Civicom Transcription Guidelines

August 2014

I. Before you begin

II. Formatting Your Transcript
a. Civicom Standard format
b. Other formats
c. Verbatim format
d. Timestamps
III. Acceptable Markers
IV. Punctuations/Grammar
V. Using Numbers
VI. AudioLinker
VII. Additional Requirements/‘What Ifs’/Trouble Shooting
VIII. Before/when uploading a file…
IX. Quick Recap
X. Transcription Score
XI. Work Breakdown Sheet
XII. Bonus-Penalty Scheme
XIII. Sanctions

REMINDERS:

o All documents must be delivered on time. You will be penalized for late files.

o Rules, guidelines and deadlines will be strictly enforced.

o Discussion of different projects among other transcribers is strictly prohibited and is

a violation of the Non-Disclosure Agreement.

o Standard rate is $0.25/recorded minute. Any dead air after the interview should not
be included in your minute count.

o Deadlines stated on the Transcription Manager are in Eastern Standard Time (EST).
(8:00 AM EST = 8:00 PM Philippine Time)

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I: Before You Begin

1. Transcribe all documents in the TranscriptionWing template unless stated otherwise.

 This template includes the company logo in the header, page numbers and
company contact information in the footer.

2. Copy and paste the “Rate This Transcript” links that are provided to you on the
“Checked Out Recording” page, into the TranscriptionWing template for each transcript
you complete.
 The links go right under the header.
 PLEASE NOTE: Rating links are unique for each transcript so you must
always copy and paste the links on the Check Out page into the
TranscriptionWing Template. (One space after the header, font should be
Trebuchet 8. Include the words CTRL + Click.)

3. Review any discussion guides and unique formatting instructions for your
specific assignment before you begin transcribing.
 Directions may vary from project to project so don’t assume your document will
always follow the guidelines set forth in this document.)

Quick Recap:

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II: Formatting Your Transcript

Before starting to work on your file, make sure to check the ‘Project Information’ column for
any additional information regarding the file. Make sure to follow the instructions ticked off
as well as the ones mentioned under ‘Project Details’.

A. Civicom Standard Format

 Default format for files. All files must follow this format unless instructed
otherwise.
 Font = Trebuchet MS 10

1. Document Title – CENTERED, Single Space, BOLD

 First Line: Describes the recording (In Depth Interview, Focus Group
Discussion, Conference Call, Webinar, etc.)
 Second Line: Cost Center in TM (project name) or name of recording link.
If neither applies, leave it blank.
 Third Line: Date and time (always stated in Eastern Time - ET).
 Can be found in the Transcription Manager or on recording link.
 Check the file type on third column of the Transcription Manager. If
the type is “Conf,” use the time in TM. If it’s “Other,” use the time
in the recording link or just use the date if no time is provided.

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  Time in Transcription Manager’s first column is in CT (Central
Time). Make sure to adjust the time +1:00 hour to make it ET.

2. Body Format

 Font: Trebuchet MS, size 10

 Left side: Name of Speaker/s
 Margin: 1.0 in
 Tab at 1.25 in (Conversation)
 Spacing: 1.5 Lines
 Justified
 Use “- End of Recording –” when the recording ends or if the speakers say
goodbye and properly ends the conversation.

3. Labeling Speakers

 Use “Interviewer” or “Moderator” and “Respondent” when labeling

speakers.
o For Interviews, please use “Interviewer” for the interviewer at all
times, even if there are multiple individuals asking questions.
o For Focus Groups, please use “Moderator” for the person asking the
questions and each respondent can simply be labeled as “Respondent”.
o For conference calls and meetings, please use “Male” and Female”
as default.
 For KnowWho instructions, each speaker needs to be identified. Please label
them with their names or use the labels provided in the instructions. (Always
confirm this with Olive, Pauline, or the editors).
o Label the speaker with his/her first name or full name if
provided. [i.e. “Bob:” or “Robert Jones:”].
o If the names are not given, try your best to distinguish the speakers
using numbers: Male 1, Male 2, Female 1, Female 2, et cetera.

Note: Always check the formatting guidelines for proper labeling of speakers if the
file does not follow standard TranscriptionWing guidelines and has client-
specific instructions.

B. Other Formats
For files with special formats, click the sample template located under ‘Unique
Template’. More information can be found under Project Details. If you need more
information regarding which template to use, feel free to ask Olive, Pauline, or one of
the editors.

