Working as a Transcriber
Working as a transcriber also requires you to proofread your transcription. It may not apply to all, but it's quite essential to proofread transcriptions as it enhances the quality of your work. Also, you get to avoid unnecessary grammatical errors, punctuations and typos just because you typed them by mistake in the first place. Mistakes like these can never be avoided when transcribing. That is why it is important to proofread after every transcription job.
One of the main goals about transcription is to provide an accurate and lucid transcription to the client requesting for the transcript. Clients and customers who receive badly transcribed documents with typos and improper grammar would start to wonder if they have hired a professional transcriber. Being a professional transcriber takes time and effort. One cannot easily become a professional transcriber simply by knowing how to type and listen accordingly. It is a skill that is mastered with time and with conscious efforts to develop it. Proofreading is part of that skill.
Here are some guidelines to consider when proofreading a transcript:
- Always consider the clients'/customers' needs on his/her request to have a file transcribed. Clients have different needs and you must cater to them based on their instructions and how they want the outcome to look like. How they are going to use the transcript is also important to know so that you can customize based on their uses of it.
- Consistency. When proofreading, you should have consistency in mind so that your transcript can easily be understood. Double check the formatting, layout and style of your transcript to make sure that they are consistent all throughout the document.
- Completeness. Be sure to check that you have transcribed all the important sections of the file being transcribed and that you didn't miss anything. That's what constitutes completeness.
- Correctness. As you proofread the transcript you have just made, always check the correctness of the spelling, typography, layout, and grammar. This is where most transcribers get wrong as they transcribe the file away. Simple words can get their spelling scrambled up and it only takes a careful proofreading job to identify it. Make sure to consider the correctness of the whole document when proofreading.
In this ever-changing world where time is very valuable, people may overlook the little details just to accomplish a project, task, or job. Transcribers are no exception in this. Quality should not be compromised over quantity and if quality is not to be compromised, proofreading is as important as transcribing.
Do you proofread? Share your story in the comment section below
