Transcribing Your Interview:

The general guidelines below are adapted from those provided for the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress (see http://www.loc.gov/vets/transcribe.html)

At the beginning of the transcript, identify who transcribed the digital audio file and the date(s) that these tasks were done.

When formatting the text on the page, use on-inch margins on each side of the paper, number the pages; and double-space the text.

Identify all speakers at the start of their comments, by typing their name in bolded capital letters, followed by a colon, e.g. SMITH

Creative a verbatim transcript, but omit such expressions as "um" or "ah." Include expressions such as "umhum" or "huh-huh" when used to mean "yes" or "no" in response to specific questions.

Do not revise the narrator's words to force them into standard written prose. Leave untouched any sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and incorrect grammar. commas and dashes may be used to reflect pauses in the spoken words.

If changes are made, clearly indicate when and how the transcript differs from the original tape recording.

Put in brackets explanations about why the interview was interrupted ro why the tape recorder was turned off, e.g. [Interview interrupted by a telephone call}.

Place a question mark before and after a word or phrase to indicate any uncertainty about it, e.g. (?destroyed?).

Indicate the end of a audio file and the beginning of another in capital letters, e.g. END OF FOLDER 1, FILE 1; BEGIN OF FOLDER 1, FILE 2.

Baylor University has developed a cogent Transcribing Style Guide. USE IT.