words

ARMS acronym for “Automated Rental Management System”

axle NOT: axel, unless referring to a figure skating term

barrack lower case unless part of a proper noun

bear with me NOT: bare with me

berm shoulder of a road or noise barrier

bodily injury liability coverage

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borough an incorporated municipality smaller than a city

burro donkey

burrow a hole made by an animal

bureau chest of drawers; office or dept.

back seat two words

brand-new (adj.) hyphenated

bumper-to-bumper hyphenated as an adjective (bumper-to-bumper traffic)

car length two words – not hyphenated

cater-corner / catty corner see kitty corner, kitty-cornered

Central standard time capitalize Central only

CLUE Comprehensive Loss U/W Exchange

collision coverage

comprehensive coverage

contrib-neg short for contributory negligence

coverage synonym for insurance

‘cuz NOT: ‘cause, ‘cos, or ‘cus

CD acronym for “claimant driver”

CV acronym for “claimant vehicle”

declaration can be referred to as the “dec page”

deductible

disk NOT: disc

double-check hyphenated

driveable NOT: drivable

drive-through or drive-thru either version is acceptable, just be consistent

dualie a type of truck

each other two words

eastbound one word

Eastern standard time capitalize Eastern only

E-brake short for emergency brake

‘em slang for them

e-mail email is also acceptable, just be consistent

etc. rather than et cetera

ER acronym for emergency room

first-party coverage

flatbed one word

fraud

gap insurance NOT: GAP or Gap

guardrail one word

geez or jeez both ways are fine, just be consistent

gonna slang for going to

gotcha slang for got you

gray NOT: grey

grille NOT: grill when talking about the part on the front of a car

insofar as two words

ID acronym for “insured driver”

IV acronym for “insured vehicle”

I-5, I-51 hyphen between the letter and number when referring to a road or highway

jeep/Jeep jeep (n.): a specific military vehicle.

Jeep (n.): trademark for a similar vehicle for civilian use

kitty-cornered/ kitty corner see cater-corner, catty corner

lane number two no initial caps, spell out number

left-hand turn hyphenated


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left-hand lane hyphenated

left-hand turn lane one hyphen

left-handed

liability-only policy / insurance hyphenated

liability insurance/coverage

lienholder one word

limits maximum amount of insurance that can be paid for a covered loss

LoJack stolen car security system

loss

ma’am short for madam

meantime one word

mediation

MetLife Auto & Home capital M, capital L in MetLife

MedPay a type of insurance coverage

Mountain standard time capitalize Mountain only

MVR acronym for Motor Vehicle Report

no-fault (adj.) hyphenated, “no-fault accident” “no-fault insurance”

notice of loss

northbound one word

nowhere one word

OEM acronym for “original equipment manufacturer”

offhand one word

OK no periods; also OK’ing, OK’d

okey dokey, okey doke

off-ramp n. hyphenated

on-ramp n. hyphenated

out-of-pocket (adj.) hyphenated, but “I paid out of pocket”

Pacific standard time capitalize Pacific only

PACMan Progressive Automated Claims Management System (info sheet that comes with tapes)

percent one word – do not use %

PIP coverage an acronym for Personal Injury Protection coverage

P.O. Box abbreviation for Post Office Box

prematic a type of insurance billing

rear end (n.) two words

“I hit the rear end of her vehicle.”

rear-end (v., adj.) hyphenated

“He rear-ended me.” / “It was a rear-end accident.”

rearview mirror NOT: rear view mirror

right-hand turn hyphenated

right-hand lane hyphenated

right-hand turn lane one hyphen

right-of-way hyphenated

salvage

seat belt two words

sideswipe, sideswiped one word

Social Security Number initial caps

southbound one word


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States/addresses Burbank, California (spell out state name)

NOT: Burbank, CA

1045 Northwest Tenth Street (spell out all words and Street Numbers are 10 or under)

NOT: 1045 NW 10th St. BUT: 1045 Northwest 13th Street (street numbers over 10 are numerical)

stop-and-go hyphenate as adjective (stop-and-go traffic)

stoplight one word

stop sign two words

subrogation/subrogate

taillight one word

tail lamp two words

T-bone n., v. for an accident position; also T-boned

the 405, the 5 when referencing freeways in this manner “the” is not capped

third-party coverage

thruway throughway is not in the dictionary

‘til or till both ways are fine just be consistent

tort a wrongful act resulting in injury or damage

total loss

tractor-trailer hyphenated

two-door, four-door adj. hyphenated – as in two-door car

BUT: the car had two doors

uh-huh, mm-hmm, yes, yeah affirmative responses

NOT: um-hum, um-hmm, uh-hum

uh-uh, hmm-mm, mm-mm,

huh-uh, nuh-uh negative responses

U-turn

U-ie slang for U-turn

underwriting

uninsured motorist coverage

voicemail one word

waiver

westbound one word

whatnot one word

whereas one word

workers comp. no apostrophe

workmen’s comp apostrophe before the s

x-ray NOT: X-ray

y’all contraction of you all

NOT: ya’ll

yea pronounced “yay” means hooray

youse slang word

yup or yep either is acceptable, go by sound

ZIP Code ZIP – all caps, Code – initial cap

Slang/Stuttering Slang words are often spoken by participants on recorded interviews. Generally our rule of thumb is to always type exactly what is spoken. However, care must be taken so slang does not interfere with readability or prevent the reader from being able to comprehend the transcript.


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Slang to Use

Dropping the g in ing. Many people speak in such a manner that they drop the g from ing on those words. To indicate this, type the word leaving off the g and then type an apostrophe at the end of the word.

goin’ drinkin’ travelin’

leavin’ bustin’ comin’

Wrong Verb Tense or Plural Form. If an incorrect verb form is used or a plural is not used correctly due to accents, dialects or familiarity with the English language, use the actual word(s) the person is saying.

A: He told me he seen that car comin’ toward him.

A: There were two lane on that road and I was going 50 mile an hour.

Combining Two Words. When two words, not normally used together to form an actual contraction, are combined, use the newly formed word.

gonna coulda gotta

gotcha woulda wanna

Other Acceptable Slang Words

‘cuz ‘em wadn’t

Slang Not to Use

Accents, Dialects, Etc. Some people pronounce words differently because of their ethnicity or the region of the country they live in. In these situations use the actual word not the derivative used by the person.

ask NOT: ax, aks

car NOT: ca (Boston accent)

Baltimore NOT: Balmer

Worcester NOT: Wooster

yellow NOT: yeller

Pronunciation Differences. Sometimes a person will pronounce a word differently than is absolutely correct. Use the correct word.

nuclear NOT: nucular

picture/pitcher picture and pitcher pronunciations are often used improperly

realtor/realty NOT: realator or reality

creek NOT: crick

NOTE: If a person actually says a wrong word: median v. medium or Impala v. Impana, etc., type exactly what is said, spelling it to the best of your ability and use [sic].

Readability Issues. If the slang word creates a readability issue, use the real word.

suppose NOT: spose, or ‘spose, or s’pose

would have/could have NOT: would of/could of

couldn’t have NOT: couldn’t’ve

wouldn’t have NOT: wouldn’t’ve

probably NOT: prob’ly

excuse me NOT: ‘scuse me


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Stuttering

It is important to distinguish between a person who stutters and a person who has a stutter (speech impediment). If a person is simply stuttering a few words in an isolated incident, indicate all the words they say. For readability, limit stutters to three per occurrence.

A: I, I, I just don’t remember.

If a person has a stutter and has no control over the stutter, do not indicate all of the additional sounds they make in the transcript.

Abnormal Verbs When a participant creates a word by adding ing or ed, etc. to the end of another word, add ing or ‘ing or ed or

‘d as appropriate and use common sense to make the word look the best.

Original Word New Word Better Than

Bondo Bondo’d Bondoed

Windex Windexed Windex’d

Windex Windexing Windex’ing

S.O.S S.O.S’d S.O.Sed

I.D. I.D.’d I.D.ed

-ISH When a person speaks a word with ish at the end that is not a real word, place a hyphen between the word and

ish for readability purposes. If in doubt, consult a current dictionary.

bluish 11:00-ish dullish

reddish 50-ish

yellowish dumb-ish

Incomplete Words/False Starts When words are partially spoken but cut off by a participant, type the part of the word spoken followed by a

hyphen and a comma.

A: He hit my fe-, uh, fender. I saw his veh-, vehicle coming at me.

Q: W-, w-, where was he com-, where was he coming from? (NOT W-w-where)

NOTE: See “The Basics” for more information.


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Expletives/Swearing Expletives and swear words are often used in recorded statements. However, in an effort to reduce the chance of a reader or customer being offended by these words, substitute a starred-out version of expletives as detailed below. If the specific word is not listed, use a similar methodology to create a starred-out version of the word.

Use AutoCorrects or your steno dictionary to automatically replace the words for you so you do not have to remember each version.

