Digital Recording For Transcription of Interviews - Top Seven Tips

• Check with the interviewee that they do not mind being recorded for later transcription. It is wise to do this when arranging the interview as it will be a bit late to make alternative arrangements when the interview is about to start. It is polite, however, to confirm at the start of the interview that the participant is still happy to be recorded.
• Conduct explanations about your research and give background information before switching on the recorder, to save on recording time. Although many digital recorders have many hours of available time, if you record this you will also need to remember to ask you transcriptionist not to transcribe it.
• Use an external microphone on your recorder. Internal mikes are only suitable for dictation (one voice).
• Record the interview in a quiet place. Background noise can drastically reduce the quality of the recording and increase the time taken to transcribe. The ideal environment is a quiet private room, where interviewer and interviewee can sit comfortably without feeling crowded, but not so large that the recording has an echo effect.
• Make sure you use a recorder that has a facility for transferring files to a PC. Some, called ?note takers? do not have the facility. You will have to send the entire machine to your transcriptionist, which obviously has a number of disadvantages.
• Use a file format that is compressed (see my article Digital File Types for Audio Transcription http://ezinearticles.com/?Digital-File-Types-for-Audio-Transcription&id=413748), so that sound recordings can be transferred over the internet to your transcriptionist
• Check your recorder is recording before proceeding with the interview!

Penguin Transcription (http://www.penguin-transcription.co.uk), part of Penguin Office Services, offers an affordable transcription service by tailoring each quote to the exact requirements of the client. The more information the client can provide us with, and the better the quality of the recording for transcription, the more affordable the transcription service will be. Why not visit our site and fill in an enquiry form at http://www.penguin-transcription.co.uk/PTS_enquiry_form.html to receive a quote for your transcription requirements.

This History of Transcription and Law Firm Productivity

Whether documents reside as paper in a client?s redwell or as electronic files in a computer, the process of their creation has changed little over time - someone types them. In fact, along with dictation, typing has been a business process mainstay of not just the legal industry, but corporate America, for decades.

Up until the 1970?s, the dictation to transcription process generally meant a secretary sitting in the same room with her ?boss?, physically writing down every word uttered into a notebook using shorthand. After this time consuming task, she would then travel to her desk and typewriter and transcribe her notes as a first draft. The attorney would make revisions by hand and the document would be retyped from scratch on a new sheet of paper until final ? when it was typed one last time from scratch onto letterhead, usually with several carbon copies. I?m sure anyone who was raised in the PC era can?t even imagine typing the same base document over and over ? but that was how it was done!

In the late 1970?s, the introduction of two pieces of office automation dramatically improved on the document generation process: the cassette recorder and the electric word processor.

Instead of tying up a secretary for hours, a cassette recorder allowed attorneys to dictate to a tape which was then handed to their secretary for transcription throughout her day or, for larger documents, to the firm?s word processing department. With the introduction of recorded dictation, law firm productivity soared! Secretary?s could answer phones and handle administrative tasks as they transcribed and attorneys enjoyed the new freedom of being able to ?work? independent of their secretary and even office -- so long they had their portable recorder, batteries and fresh tapes they could produce and get the ?work? done.

The next improvement to the process, or electric word processors, removed the double entry work of documents created on typewriters and law firms adopted this ?new fangled? technology with arms wide open. Leading the way was Corel?s WordPerfect? which was created specifically for law firms and DOS, long before Windows and the far inferior (IMHO) Microsoft? Word were even a thought. To this day, WordPerfect?s Fkey functions remain etched in my memory and it?s Reveal Codes feature make it an ?intuitive? application for most beginners.

The next improvement to the document generation process will undoubtedly be recognized as the jump from analog to digital dictation and the options that then become available.

Hard to imagine, but this one relatively minor change in how dictators produce the work, can provide heaps of benefits for everyone ? from the ability for dictators to work from any internet connection or telephone; to the ability of HR personnel to track and monitor the actual work in progress at a firm; to the flexibility to send files ?in house? or to lower costs, to a transcription provider or Virtual Assistant.

While it is true that in today?s world many attorneys draft their work while sitting behind their keyboards, if an attorney is fairly computer literate and can type at a decent rate using all fingers (ok, 8 is ok too!), then through cutting and pasting of previously created documents and other software enhancements, this method of document creation can be an efficient use of time. However, since all attorney time is usually billable, the argument could be made that less than proficient attorneys should not draft documents through keyboarding, otherwise clients end up paying for administrative tasks at attorney?s rates. Also, one needs to pay careful attention to meta data (the hidden information in documents) when cutting and pasting.

Just as music and video have moved away from ?tapes?, so too will dictation. The dictation/transcription process remains the best method to get the work done and upgrading to digital is actually inevitable. Word on the street (aka LegalTech NY) is that analog transcription machines will shortly become scarce then the little tapes will start going up in price. If you see that, you know the time draws near to investigate digital equipment. Also, if your current equipment breaks, really consider upgrading to digital. Everyone in your firm will be happy you?ve made the switch ? including you.

