Full verbatim transcription, or simply "Verbatim", is a detailed transcription style that captures every verbal and non-clue of an audio file. It typically includes utterances such as ums, ahs, false starts, stutters, and even laughter or sighs.
This meticulous approach ensures that the transcript is a true-to-life representation of the original recording.
How does it differ from Clean Read?
In contrast, clean-read transcription, also known as non-verbatim or intelligent transcription, focuses on readability and clarity. This style involves editing out filler words, false starts, and various noises irrelevant to the overall content. The result is a polished, concise, and easy-to-read document that conveys the essence of the spoken word without the clutter of verbatim details, but that also makes it a more reduced representation of the actual audio.
Audio | Full verbatim | Clean read |
"Well, um, I-I think-- no, actually, I'm sure that the project will be, uh, completed by, um, next Monday." | "Well, um, I-I think-- no, actually, I'm sure that the project will be, uh, completed by, um, next Monday." | "I'm sure that the project will be completed by next Monday." |
Both transcription styles have their benefits and whichever you require simply depends on your preferences!
Common uses of Verbatim transcription
Full verbatim transcription is particularly valuable in scenarios where the manner of speech is as important as the words themselves. This includes:
Legal proceedings, where every utterance can be critical.
Qualitative research, where the nuances of responses can lead to deeper insights.
Journalism, where accurately capturing public figures' speech patterns can add depth to stories.
Psychology and psychiatry sessions, where speech patterns can be indicative of mental states.
Verbatim guidelines
In a nutshell, this is how our transcribers are asked to format elements in verbatim.
Element | Formatting |
Filler words | Included and offset by commas. |
Interjections and swear words | Interjections: included like any other word. |
Feedback words | Included like any other word. |
Informal contractions | Spelled according to the language's dictionary / generally accepted spelling |
Stutters | Followed by a single hyphen for every stutter occasion, no extra space. |
Repetitions | Offset by commas |
False starts | Followed by two hyphens and a space. |
Trailing off | Followed by an ellipsis. |
Grammar mistakes | Not corrected. |
Pronunciation mistakes | Corrected. |
Non-verbal communication and voice alterations | Included if the speaker changes their voice or has an emotional response using their mouth. (e.g. "This is… (laughing) how it went.") |
Ambient sounds | Not included. |
Tagging
Our usual Happy Scribe tags will be special verbatim tags to make the entire transcript look more cohesive.
[inaudible 00:00:000] → (inaudible) or (mumbling)
[crosstalk 00:00:000] → (crosstalking)
[foreign language 00:00:000] → (speaking foreign language)
→ if you can figure out the foreign language, please include it. e.g. (speaking French)
[song 00:00:000] → (song playing)
Questions or special requirements? Feel free to reach out to support@happyscribe.com.