Spoken: Type As:

damn, damned, damn it d**n, d**ned, d**m it

shit s***

fuck, fucking, fucked f***, f***ing, f***ed

motherfucker motherf***er

bitch, bitched b****, b***ed

ass, ass-hole a**, a**-hole

the “N” word n***er

Do not star out the following words:

hell

crap

bastard

piss, pissed

Inaudible Words When there is a word or phrase in the recording you cannot hear or understand, insert (________)

(8 underscores surrounded by parentheses) in place of the unknown word or phrase. Only use once for each occurrence; do not put more than one (________) right next to each other. If you have a word or two in between inaudibles, type the words you hear, then you would use another (________) for the words that you can’t decipher but do not put two (________) together.

A: Well, I was just goin’ down the (________) side, tryin’ to get ahead of her.

Q: (________) was (________) her name? A: Yes, (________).

NOT:

Q: (________)(________) her name?

If there is no sentence structure when (________) is used, do not use punctuation.

A: (________)

NOT: A: (________).

NOTE: Do not use (________) in any field in the Transcription Information Box of the template.


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If the tape or digital audio file is inaudible for longer than 15 seconds, use [inaudible from X to X], indicating the specific count time shown on your transcriber. (Always make sure your tape counter reads 0 (zero) at the start of each transcript.)

A: Then the car [inaudible from 2.3 to 2.9] happened. (Dictaphone)

OR

A: Then the car [inaudible from 230 to 290] happened. (Sanyo)

Bracketed Items Bracketed items are used in recorded statement transcripts to give as much information about the recording as possible.

A bracketed item inserted into a transcript should always be in lower case letters, even when it is at the beginning of a sentence. Bracketed items should never be in boldface type.

EXCEPTIONS: End of Side notations, Speaking to person in background, Person speaking in background as noted below

Examples of acceptable bracketed items:

Formatting/Grammar-Related

[sic] [SP] [foreign language response]

[pause] . . . [SS] . . . [recording begins mid-interview]

[sounds like] [unrelated material 1.5 to 2.5] [recording ends abruptly]

[End Side A] [Person speaking in background:] [Speaking to person in background:]

[End Tape 1, Side A]

Sounds of Emotion / Body Sounds

[makes sound] [laughs]/[crying] [sneezes]/[coughs]/[clears throat]/[yawns]*

Equipment / Background-Related Sounds

[TD] [dial tone, dialing, ringing] [hold music] / [on hold]

[beeping sound] [tape interruption] [phone ringing]*

[interference] (cell phone only) [static] [cell phone ringtone]

[baby crying]* [dog barking]* [hold music]

[blank until 1.5] [tape recorder turned off] [call waiting interruption]

[inaudible from 1.5 to 2.5] [TD to end of recording] [call disconnected, resumed]

Digital Audio File-Related

[End Track 1] [recording ends, resumes] [Recording: Your call is now being recorded.]

* Do not put in transcript UNLESS it is referred to by a participant OR it affects ability to hear or decipher what is being said.


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[SP]

[SP] is used after words, places, or names that we are not sure how to spell.

Use [SP] only after the first occurrence of the unknown words, place, or name.

Do not use [SP] each time the name is used.

Q: What was your passenger’s name?

A: John Milecki [SP].

Q: Do you know Mr. Milecki’s phone number?

If the word, name, or place is spelled later in the interview, remove the [SP] from its first occurrence and make corrections as necessary.

Punctuation should follow [SP] in the text of a transcript.

Q: Did you say his name was Juan Escoban [SP].

NOT:

Q: Did you say his name was Juan Escoban. [SP]

A: I believe it was McKenzie [SP], not McDonald.

NOT:

A: I believe it was McKenzie, [SP] not McDonald.

For a name in the key, put [SP] in the Transcription Information Box of the transcription template so it will display in the key rather than in the text of the transcript.

Q: Joe Schmo [SP]

A: Julie Brown

ATTY: John Sijekaj [SP], attorney for Julie Brown


Q: Bethanie Sunclaire [sounds like]

NOT:

Q: Bethanie [SP] Sunclaire [sounds like]

For common names, do not use [SP]. Use the most common spelling.

[sounds like]

[sounds like] is used in a document when a participant says something and you’re not sure what they say, not that you’re not sure how to spell it. Use your best judgment to capture the correct word the participant is speaking.

Q: What street did the accident happen on?

A: Fir [sounds like] Street.

*In this case, it sounded like Fir Street, but could be First or Sir.

Q: How do you spell your last name, sir?

A: It’s S-I-T-N-E-R [sounds like].

*In this case, the letters given were not accompanied by letter identifiers (A as in apple) and could be F-I-T-N-E-R, or S-I-T-M-E-R.

Use [sounds like] only after the first occurrence of the unknown words, place, or name as long as future usage remains consistent. Any change would warrant another [sounds like] usage.

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Punctuation should follow [sounds like] in the text of a transcript if needed.

A: The street was Hale [sounds like].

NOT:

A: The street was Hale. [sounds like]

Q: I think she said her name was Healen [sounds like], but I can’t exactly remember.

NOT:

Q: I think she said her name was Healen, [sounds like] but I can’t exactly remember.


Q: Bethanie Sunclaire [sounds like]

NOT:

Q: Bethanie [SP] Sunclaire [sounds like]

[sic]

[sic] is used when a quotation has been literally given, but contains an error. Use [sic] in a document when you type exactly what has been said although it is incorrect.

A: He drove right over the medium [sic].

Q: Have all your questions [sic] been true and correct to the best of your knowledge?

Q: This is Lori from Progressive speaking to John [sic] Smith. Please state your name and spell your last name for me.

A: Joel Smith, S-M-I-T-H.

Use [sic] each time an error occurs in the transcript.

A: He drove over onto the medium [sic] and then he spun out and stopped on the medium [sic].

Punctuation should follow [sic] in the text of a transcript if needed.

A: He was on the medium [sic].

NOT: A: He was on the medium. [sic]

Do not use [sic] if the person immediately corrects themselves after saying something incorrect.

A: Everybody in the fan, uh, I mean van, was fine.

Do not use [sic] for slang terms that are commonly used in recorded statement transcripts such as wadn’t, hisself, ain’t, etc.

Do not use [sic] for poor grammar such as “She got out the car” or “I seen it” or “I had came to the hospital”

[sounds like] v. [sic]

If you have a situation where contradictory things are being said and you’re not sure whether to use [sounds like] or [sic], ask yourself the following question:

Is what the person said undeniably incorrect?

YES: Use [sic]

NO: Use [sounds like]


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Here is an example to consider.

A: Mr. Ridge Fitness Center.

Q: Mr. Red?

A: Yeah.

In the above example, ask yourself are you positive the interviewee is wrong about saying Ridge or about the interviewer saying Red? One of the participants is probably wrong, but we cannot know who. If you are not sure, the correct way would be to use [sounds like]:

A: Mr. Ridge [sounds like] Fitness Center.

Q: Mr. Red [sounds like]?

A: Yeah.

[TD]

[TD] is used in place of text or (________) in a transcript where tape damage or the like causes that portion of the recording to be inaudible.

Q: What is the year, make and model [TD] driving?

A: A 2008 [TD] Accord.

Use [TD] when voice-activated recorders slip at the beginning or end of what is being said to indicate the distortion.

Q: [TD] did you get that car?

A: Just a couple months ago.

Q: [TD] did you buy it?

Punctuation should follow [TD] in the text of a transcript if needed.

A: The street was [TD].

NOT:

A: The street was. [TD]

If there is no sentence structure when [TD] is used, do not use punctuation.

A: [TD]

NOT:

A: [TD].

NOTE: It is not necessary to use ellipses around [TD].

[static]/[interference]

[static] and [interference] should be used for cell phone problems NOT for problems with recording equipment.

[makes sound]

Use [makes sound] when a person makes a sound that cannot be written with words.

Examples: Sucking their teeth, thinking sounds “tu-tu-tu-tu-tu” etc.

A: Oh, gosh, [makes sound] let me think about that. [makes sound] Um, I guess it was yesterday.

Punctuation should precede [makes sound] in the text of a transcript, if needed. See above example.


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No punctuation is necessary if any of these items stand alone.

Q: Do you know if the passenger was injured?

A: [makes sound]

Q: If you can’t remember, that’s OK.

Keep in mind this transcript is going to be read, not listened to, and readability is critical. If a participant is continually making noises that are slight and you aren't sure if they are the start of a word or just a slight puff of air or something insignificant, leave them out. Reserve [makes sound] for significant sounds that go with the context of what is being stated. A transcript that is full of [makes sounds] (or other bracketed items) is cumbersome and confusing to the reader.

[clears throat]/[coughs]/[sneezes]/[yawns]

Use the bracketed items [clears throat], [coughs], [sneezes], and [yawns], etc. when necessary, but ONLY when a spoken reference is made by a participant.

If someone is coughing, sneezing, or clearing their throat throughout an interview and no one makes a reference to it (excuse me, bless you, etc.), it does not need to be included in the transcript.

Q: Could you please state your [clears throat], excuse me, your full name?

A: [coughs] Yes, my name is Sarah Harding. [sneezes]

Q: Bless you.

A: Thank you.

Exceptions would be if someone is yawning throughout a statement but no reference is made to it, we would want to indicate [yawns] throughout as it may show the attentiveness of the participant to the interview process.