My recommendation are products by Olympus ordered through Bret Williams of www.novuscript.com. Bret is an Authorized Olympus Dealer who is happy to provide preferential pricing and free shipping on orders over $200 just for mentioning ?LegalTypist?. ;)

While I try to follow the motto my dear ol' mom instilled in me as I was growing up: ?If you don?t have something nice to say ? don?t say anything at all,? I do feel constrained to caution would be upgraders away from Sony? products. I have had nothing but trouble with their proprietary file types and dictators report their buttons and functions are almost impossible to understand. In comparison, the same associate handed an Olympus DS3000 was able to create and process digital dictation files with very minor effort. For the hard core partners who really resist change, I recommend the Olympus DS4000 as it is the only digital recorder on the market with a slide switch -- so it feels just like a tape unit but without the tape!

Andrea Cannavina, CEO of LegalTypist, Inc., http://www.legaltypist.com, provides custom digital dictation and initial drafts transcription solutions to attorneys, law firms and those who work with the legal industry. Andrea is an EthicsChecked Master Virtual Assistant with over 15 years legal administrative experience. LegalTypist opened its virtual doors in April 2001 and since has assisted dozens of firms and businesses with the implementation and configuration of customized digital workflow.

For a free copy of Andrea?s 20 minute podcast ? Digital Dictation 101, send an e-mail podcast@legaltypist.com.

What is Transcription?

If you are thinking of a telecommunicating career then probably the first one that comes on your mind is transcription service. So many people think the profession of a transcription as a very complex and hard one and most of them don?t understand the word transcription in a better way as well. However, both the meaning of transcription and the profession of transcription are quite simple. Transcription is nothing but the art of converting recorded audio or video signals into a text format. It is just the ability of hearing the audio version quite perfectly and converting into written form in a consistent manner. Looks simple, right!!

However, the most important qualities that any body who is looking to take transcription as a profession should posses are:

? Great listening ability
? Good typing skills (55 WPM or better)
? Reliable computer
? Good head phones
? Perfect internet connection and
? Sometimes a good phone

If you have all these with you and if you are excited of making your bread with the profession of transcription then you should just start providing these services. However, it is always better to undergo a bit of training from good training institutes before you take up transcription service providing as your profession.

People go for transcription services in two ways: as full time job and as a freelancing job. But mostly transcription comes as a regular work rather than as a freelancing job. However, it is also a better idea to take up transcription as your full time day time job and a freelancing job at home or in weekends. This helps you in not only getting a variety of jobs at work place but will also provide good amount of income.

Transcription services are of many kinds. There are generic transcription services where you don?t need any specialized background. Mainly transcriptions of presentations and class room discussions come under this category. However, there are quite a few types of services which need a specialized background. The two main types of those transcription services are medial transcription service and legal transcription service.

If you have a good legal background and if you are excited of these types of transcription services then you should go about this profession. It is always a better idea to join an established company before you start your own, may be at home. These services are normally not outsourced to low cost countries. Hence, this can be an exciting opportunity for young legal people in developed countries.

Medical transcription also requires a solid medical background. Currently, developing countries like India, China are getting great opportunities in this sector.

This article may be reproduced as long as the following resource box remains intact:

For complete help and advice on transcription, read the E-book ?Home Based Transcription Guide - How to make Money Listening to Words!? created by Nathian Jackson. This E-book will give you complete details about transcription, and teach you the ways of earning money through transcription without spending a single penny. This E-Book can be found at http://www.transcriptiontips.co.uk

Nathian Jackson

Future Outlook For Medical Transcription

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the future outlook for medical transcription looks good. This is a lucrative, in demand-career with great growth opportunities.

If you?re considering a medical transcription course or are already taking one, this is good news. It means you will have plenty of employment as well as financial opportunities.

Although, medical transcription is predicted to grow and remain stable, there are a few common concerns among the MT community.

These are the most common.

Will voice recognition replace transcriptionists?

There has been talk for a long time about voice recognition and new software which will replace the jobs of MTs. This will not affect you any time soon. There are a number of growing issues and concerns with this software. It is not being used in a large setting and has not yet replaced the need for medical transcription on the whole.

Medical terminology is complex and the regulations for patient records are stricter than ever. At present, the most accurate way to transcribe these records is by trained MTs.

According to the Medical Records Institute, which actually promotes the use of computerized medical records, current research shows use of speech recognition in the medical fields is less than 1%.

What about offshore transcription companies?

Some companies are using offshore transcription companies to save money. However, while outsourcing medical transcription to offshore companies can save money, many companies are not following this route.

There are various concerns and issues with outsourcing to offshore companies. Offshore MT companies are not required to comply with HIPPA regulations. This means they don?t follow the HIPPA security and privacy guidelines to safeguard medical records.

In some cases it can be done, but mandatory agreements required by HIPPA guidelines must be signed. And precautions must be taken so that data isn?t sent overseas. The overseas vendors must log on to U.S. database to do their work, which means extra systems and measures must be put in place. This can be expensive and time consuming.

Although, some companies may find the need for saving money is worth these risks, most won?t.

I agree with the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics and believe the future of medical transcription looks good and there are many opportunities out there for the taking.

However, although the future of MT looks promising, times HAVE changed. MTs of today should start adapting to the ever changing business technology around them.

The technology is there and available for us to take our businesses to the next level. With a few clicks of a mouse we can build our own MT website, set up an online diary or download files for transcribing.

Be smart in your business, keep up with the times, adapt to technology and your future outlook will look better than ever. Mila Sidman is an experienced MT and owner of http://www.AskTheMT.com - an informative website dedicated to answering all your medical transcription questions.