Punctuation should follow [clears throat], [coughs], [sneezes], and [yawns] in the text of a transcript, if needed, unless the bracketed item is completely after the end of a sentence. See above example.


[laughs]/[crying]

Use the bracketed items [laughs] and [crying] when necessary, even if a spoken reference is NOT made by a participant.

Q: So you were flying down the road? [laughs]

A: [laughs] Yeah, I was really barreling at 15 miles an hour.

Q: That’s [laughs] really fast.

Punctuation should precede [laughs] or [crying] in the text of a transcript, if needed. See above example.


Q: Do you know if the passenger was injured?

A: [crying]

Q: I’m sorry, I know this is hard for you. [laughs]

[pause]

Use [pause] in a transcript to indicate any amount of time over 10 seconds when there is nothing spoken on the recording.

NOTE: Do not use [long pause] to indicate pauses.


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For brief pauses of between 3 and 10 seconds, do not use [pause]. An ellipsis can be used to note a short pause of 3 to 10 seconds or to indicate when an incomplete thought might otherwise be difficult for the reader to make sense of. Be careful not to overuse the ellipsis as an abundance of them can affect the readability of the transcript.

A: Let me see . . . I guess I don’t have my driver’s license with me.

Punctuation should precede [pause] in the text of a transcript, if needed, unless [pause] is in the middle of a sentence.

Q: Let me see if I can find out the other person’s name. [pause] Oh, yes, here it is.

A: Well it might be [pause] a different person I'm thinking of.

No punctuation is necessary if [pause] stands alone at the beginning of a sentence.

A: [pause] Yes, that sounds right.

NOT:

A: [pause]. Yes, that sounds right.

[recording begins mid-interview]

When a recorded interview begins abruptly without a party (usually the interviewer) opening the interview, please note [recording begins mid-interview] on the first line of the transcript before any other text typed. Do not put it on a separate line.

Q: [recording begins mid-interview] . . . you didn’t see it?

A: No, I didn’t.

NOTE: Do not use when only a few words are missing from the introductory statement. In these instances, use an ellipsis.

[recording ends abruptly]

When a recorded interview abruptly stops without a party (usually the interviewer) closing the interview, please note [recording ends abruptly] on the last line of the transcript at the end of the last text typed.

A: Yes, I do.

Q: Well, let’s . . . [recording ends abruptly]

Do not put [recording ends abruptly] on a separate line. See above example.

End of Side Notations

End of Side Notations are used when an interview consists of multiple sides of a tape or multiple tapes. You should use all initial capital letters and they should always be placed flush with the left margin of the document, leaving one blank line before and after the notation. Always use A or B to indicate sides of tape:

Q: Were the police called to the scene of the accident before . . .

[End Side A]

Q: We’re back on recording on Side B of the tape, interviewing John Johnson . . .

When there is more than one tape involved in the interview, the tape number should go first, then the side indication, separated by a comma.


[End Tape 1, Side B]

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If a statement ends abruptly on Side A of a tape and Side B is blank, indicate the abrupt end of the recording/statement with an ellipsis followed by [End Side A - Side B Blank].

Q: Were the police called to the scene of the . . .

[End Side A - Side B Blank]

Always use numbers 1, 2, 3, etc., to indicate tapes:



Ending punctuation should not be included with end of side notations.

WRONG:

[End Side A].

End of Track Notations

End of Track Notations are used when an interview consists of multiple digital audio files or tracks. You should use all initial capital letters and they should always be placed flush with the left margin of the document, leaving one blank line before and after the notation.

Q: Were the police called to the scene of the accident before . . .

[End Track 1]

Q: We’re continuing our recording now. Mr. Johnson, were any facts of this loss discussed while off the recording?

If a statement is comprised of multiple digital audio files or tracks, always indicate tracks clearly and concisely. If no unique identifying information is provided for multiple-track statements, use numbers 1, 2, 3, etc., to:

[End Track 1]

[End Track 2]

If a statement ends abruptly on Track 1 and Track 2 is blank, indicate the abrupt end of the recording/statement with an ellipsis followed by [End Track 1 – Track 2 Blank].

Q: Were the police called to the scene of the . . .

[End Track 1 – Track 2 Blank]

Ending punctuation should not be included with end of track notations.

WRONG:

[End Track 1].

Speaking to Person in Background

When a participant of an interview is speaking to another person who is in the background, indicate this by using [Speaking to person in background:] and insert what you can hear/understand them saying in the brackets.

When you cannot hear/understand what they are saying, use an ellipsis inside the brackets, NOT (________).

Q: What street were you on?

A: [Speaking to person in background: What street . . .] Oh, I was on Heller Road.

Use [Speaking to person in background:] when the person to whom they are speaking is NOT a participant of the interview.

Q: What street were you traveling on?

A: [Speaking to person in background: Was that 47th Street . . . the car?] It was 47th Street.

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It is appropriate to use [Speaking to baby in background:], [Speaking to child in background:] or [Speaking to pet in background:] if the situation arises.

Person Speaking in Background

When a person who is in the background (not a participant of the interview) is speaking, indicate this by using [Person speaking in background:] and insert what you can hear/understand them saying within the brackets.

When you cannot hear/understand what they are saying, use an ellipsis inside the brackets, NOT (________).

A: [Speaking to person in background: Was that 47th or 57th Street?] [Person speaking in background: I think . . . Street.] It was 47th Street.

When a person in the background becomes a participant of the interview. There are times when a person speaking in the background will end up becoming part of an interview. As soon as they are on the telephone line, they should be noted in the key as a B:, C:, D:, etc. participant and the appropriate speaker token for their exchanges should be used.

People who go from being in the background to actively participating in an in-person interview should be given a speaker token and entered into the key. Use your best judgment to figure out when they crossed that line from background to foreground.

NOTE: You do not have to go back through the previous parts of the interview to change the [Person speaking in background:] to a speaker token. Leave those as they are and continue with the transcript under the new assumption that they are a participant.

Unrelated Background Noises: There are rare occasions when there is a card game/party/conversation/TV or stereo going on in the background. These unrelated people or sounds do not need to be indicated in transcripts unless they are the reason for the transcriptionist’s inability to decipher the statement dialogue and (________) is used.

A: I was driving on [people laughing in background] (________) Road when the other car swerved from the [music in background] (________) lane and cut me off.

Q: I’m sorry, you said the other car was in what lane?

A: In the [dog barking] (________) lane.

Interrupted Sentences/Interrupted Numbers Interrupted speech patterns are common in recorded statement transcripts. These can occur in the middle of sentences or when numbers are being provided. Interruptions typically create three types of situations: 1) Interrupted sentences and/or numbers, 2) Incomplete or trailed-off thoughts or sentences, or 3) Leading questions.

Interrupted Sentences: When participants speak simultaneously, but you are ABLE TO HEAR AND/OR DECIPHER ALL OF WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, indicate it in the text of the document by formatting the interruption AND the beginning of the continuation with ellipses.

Q: So the car was . . .

A: It was red.

A: . . . red? OK.

NOTE: See Speaking Simultaneously section for addressing interrupted sentences where you are unable to hear or decipher all of what they are saying.


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Trailed-off thought: When a sentence trails off before it ends, indicating uncertainty or suggesting an abrupt suspension of thought.

Q: Were you hurt in the accident?

A: No, I guess not. I mean, I was shook up, but it wasn’t anything serious, so . . .

Leading Questions: When one speaker (usually Q:) prompts another speaker to complete the sentence.

Q: You were traveling north or . . .

A: No, I was traveling south.

Q: You were traveling south, OK.

Interrupted Numbers: When a participant is giving a number, example: telephone number, Social Security Number, driver’s license, and report numbers; and they are interrupted by the other participant, ellipses are used for the interruptions AND continuations for the person BEING interrupted.

Q: What is your phone number?

A: 453 . . .

Q: Uh-huh.

A: . . . 260 . . .

Q: 260.

A: . . . 5678.

NOTE: The second speaker is simply repeating and/or confirming the information received from the first speaker. Therefore, the repetition is a complete thought. No opening or closing ellipses are used for these complete thoughts.

Do not put hyphens in the interrupted numbers unless specifically spoken. When a report number is given and a dash is spoken but interrupted, use the following format:

Q: What is the report number?

A: N35 dash . . .

Q: OK.

A: . . . 45678.

BUT:

Q: What is the report number?

A: 09-123 . . .

Q: OK.

A: . . . 456.

Speaking Simultaneously When participants of an interview speak simultaneously and you are UNABLE TO HEAR OR DECIPHER WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, indicate it in the text of the document as follows: . . . [SS] . . . (space ellipsis space [SS] space ellipsis space). Always place an ellipsis before and after the [SS].

Before using . . . [SS] . . . the following TWO criteria must be met:

1. There are words you cannot decipher.

2. The inaudible words are caused by two or more participants talking at the same time.

Always try to pick up the words being said by each party, and do not overuse . . . [SS] . . .

There is always a space before and after an ellipsis. . . . [SS] . . . should always be an AutoCorrect entry to ensure it is formatted correctly each and every time.


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Only use . . . [SS] . . . if you cannot hear or decipher the words for a particular participant. If you can hear all the words for the other party, put them in.

Separate each speaker as clearly and accurately as possible.

Do not use . . . [SS] . . . in the middle of a sentence. New speaker tokens should be created and the . . . [SS] . . . is placed for the person whose words are inaudible.

Q: So, you’re saying that the car was black, or . . .

A: . . . [SS] . . .

Q: . . . was it red?

NOT:

Q: So, you’re saying that the car was black, or . . . [SS] . . . was it red?

When one party interrupts another and you hear/understand all of the first party’s exchange (simple interrupted sentence):

Q: Did you know where you were going to park when you . . .

A: No.

Q: . . . arrived at that area?

When one party interrupts another and you do not hear/understand all of the first party’s exchange:

Q: Did you know where you were going to . . . [SS] . . .

A: No.


When one party interrupts another and you do not hear/understand all of the second party’s exchange:


A: . . . [SS] . . . didn’t know for sure.


When one party interrupts another and you do not hear/understand all of either party’s exchange:

Q: Did you know where you were going to park . . . [SS] . . .

A: . . . [SS] . . .


Paragraphing/Run-On Sentences For Recorded Statement transcripts, we do not generally separate one person’s testimony into paragraphs.

Type each person’s response in one paragraph under their speaker token.

NOTE: There have been rare occasions that have called for putting testimony in paragraphs. If you come across this situation, confer with Operations for guidance.

Run-on sentences are a chronic problem in recorded statements. It is important for readability of a transcript to make an attempt to make sense of participants who ramble on and on without any sentence structure. Break the run-on sentence up as well as you can without making any changes to the actual words being said.

OK. As she goes on a green light, she says that the, this vehicle was tryin’ to exit from Kaiser [SP], it’s on the right side, she thinks, she didn’t saw it, but she thinks that one of the, the vehicles, uh, gave him the, the right-of-way to turn, but this vehicle didn’t turn, instead it went all the way, uh, to the second lane to, Reg-, uh, to turn left on Regent, but she, uh, this, this person didn’t make it so, it hit her, uh, tryin’ to make a, a, left turn.

(See next page for corrected example)


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BETTER and much easier to read:

OK. As she goes on a green light, she says that the, this vehicle was tryin’ to exit from Kaiser [SP]. It’s on the right side, she thinks. She didn’t saw it, but she thinks that one of the, the vehicles, uh, gave him the, the right-of-way to turn, but this vehicle didn’t turn. Instead it went all the way, uh, to the second lane to, Reg-, uh, to turn left on Regent. But she, uh, this, this person didn’t make it so, it hit her, uh, tryin’ to make a, a, left turn.

Punctuation

Bold/Italics/Exclamation Point

For recorded statement transcripts, we do not use any type of bolding, italics or exclamation points!

Parentheses

Parentheses are not used in recorded statement transcripts except for inaudibles (________).

Spelling Out Names

When a participant of an interview spells out their name, a place, etc., and speaks a word for punctuation (such as a hyphenated name) indicate this by typing the letters that are being spelled in all caps, and separate them with hyphens.

Separate the reading of the name from the spelling of the name with a comma, not a period.

A: My name is Susan Miller, M-I-L-L-E-R.

If the speaker indicates punctuation marks or capitals in the sentence, write them out with words.

A: My name is Susan Miller-Johnson, S-U-S-A-N M-I-L-L-E-R hyphen J-O-H-N-S-O-N.

A: My name is Susan MacGregor, S-U-S-A-N M-A-C capital G-R-E-G-O-R.

Ellipses

Ellipses are written as three periods with a space between each period and one space before and/or after the ellipsis.

Use ellipses to format interrupted sentences and interrupted numbers. See the Interrupted Sentences/Interrupted Numbers section for how to format these types of interruptions.

Use ellipses to format brief pauses of between 3 and 10 seconds. See the [pause] section for how to format these types of interruptions.

Ellipses are also used around speaking simultaneously each time one is used:

. . . [SS] . . .

There is always a space before and after an ellipsis.


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Polite Requests

Use a period at the end of a polite request, rather than a question mark.

Q: Would you please state your full name and spell your last name.

Q: And, with your permission, I will turn off the recorder.

BUT

Q: Do I have your permission to turn off the recorder? (A direct question, requiring a response.)

Other Punctuation Spoken

When the following punctuation mark names are spoken by the participants, they should be indicated as the symbol (dates, telephone numbers, Social Security Numbers, driver’s license numbers, license plate numbers, police report numbers, claim numbers, policy numbers, e-mail addresses):

“space” “My license plate number is two nine eight space kay jay eff.”

My license plate number is 298 KJF.

“dash” “The report number was oh three dash three nine eight oh oh nine dash are.”

The report number was 03-398009-R.

“hyphen” “My Social Security is four four four hyphen seven six hyphen nine nine nine nine.”

My Social Security is 444-76-9999.

“slash” “My date of birth is five slash six slash sixty-seven.”

My date of birth is 5/6/67.

“period” “The report number is four one six period seven six six two.”

The report number is 416.7662.

“at’ / “dot” “My e-mail address is Kim dot Barnes at Selective dot com.”

“underscore” My e-mail address is [email protected].

“asterisk” or “star” “Driver’s license is aich you gee aich ess five six asterisk five six one oh.”

Driver’s license is HUGHS56*5610.

When the following names of punctuation are spoken by the participants as part of the sentence, they should be indicated by writing out the whole word:

She said, and I quote, ‘I am fine.’

I would say it was 100 percent his fault.

I think there is an ampersand in between the names Smith and Figueroa in the name of the firm.

Expressions Written with Slashes

Some additional expressions are written with slashes, although the slashes aren’t spoken.

and/or he/she east/west 20/20 vision 80/20 (at-fault percentages)

Personalized License Plate Numbers. See Spelling.


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Spelling When a participant of an interview spells out their name, a place, etc., indicate this by typing the letters that

are being spelled in all caps, and separate them with hyphens.

Q: Please state your full name and spell your last name.

A: My name is Susan Miller, spelled M-I-L-L-E-R.

If the participant says “double” and a letter or number when spelling, indicate this by typing out the two letters as above for readability.

“My name is Scott Jones, ess, see, oh, double tee, jay, oh, enn, ee, ess.”

My name is Scott Jones, S-C-O-T-T, J-O-N-E-S.

EXCEPTION: Triple A should be written as AAA.

Using Letter Identifiers. When a participant using letter identifiers (M as in Mary) while spelling a name, separate spoken letters with hyphens, write out information for letter identifiers and follow with a comma.

My name is Scott Smith, S as in Sam, O-T-T, S as in Sam, M as in Mary, I-T-H.

My name is Scott Smith, S-M as in Mary, I-T as in Tom, H.

My name is Scott Smith, S-M-I-T as in Tom, H.

License Plate Numbers. When a license plate number is given, do not normally put a hyphen between each letter. If no punctuation (e.g. space) is spoken, type the entire license plate number as one word.

A: My license plate number is LVZ029.

A My license plate number is 398993L.

NOTE: For more information about punctuation given while spelling license plate numbers, see Spelling.

Personalized License Plate Numbers. When a personalized license plate number is spelled out, use the same format for spelling names: capital letters separated by hyphens. See also Other Punctuation Spoken for special rules about speaking punctuation marks.

A: My license plate number is B-I-G-D-O-G.

When a participant reads what the personalized license plate says, use the words and place in single quotation marks.

A: My license plate is ‘Big Dog.’

E-Mail Addresses/Web Addresses E-mail addresses and web addresses are often given during recorded statements. E-mail addresses and web addresses should be typed out so that they are most easily decipherable when reading the transcript, if possible.

Spoken Typed As

Karen dee at coteam dot com [email protected]

Tee Smith at Farmers dot com [email protected]

Double-U double-U double-U C-D-W dot com www.cdw.com


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Uninterrupted E-Mail Addresses

When punctuation or other symbols are indicated in an uninterrupted e-mail address or web address, use the symbol, rather than spelling out the word. See below for formatting punctuation in interrupted e-mail and web addresses.

Spoken Typed As

joe underscore Jones at yahoo dot com [email protected]

sarah dot kay at hotmail.com [email protected]

Interrupted E-Mail Addresses

When capital letters, letter identifiers, or other information is used to give an e-mail address or web address, type out all the information exactly as given, then type the actual e-mail address or web address in brackets at the end:

A: My e-mail address is Cheryl, S as in Smith, at coteam, that’s all one word, C as in Charlie, O as in Oscar,T as in Tom, E-A-M as in Mary, dot com [[email protected]].

When an e-mail address is interrupted while being given, use the spelling rule for interrupted words or numbers (i.e. use hyphens between the letters, spell out the symbols for ‘underscore’, ‘at’, ‘dot’, etc.).

A: My e-mail address is Bob underscore . . .

Q: Uh-huh.

A: . . . jones at gmail dot com [[email protected]].

For interrupted e-mail and web addresses, type the actual e-mail address in brackets at the end:

A: My e-mail address is C-H-E-R . . .

Q: Uh-huh.

A: . . . Y-L-S at . . .

Q: OK.

A: . . . coteam dot com [[email protected]].

OR:

A: My e-mail address is cheryls . . . (spoken as “Cheryl S”)

Q: OK.

A: . . . at coteam dot com [[email protected]].

For interrupted e-mail and web addresses, punctuation follows the closing bracket.

A: . . . coteam dot com [[email protected]].

NOT:

A: . . . coteam dot com. [[email protected]]

Capital letters are generally inconsequential when typing and using e-mail addresses and web addresses. However, if a participant uses the word “capital” before a letter, indicate the letter with a capital letter.

Spoken Typed As

capital jay smith at hanover dot com [email protected]

Abbreviations Abbreviations are generally not used in recorded statements unless they are specifically spoken that way.

The following types of abbreviations are acceptable if spoken specifically that way by a participant of an interview:


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Academic Degrees Regina Taylor, Ph.D.

Acronyms IBM, VIN, PIN

Inc., Co., Corp. (if stated this way)

TV, VCR, DVD, CD, etc.

States or city names given specifically as an abbreviation Mass., P-A, L.A., D.C.

A few abbreviations are preferred over the written out format:

Jr. (for the word junior), Sr. (for the word senior) following names John Henry Johnson Sr.

Mr., Mrs., Dr., etc.

Esq. (Esquire) Sarah Hughes, Esq.

etc. (not et cetera)

Do not abbreviate the following words in any situation within a recorded statement:

apartment

number

state names

street types: avenue, street, way, highway, route, etc.

points of the compass: north, south, east, west, southeast, northwest, etc.

Social Security Number (“What’s your SS Number?”)

measurements: pounds, feet, yards, miles, miles per hour, inches, etc.

Fort, Mount, Saint, Point, Port (unless it is specifically part of the name, i.e., St. Petersburg, Florida)

days of the week

months of the year

time zones (unless given as an acronym)

OK For the most part, use the version OK (capital letters, no periods) in transcripts.

Q: OK. Could I have your full name, please?

A: OK. It’s Marge Simpson.

If spoken, use the spelling okey doke, or okey dokey as stated.

A: Can I call you back with my driver’s license number?

Q: Okey dokey.

If spoken, use the spellings M’kay or ‘K as an abbreviated form of OK but only at the beginnings of sentences.

A: It was a 1995 Plymouth, Breeze.

Q: M’kay. And what color was it?

NOTE: M’kay and ‘K should only be used at the beginning of a sentence. If it occurs anywhere else in a sentence, substitute OK. It is also acceptable to use OK when M'Kay or 'K are heard.

Um/Uh Type all ums and uhs that occur in a transcript. ALWAYS set the words um and uh off with commas.

Q: OK. Did you, um, well, did you have anything to drink before the accident happened?

A: Uh, no. Uh, I don’t, uh, drink or anything, ever.


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If stated, it is acceptable to use mm or hmm in a statement as well. Set these words off with commas as you would for um and uh.

Q: Do you remember her name?

A: Hmm, I don’t recall what it was.

You Know/Like Be sure to set off the words “you know” and “like” with commas appropriately.

A: I was, you know, going, like 45 miles an hour. And they, like, crashed into me, you know, right after I pulled into the intersection.

Note: "Like" does not always require commas around it.

No comma required:

A: It was like it was fast, you know? Like going 100 miles per hour.

Comma required:

A: It was, like, you know, like, I thought I knew where to go.

Numbers Follow all normal rules of writing numbers keeping these special rules in mind. The key to writing numbers in recorded statements is to make sure you indicate exactly what is being said. To check if you have done that, go back and read what you have typed in the transcript as if you were the adjuster or another person. Does what you read match exactly with what was said on the tape?

Unless other rules as listed below apply, use words for numbers from one through ten.

Unless other rules as listed below apply, use figures for numbers over 10.

ALWAYS use figures when referring to AGE, DISTANCE, SPEED and sometimes HEIGHT (or as detailed elsewhere in this guide).

Do not mix numbers and figures. When mixed numbers are spoken, use one style or the other, as appropriate and following the Age, Distance, Speed rule noted above. Use the rules outlined in this section to guide you.

A: There were ten or twelve kids in the van with me.

OR:

A: There were 10 or 12 kids in the van with me.

NOT:

A: There were ten or 12 kids in the van with me.

BUT:

A: I am 17 and a half years old.

Do not spell out a number that begins a sentence that you would otherwise use a figure for. This aids in readability of the transcript.

Q: How old are you?

A: 45.

Q: How old was the driver?

A: 16 and a half.

Use numerical fractions in street addresses.

A: 2041½ West Fairfield.


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Spell out fractions in all other cases.

A: I drove three-quarters of a mile to get there.

A: He’s probably two-thirds of a car length from where I was parked.

A: I think it was about one-half a car length.

A: I think it was about a half a car length.

In writing addresses, use words for all numbered street names from one to ten and use figures for all numbered street names over ten.

A: My address is 5030 First Avenue South, Seattle, Washington 98011.

A: My address is 4122 22nd Place Northeast, Tukwila, Washington 98068.

BUT

A: We were on I-5. We were going to exit onto Route 3.

When the number zero is spoken as “oh” use the number zero.

“My ZIP Code is nine eight oh five five.”

My ZIP Code is 98055.

“My telephone number is two oh six, two two six, double oh six zero.”

My telephone number is 206-226-0060.

Ordinals

Follow normal rules for ordinals as outlined in the grammar guide.

Use ordinals in dates only if it is spoken. Sometimes you need to listen very carefully for these.

Spoken Typed As

July fifteenth nineteen eighty July 15th, 1980

July fifteen nineteen eighty July 15, 1980

Superscripting ordinals is preferred but not necessary. Either way is acceptable but be consistent.

August 10th, 1999.

August 10th, 1999.

Ordinals that follow a person’s name may be expressed in Arabic or roman numerals. As a rule, use Arabic numerals unless you know that the person in question prefers roman numerals.

James A. Wilson 3rd OR James A. Wilson III

NOTE: There is no comma between the name and the ordinal.

Social Security Number/Telephone Number

When typing out Social Security Numbers, use hyphens to separate the components.

334-34-9390

112-00-9385

NOTE: Social Security Number, the words, should always have initial caps as shown.

What’s your Social Security Number?

What’s your Social?

If a person says the word “sosch” as a shortened form of the word Social, use the abbreviation Soc.

What’s your Soc.?


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When typing out telephone numbers, use hyphens to separate the components. Do not use parenthesis to set off the area code.

206-776-3890

339-9302

NOT

(509) 394-3944

If the words area code are spoken before the telephone number, they should be included in the transcript.

Spoken: “My telephone number is area code two oh six, two two six, double oh six zero.”

Transcribed: My telephone number is area code 206-226-0060.

Height

Numbers given for height should be written in figures (not words). If stated by a participant, write out the words feet or foot and inches when indicating height.

Spoken Typed As

“I am five feet five inches tall.” I am 5 feet 5 inches tall.

NOT: I am 5’ 5” tall.

“He was about six foot.” He was about 6 foot. NOT: He was about 6’.

NOTE: There is no comma separating the two elements. The measurement is considered a single unit.

When the word inches is left out, spell out all components and use words for the numbers.

Spoken Typed As

“I am five feet two tall.” I am five feet two tall.

NOT: I am 5 feet 2 tall. NOR: I am 5’ 2.

“He was about six foot two.” He was about six foot two.

NOT: He was about 6’ 2. NOR: He was about 6 foot 2.

When the words feet and inches are left out, spell out all components and separate them with a hyphen.

Spoken Typed As

“I am five two.” I am five-two.

NOT: I am 5-2. NOR: I am 5’ 2”.

“He was about six three.” He was about six-three.

NOT: He was about 6’ 3”. NOR: He was about 6-3.

NOTE: To check if you have typed it correctly, go back and read what you have typed in the transcript as if you were the adjuster or another person. Does what you read match exactly with what was said on the tape?

Money

When an amount of money is expressed in a way that can make sense when written with figures, always type it out in the figure format.

A: I paid 2,000 for it. (said “two thousand”)

A: I paid $2,000 for it. (said “two thousand dollars”)

A: I make $25,500 a year. (said “twenty-five thousand five hundred dollars”)

A: I make two to three hundred dollars a week. (cannot be written as 2 to $300 per week as the dollars applies to both amounts and for readability purposes using numerical form makes it difficult)

NOTE: The comma is now commonly omitted in four-digit whole numbers, but can be used.


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When the amount is expressed in a way that will not make sense written with figures, write out the numbers in full:

A: I make twenty-five five a year. (cannot be written as 25,5 as that would not make sense in written text and the person technically did not say 25,500 – would be “twenty-five thousand, five hundred”)

Do not use a dollar sign unless the word dollars is spoken, even if you know they are talking about dollars.

A: It was $25. (said “twenty-five dollars”)

A: It was 25. (said “twenty-five”)

Do not use brackets to indicate what was intended by a person in an interview if their numbers are unclear.

Q: You paid 16,000? (Said “You paid sixteen thousand?”)

A: Sixteen five. (Said “Sixteen five.”)

NOT:

A: Sixteen five [16,500].

When bucks is used, do not put in a dollar sign, but type the word “bucks” as stated:

A: I got it for 25 bucks.

A: He tried to bribe me with 250 bucks instead of calling the police.

NOTE: To check if you have typed it correctly, go back and read what you have typed in the transcript as if you were the adjuster or another person. Does what you read match exactly with what was said on the tape?

Dates For dates expressed as numbers, use the month/day/year format and separate the components with slashes.

Spoken Typed As

seven eight eighty 7/8/80

seven eight 7/8

seven eight nineteen eighty 7/8/1980

For dates expressed with month names, spell out the month name and format the date as follows:

Spoken Typed As

July eight nineteen eighty July 8, 1980

July eighth nineteen eighty July 8th, 1980

July eight eighty July 8, ’80

Time Clock is always expressed with figures separated by a colon (without a space before or after). Formatted correctly, time should resemble a digital clock display.

Spoken Typed As

“The accident happened at ten o’clock” = The accident happened at 10:00.

“I arrived at five.” = I arrived at 5:00.

“It was nine thirty.” = It was 9:30.

“I think about five, oh, five, p.m.” = I think about 5:05 p.m.

“Around ten thirty-five, forty.” = Around 10:35, 40.


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Rev. Apr-09

a.m./p.m. is always typed with lower case letters separated by periods.

A: It was 10:00 a.m. when the accident happened.

If a.m. or p.m. comes at the beginning of the sentence, capitalize the first letter but not the second.

Q: Was that a.m. or p.m. when the accident happened?

A: P.m.

Military Time. If time is given in military format (“sixteen-hundred hours”), use a four-digit format without a colon in the middle.

A: The accident happened at 1400 hours.

A: The accident happened at 0515 hours.

Quotes Within a Recorded Statement Single quotes are used versus double quotes because the entire statement is quoted material; therefore, single

quotes are appropriate.

Use single quotes within a recorded statement sentence to reflect a direct quotation, that is, the exact words of the speaker. Direct quotations are not necessarily always preceded by the word ‘said’ as noted in the following examples.

A: I went over to see if she was all right, and she said, ‘I can’t believe how much my neck hurts.’

Q: Did she say, ‘I am at fault for the accident’?

Q: She said, ‘It was my fault.’

AND:

A: And he told me, you know, he said, ‘If the police interview me, I’m gonna get a ticket for driving without a license and I’m gonna get a ticket for . . .’

Q: Mm-hmm.

A: . . . um, what’s that called? Um, ‘. . . reckless driving.’

Do not use quotes around indirect quotations (e.g. paraphrased statements when the speaker does not indicate exactly what was spoken.)

A: She said, I, uh, well, she, uh, I, uh, I was, at f-, uh, at fault.

Q: Did she say she was at fault for the accident?

A: She said she was at fault.

A: She was like, ‘What is your problem?’

BUT:

A: She was, like, asking me what my problem was.

Single quotes can also be used to give special emphasis to a word.

A: There was a loud ‘boom’ sound.

Q: Was that a ‘no?’

A: My ‘ex’ told me he would pay. (‘Ex’ standing alone without quotes might look like a typo.)

A: He pulled a ‘U’ right before the accident.


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Rev. Apr-09

Recorded Voices/Messages When a recorded voice or message is included on the recording, do not include this as a separate speaker

token. Place the recorded message on a separate line, tabbed in to 0.5 so it lines up with the other paragraphs, inside brackets, with Recording: at the beginning.

Q: Let me put you on hold for just a moment and get the claim number for you.

A: OK.

[Recording: Thank you for calling Progressive. A representative will be with you momentarily. Thank you for your . . . ]

Q: OK. Are you there?

A: Yes.

When multiple voicemail messages have been accessed and recorded, claims adjuster is Q: and the person leaving the voicemail is A: (or B:, C:, etc.). The person leaving the voicemail must be entered in the Transcription Information Box in the corresponding speaker token.

When there is a single voicemail message with only a recorded voice at the beginning, the recording goes in brackets and A: would be the person leaving the message. In the Transcription Information Box, Q: would be listed as None.

Q: None

A: Mary Jones

[dial tone, dialing, ringing] [Recording: You have reached the voice mailbox for. . .] [beep] [Recording: This is Mary Jones returning your call about the accident I witnessed the other day. Give me a call at your convenience. Thank you.] [beep]

When phone buttons are being pushed to access automated phone systems, put recordings and phone sounds in separate brackets:

[dial tone, dialing, ringing] [Recording: If you are calling for a Spanish interpreter . . .] [dialing] [Recording: Please enter your PACMan org. code . . .] [dialing, ringing] [Recording: There are no Spanish speaking representatives available. Remain on the line and you will be connected with an interpreter.] [on hold]

INT: This is Interpreter 294. How can I help you?

Q: Hi. I have Juan Valdez on the line with us . . .

When an advertisement is playing, do not transcribe the recorded advertisement:

A: Right, OK. Hold on one moment, please.

Q: Thanks. [on hold]

A: Hi, this is Sherry.

When hold music is playing:

A: Right, OK. Hold on one moment, please.

Q: Thanks. [hold music]

A: Hi, this is Sherry.

When there is a recording played back within another recording, put [Begin recording of ***** interview] if you have a way to indicate what interview it was (if not, use [Begin recording of previous interview]) and use new speaker tokens as necessary:


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Rev. Apr-09

Q: John Doe

A: Dawn Morris

B: Safeco Adjuster

Q: This is a recording from my computer from Safeco.

[Begin recording of Safeco interview]

B: [recording begins mid-interview] . . . speaking with Dawn Morris. Today’s date is June 5th, 2006, and the time is approximately 9:15 a.m. Miss Morris, do you understand this conversation is being recorded?

A: Yes, I do.

B: Do I have your permission to do so?

A: You do.

B: Can you describe the vehicles involved in the accident?

A: Yes, I can. A blue Honda Accord and a black Nissan Sentra.

B: With your permission, I’ll turn off the recorder.

A: OK.

[End recording of Safeco interview]

Q: Miss Morris, do you remember saying this in your last statement?

Interpreted Statements The goal is to make the transcript understandable for the reader, while still transcribing

verbatim.

For interpreted recordings, transcribe all parts spoken in English, except as noted below. Keep in mind, if the A: participant (interviewee) speaks English, type the English under their A: speaker token. Type any English parts spoken by the interpreter under the INT: speaker token.

Spoken Typed As

Q: asks in English Q: What is your address?

INT: asks A: in Spanish; A: replies in Spanish to INT: INT: My address is 123 Main.

Q: asks in English Q: What is your license number?

INT: asks A: in Spanish; A: replies in Spanish to INT: INT: He said, 123456789.

Q: responds in English Q: Thank you.

Exceptions

Same response: If A: responds in English and the interpreter repeats the same response, type only what the interpreter says, do not put in A:’s response. If A: says “no” for example, and the interpreter repeats “no,” there is no need to put in A:’s response of “no.” You need only put A:’s “no” response if the interpreter does not repeat it.

Spoken Typed As


INT: asks A: in Spanish; A: replies in English;

INT: repeats A: INT: My address is 123 Main.

Q: asks in English Q: What is your license number?

INT: asks A: in Spanish;

A: replies in English; INT repeats A: INT: He said, 123456789.


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Rev. Apr-09

Different Response: If A: responds in English and the interpreter interprets differently than A:, type both A:’s response and the interpreter’s response.

Spoken Typed As


INT: asks A: in Spanish; A: replies in English, A: 123 Main Street.

but INT: interprets differently in English INT: 125 Main Street.

Foreign Responses

[foreign language response]: If A: responds in a foreign language and no response is given in English, use [foreign language response] for A:

Spoken Typed As


INT: asks A: in Spanish; A: replies in Spanish to INT:

but INT: doesn’t interpret the response into English A: [foreign language response]

Q: asks in English Q: Do you have a license?

If A: responds in a foreign language, and Q: obviously understands and responds in English, use [foreign language response] for A: so that the flow of the transcript is understandable.

Spoken Typed As

Q: asks in English Q: Where was this accident?

INT: asks A: in Spanish; A: replies in Spanish,

INT: doesn’t interpret the response into English, A: [foreign language response]

but Q: understands the response Q: On the corner of Main and First, OK.

If the foreign language is specifically identified, it should be noted in the [speaking foreign language] or [foreign language response] with the specific language being used in place of “foreign language.”

Q: What color was the light?

A: [Spanish response]

Q: It was red, OK. What did the other driver do then?

INT: The other driver, [speaking Spanish]. Yes, the other driver ran the red light.

If A: responds in a foreign language with a simple yes or no (sí in Spanish, oui in French), put this in if the interpreter does not offer the interpretation.

Spoken Typed As


INT: asks A: in Spanish; A: replies in Spanish to

INT: INT: My address is 123 Main.

Q: asks in English Q: Do you have a license?

INT: asks A: in Spanish; A: replies sí in Spanish A: Sí.

Q: responds in English Q: Thank you.

Do not transcribe words spoken in foreign language other than si, oui or no, even if you understand what is being said (bueno, dos vehiculos, etc.) as they are less commonly understood and could be considered a form of interpreting. Instead, use [speaking foreign language] or [foreign language response], as appropriate.

Miscellaneous Situations

Interpreting for two people. If an interpreter interprets for two people in the same interview, use [for A:] when the interpreter is translating for A:, and [for B:] when the interpreter is translating for B:. If A: is the main interview and B: is interviewed only briefly, use only [for B:] to indicate B’s interview.


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Rev. Apr-09

INT: [for A:] The car was a black Jeep Cherokee.

Q: What year?

INT: [for B:] It’s a 2006.

When there is an interpreter who interprets for two people in the same interview, put the two people’s names in the Transcription Information Box, even if they never speak in English.

Speaking simultaneously. There are some interviews where all or some of the participants repeatedly speak simultaneously. If you are able to hear all the words spoken, type them. If you are unable to hear the words spoken because someone is speaking over them, use . . . [SS] . . . as follows:

When the interpreter interrupts Q: and you hear all of Q’s question:


INT: . . . [SS] . . .


INT: No.

When the interpreter interrupts Q: and you do not hear all of Q’s question:


INT: . . . [SS] . . .


INT: No.

When A: interrupts Q: and you hear all of Q’s question:


A: . . . [SS] . . .


INT: No.

When A: interrupts Q: and you do not hear all of Q’s question:


A: . . . [SS] . . .


INT: No.

When A: interrupts the interpreter answering in English:

Q: The light that was green, was it an arrow or a solid green?

INT: . . . [SS] . . .

A: . . . [SS] . . .

INT: . . . the light. It was a solid green, and it had turned green for me to pass through.

When a participant has a background conversation in a foreign language:

A: Um, her car came into contact . . . [foreign language exchange in background] So it’s vehicle number one.

When the interpreter speaks directly to Q: There are times when an interpreter will ask a question or converse with Q:, either to clarify the question being asked or to clarify A’s response. Do not use a B: speaker token, use INT: for what the interpreter says.

Q: I’m not understanding how the impact occurred. Ask him how the impact occurred.

INT: This is the interpreter. Um, from my understanding, he was on the other street, sir. He wasn’t on the same road as Mr. Ortiz was. He was on the other road.

Q: Oh, OK.

(continued on next page)


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Rev. Apr-09

Q: Where is the damage on the vehicle?

INT: Do you mean his vehicle or the other vehicle? (In this example, INT does not interpret Q’s question here, but asks Q: to clarify):

Q: His vehicle. Where is the damage on Mr. Ortiz’s vehicle?

When a secondary participant (B:, C:, etc.) interprets. There are times when a person acting as an interpreter will become a participant of the interview, perhaps giving their own account of an accident. In most circumstances, it is a family member or a friend that was involved in the accident. When they are speaking for themselves, use a B:, C:, D:, etc. speaker token and add them to the key in the Transcription Information Box. When they are interpreting, use the INT: speaker token to indicate the translation for the other party. This does not happen often. Designating the interpreter as both INT: and B: happens very rarely, usually only when the person interpreting was directly involved in the accident.

Q: Bob Smith

A: Roberto Garcia

INT: Miguel Fernandez

B: Miguel Fernandez

Spoken Typed As

Q: asks in English Q: Where did this happen?

INT: asks A: in Spanish; A: replies in Spanish to INT: INT: First and Main Street.

Q: asks in English Q: Was it at the intersection?

INT: does not ask A, but responds in English. B: Yes, it was at the intersection.

Q: asks in English Q: OK. Was he on Main or First?

INT: does not ask A, but responds in English. B: We were on Main.

Q: responds in English Q:

When Q: becomes the interpreter. This does not happen often. If Q: interprets for A: and switches languages in the middle of an exchange, type what Q: says in English and use [speaking foreign language] when s/he speaks to A: in a foreign language.

Spoken Typed As

Q: asks in English; Q: then asks same

question in foreign language Q: Where did this accident occur? [speaking foreign language]

A: responds in foreign language; Q: repeats

A:’s answer in English. INT: First and Main Street.

Q: asks in English; Q: then asks same Q: Was it at the intersection? [speaking foreign

question in foreign language language]

A: responds in foreign language; Q: repeats

A:’s answer in English. INT: Yes, it was at the intersection of First and Main.

If Q: and A: converse in a foreign language, and then Q: interprets what A: said, use [foreign language exchange].

Spoken

Q: asks in English;

Q: then asks same question in foreign language;

A: and Q: converse in foreign language;

Q: repeats A:’s answer in English

Typed As

Q: What happened in the accident? [speaking foreign language] [foreign language exchange]

INT: I was on the corner of Main Street waiting for the light to change to green and the car behind me rear-ended me.


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Rev. Apr-09

When there are multiple interpreters: On occasion, one interpreter may disconnect and another interpreter may be obtained. For example, Q: may be concluding the interview and release the interpreter, but then decides to ask additional questions. A new interpreter may then be obtained to assist. In these situations, both interpreters can go under the same speaker token. The names in the Transcription Information Box would be:

INT: Interpreters

OR:

INT: Jose and Constance (if the interpreters’ names were given in the statement)

Exception: However, in other instances there may be a question as to the interpreter’s skill or ability to interpret accurately causing the change in interpreters. Useful information can be communicated from this change and it should be noted by separating out the two interpreters. For example, if it is determined the interpreter speaks the wrong language (i.e. Spanish instead of Portuguese), give the initial interpreter (the one that turns out to be speaking the wrong language) the B: speaker token (or C: or D:, as appropriate) and the main interpreter (the one that interprets the majority of the statement) the INT: speaker token.

INT: Spanish Interpreter

B: Portuguese Interpreter

Similarly, if the accuracy of the interpreter’s translation could be questioned and a new interpreter is brought in, this should be noted with separate speaker tokens in the Transcription Information Box as well.

INT: First interpreter’s name here or “Interpreter” if unknown

B: Second interpreter’s name here or “Interpreter” if unknown

When there is an interpreter for primary interviewee, but the primary interviewee never says a word, he/she is still put into the key as A:. This information prints out at the top of each transcript page and on the order summary report, letting the insurance company know the name of the insured/claimant.

Sometimes the representative from the law office will also interpret for the interviewee. Put their name (if you have it) in the INT: box for their involvement as the interpreter. Use the ATTY: speaker token (if the speaker is identified as an attorney) or B:, C:, D:, etc. (if the speaker is not identified as an attorney) for the portions when they are speaking in their legal capacity.

If the other party is not identified, put in:

B: Unknown male/female (if you can determine gender)

The goal is to make the transcript understandable for a reader while still transcribing verbatim.

911 Calls 911 calls are always marked special handling in the Transcription Information Box.

Format the text of a 911 call as follows:

Q: Dispatcher

A: (Name of person calling in) or Unknown

B: Unknown speaker (if there are others on the line who participate in the call)

If there is a series of calls, place the names in the key as they come up in the recordings, and after you have reached Speaker Token F:, place the next speaker token designation on line 1 of the transcript at the left margin, DO NOT double-space between the speaker tokens at the beginning of the transcript. Double-space between the last speaker token and the beginning line of the transcript. (example on next page)


85

Rev. Apr-09

Q: Dispatcher

A: Jane Louis

B: Unknown speakers

C: Elizabeth Paxton [SP]

D: Sarah

E: Chris

F: Lyle

G: Mike

H: Brad

If there is a series of calls, do NOT place each call in its own transcript. At the end of the call, double-space, and on the next empty line type in at the left margin [End of call] or track, if it’s a digital audio file. Double-space and then begin the next call.

Court Cases Special Formatting Information Court hearings should always be reviewed by Operations before being transcribed.

Use participant initials for speaker tokens instead of A:, B:, C:, etc. Create a new key at the top of the document on line 1 to identify your new speaker tokens, lining the items up using tabs. If you are unsure how to do this, please ask Operations.

Court hearings are always Special Handling.

I N D E X

86

Rev. Apr-09

Index

( (________), 18, 58

transcription information box, 58

[ [foreign language response], 81

‘ ‘cuz, 53 ‘em, 53 ‘K, 73 ‘til, 55

4 4 x 4, 52

9 911, 52 911 calls, 19, 29, 84

A a.m., 52, 78 AAA, 52 abbreviations, 72

academic degrees, 73 acronyms, 73 esq., 73 etc., 73 jr., 73 measurements, 73 other, 73 states, 73

abnormal verbs, 57 academic degrees, 73 accessing completed transcripts, 35 acronyms, 73 actual cash value, 52 additional participants, 51 addresses, 55 adjuster listing, 17, 47, 51

adding a name, 48 creating a copy, 47 searching, 47

affect, 52 airbag, 52

all right, 52 all righty, 52 , 33 area code, 52, 76 assignment report example, 13 assignment reports, 10, 11

check-out copy, 11 customer copy, 11, 29 not used check box, 11 notes, 12 original copy, 11 transcriptionist checklist, 11 transcriptionist copy, 11

attorneys, 52 AutoCorrect, 24

AutoCorrect List, 25 backup, 38 Building and Utilizing AutoCorrects in Word 2003, 25 copy to a new computer, 38 create an AutoCorrect, 24 delete, 25 edit, 25 examples, 25 formatted autocorrects, 24, 39 plain text autocorrects, 24 restore, 39 use an autocorrect, 25

AutoSave, 16, 21, 22 axle, 52

B back seat, 53 background noise, 66 barrack, 52 batch, 11 berm, 52 blank tapes, 28 bodily injury, 52 bold, 69 borough, 53 bracketed items, 59

[clears throat], 63 [coughs], 63 [crying], 63 [foreign language response], 81 [interference], 62 [laughs], 63 [long pause], 63 [makes sound], 62 [pause], 63

I N D E X

[recording begins mid-interview], 64 [recording ends abruptly], 64 [sic], 61 [sneezes], 63 [sounds like], 60 [sounds like] v. [sic], 61 [SP], 60 [static], 62 [TD], 62 [yawns], 63 end of side notation, 64 end of track notation, 65 examples, 59 person speaking in background, 66 recordings, 79 speaking to person in background, 65

brand-new, 53 bucks, 77 building and utilizing autocorrects in word

2003, 49 creating a copy, 49

built-in macro, 19

C car length, 53 cater-corner, 53 catty corner, 53 cell phones, 62 claim number, 20, 22, 51

discrepancies, 16 discrepancies, 27 Progressive, 18

clears throat, 63 common names, 18 completed order processing, 33, 34

home-based, 34 in-office, 33

computers shut down, 44

contrib-neg, 53 coughs, 63 court cases, 85 crying, 63 customer ID, 11

D date of interview, 18 date of loss, 18 dates, 77

date of interview, 18 date of loss, 18

digital audio files, 30

blank / inaudible files, 32 codec, 32 discrepancies, 30 multiple-track statements, 65 NICE player, 31 retrieving from FTP, 30 retrieving from h

\ drive, 31 work requests, 30

direct quotes, 78 disk, 53 disk cleanup, 43 do not transcribe, 19, 29 do transcribe, 19, 29 driveable, 53 drive-through, 53 drive-thru, 53 dualie, 53

E each other, 53 eastbound, 53 E-brake, 53 effect, 52 ellipses, 69 e-mail, 53 e-mail addresses

formatting, 71 employee self-tracking template, 21, 23 end of side, 64 end of track, 65 esquire, 73 etc., 53, 73 exclamation point, 69 expletives, 58

F false starts, 57 file management, 33

, 33 in-office, 33

folders 21, 22, 33, 38 client, 33 creating new folders, 33 my documents, 38, 45 sent, 33

font size, 20 four by four, 52

I N D E X

G gap insurance, 53 geez, 53 glossary of recorded statement-related terms, 48

adding new terms, 48 creating a copy, 48 searching, 48

gonna, 53 gotcha, 53 gray, 53 grille, 53 guardrail, 53

H handling customer tapes, 29 hanging indent, 16 height, 76 helpful websites

adding new sites, 48 helpful websites, 48

creating a copy, 48 highways, 53, 55 hm-mm, 55 homework cabinets, 15 huh-uh, 55

I improving web search efficiency, 49

creating a copy, 49 inaudible tapes, 28 inaudibles, 18, 58

transcription information box, 58 incomplete words, 57 indent

hanging, 16 in-office template, 20 insurance coverage, 53 interference, 62 interpreted statements, 80

different responses, 81 same response, 80

interpreter, 18, 51, 80 special handling, 18 unidentified, 18

interrupted numbers, 66 leading questions, 67 trailed-off thoughts, 67

interrupted sentences, 66 interviewee responses not recorded, 19, 29 ish, 57

italics, 69

J jeep, 53 jeez, 53 jr., 73

K key, 51

[sounds like], 52 [SP], 52

kitty corner, 53 kitty-cornered, 53

L lane numbers, 53 laughs, 63 leading questions, 67 less than ½ page transcripts, 19, 29

do not transcribe, 19, 29 do transcribe, 19, 29

letter identifiers, 71 license plate numbers, 70, 71 lienholder, 54 like, 74 line numbers, 16, 20 logon name, 21, 23 LoJack, 54 long pause, 63

M M’kay, 73 ma’am, 54 Macros, 26 Macros

creating macros, 26 Macros

backing up macros, 40 Macros

restoring macros, 40 Macros

copy to a new computer, 40 Macros

restoring macros, 42 main participants, 51 makes sound, 62 measurements, 73 med-pay, 54 MetLife, 54

I N D E X

military time, 78 mm-hmm, 55 mm-mm, 55 money, 76 multiple interpreters, 84 multiple interview, 27 multiple tapes, 27 MVR, 54

N network, 33

f \ drive, 33

next day tapes, 14 nicknames, 51 no-fault, 54 northbound, 54 numbers, 74

bucks, 77 fractions, 74 height, 76 money, 76 ordinals, 75 Social Security Number, 75 spelling out, 74 telephone number, 76 zero, 75

O OEM, 54 offhand, 54 off-ramp, 54 OK, 54, 73 okey doke, 73 on-ramp, 54 order #, 11 ordinals, 75 Outlook Web Access, 47

P p.m., 52, 78 P.O. Box, 54 PACMan, 54 paragraphing, 68 parental permission, 18 parentheses, 69 participants

unidentified, 18 unknown, 18

pause, 63 pay periods, 47 percent, 54 permission for statement of minor, 18 person speaking in background, 66 personal injury protection, 54 personalized license plate numbers, 70 PIP, 54 polite requests, 70 prematic, 54 production tracking, 21, 23 Progressive Insurance, 18 protecting your work, 37

system freezes, 38 when something goes wrong, 37

punctuation, 69 bold, 69 ellipses, 69 exclamation point, 69 italics, 69 other, 70 parentheses, 69 question mark, 70 quotes, 78 spelling, 69

purging files, 45

Q QC, 20, 51

blank lines, 20 flagging transcripts on FTP, 31 font size, 20 naming folders on FTP, 31

quotes, 78

R rear end, 54 rear-end, 54 rearview mirror, 54 reassignment form, 36 recorded messages, 79 recorded voices, 79 recording begins mid-interview, 64 recording ends abruptly, 64 recovering lost files, 37, 38 remote e-mail, 47 responses not recorded, 19, 29 run-on sentences, 68

I N D E X

S saving, 21, 23 scandisk, 43 seat belt, 54 security settings, 10 shared transcriptionist resources, 47 shut down, 44 sic, 61 single quotes, 78 slang, 55

slang not to use, 56 slang to use, 56

sneezes, 63 Social Security Number, 54, 73, 75 sounds like, 60 sounds like v. sic, 61 southbound, 54 SP, 60 speaker tokens, 16, 17 speaking simultaneously, 67 speaking to person in background, 65 special handling, 18, 27

interpreter, 27 marking a transcript, 27 what is, 27

speech impediment, 57 spelling, 69, 71

letter identifiers, 71 split transcript log, 36 SS, 67 states, 55, 73 static, 62 storing files, 45 stuttering, 55, 57 stutters, 51, See slang/stuttering sub-order #, 11 subrogation, 55 swear words, 58 system freezes, 38 system requirements, 6

T tapes

blank or inaudible, 28 handling customer tapes, 29

T-bone, 55 TD, 62 team member comments, 18 technology and reference resources, 46

telephone number, 75 area code, 76

template macro, 19 templates, 6, 16

font size, 20 in-office, 20 installing, 6 mobile, 22 start new, 16

thruway, 55 till, 55 time, 77

a.m., 78 military, 78 p.m., 78

time reporting, 46 deleting entries, 47 editing entries, 47

trailed-off thoughts, 67 transcribing, 16 transcript number, 27

new interview, 28 unrelated interview, 28

transcription start new, 16

transcription information box, 17, 51 button, 17 date of interview, 18 date of loss, 18 required fields, 17 Spanish translation, 18 team member comments, 18 transcript comment boxes, 18

transcriptionist website, 46 transcripts

closing, 37 storing files, 45

transferring files, 34 triage, 10 turnarounds, 11

next day, 11 priority, 11 standard, 11

U uh, 51, 73 uh-huh, 55 uh-uh, 55 U-ie, 55 um, 51, 73 unable to transcribe, 28 unrelated background noise, 66

I N D E X

user information Word, 10, 21, 23

U-turn, 55

V verbatim, 50 voicemail messages, 19

W westbound, 55 windows

requirements, 6 Windows XP

zipping files, 45 Word

multiple open files, 21, 23 security settings, 10 user information, 10, 21, 23 warnings, 21, 23

Word (Microsoft), 6, 10 AutoRecovery, 37 save settings, 37

work assignment counter hours of operation, 14 work for next day, 14

work assignment processing, 10 work assignment processing and creation, 10 work assignments, 14

check-out copy, 14 home-based transcriptionists, 14 receiving, 14 unfinished work assignments, 14

work priority, 14 workers’ comp, 55 workmen’scomp, 55 workstation maintenance, 43

daily computer maintenance, 43 monthly computer maintenance, 44

X x-ray, 55

Y y’all, 55 yawns, 63 yep, 55 you know, 74 youse, 55 yup, 55

Z ZIP Code, 55 zipping files, 45

Windows XP, 45

Lillian Morson, Morson’s English Guide for Court Reporters, 1992

William A. Sabin, The Gregg Reference Manual, Ninth Edition, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2001

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition, 2002

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