C. Verbatim Rule
Transcribe in verbatim if a client specifically requests for it.

1. Smart Verbatim – transcribe every utterance from the audio except for
‘uhms’ and ‘ahs’. False starts, filler words such as like, you know, I
think, yeah, etcetera should be transcribed.

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 2. Pure or Strict Verbatim – Transcribe everything including: uhm, ah,
uh-uh, uh-huh, uh-hmm, hmm.

A. Timestamps
Always use the hour-minutes-seconds [00:00:00] format for timestamps. Follow the
time reflected in AudioLinker or Express Scribe.

Timestamps could be:

1. Every 30 seconds – [00:00:30], [00:01:00], [00:01:30], and so on.
2. Every minute – [00:01:00], [00:02:00], and so on.
3. In and out of paragraphs:
Interviewer: [00:00:30] From a scale of one to five, what is your
rating for statement one? [00:00:39]
Respondent: [00:00:40] Four. [00:00:41]
Respondent: [00:01:20] I’d say three. [00:01:22]
4. Always place the timestamps within the sentence or paragraph and not on
a separate line.

Quick Recap:

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III: Acceptable Markers:

1. [Unintelligible] – Needs to be AudioLinked

 Part/s of the audio that cannot be deciphered by the transcriber.

2. [Crosstalk] – Needs to be AudioLinked

 Speech that cannot be deciphered due to several speakers talking at the same
time.
 Not to be confused with [unintelligible].

3. [Guessed Word] – Needs to be AudioLinked

 Unsure or best-guessed words.
 Examples: [osteoporosis], [Allan Kichter], [mutual fund].

4. [Audio Gap]
 If there are gaps in the audio (lost reception, dead air on audio).
 This does not apply for pauses when the speaker is talking.

5. [Pause]
 Usually denotes a long break in the audio, which is five seconds or more.
 Not to be confused with [Audio Gap].

6. [Laughter]

7. [Video Presentation]
 Audio played during the interview that generally does not need to be included
in the transcript unless otherwise indicated.

8. [Side Conversation]
 Conversation that is simultaneously going on with the main conversation. Has
nothing to do with main topic.

9. [Applause]

Notes:

 If a speaker’s words are inaudible, make a best-guess and denote any questionable
item by putting the word in brackets “[word]” or if you can’t make a best-guess, use
[Unintelligible]. AudioLink it!

 Please do the same for crosstalk, [Crosstalk]. Be careful about using this too much.
You will be penalized if you use [Crosstalk] when an editor can decipher what is being
said. AudioLink it!

 If someone says something jokingly and others laugh, it is important to denote the
laughter so the meaning of the conversation is not misunderstood or lost.

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IV: Punctuations/Grammar

o Changes of train of thought in mid-sentence can be marked with a hyphen “-”

(JUST ONE HYPHEN, not “—” or “---”).

o If a speaker is cut off mid-sentence or doesn’t finish his/her thought within a

paragraph, use hyphen “-”.

o Please put space before and after the hyphen.

Example: Let me go to the next question regarding – by the way, we can skip
this question if you think this in unnecessary.

o If a speaker is cut off at the end of the paragraph or trails off, use an ellipsis
(…) Do not put space before ellipsis and put question mark after ellipsis
when necessary.

Example: What percentage of…?

o Employ the use of question marks and exclamation points where necessary. Often
times the speaker’s statements can be reinforced by utilizing these punctuations.

o Narrative - If someone is quoting speech while speaking, please indicate so by

using quotation marks. For example, if a speaker repeats an instruction that he gave
to someone else, you would indicate so by writing: So I told him, “Please follow
these instructions carefully.” Please note that if someone ends a sentence in this
way, that the period/question mark/exclamation point should be placed inside the
quotation marks and that a comma should follow the last word prior to the quotation.

o Use proper punctuation at all times and watch your grammar!

o Be mindful when using commas. Some, people, tend, to, be, comma happy.
Only use them when necessary.

V: Using Numbers

Class Audio Transcribe as Example

General 1 through 9 Word form one, two, three…
Numbers
10 and above Figures 11, 12, 13…
Numbers mentioned at the start
of the sentence Word form One, Two, Three…
Fractions Figures 1/2, 2/3, 3/4…
Decimals Figures 0.01, 0.001, 0.0001…
Percentages Figures 10%, 15%, 20%
Measurements Figures 1 inch, 2 lbs, 3 feet…

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 Tiers Arabic Numerals Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3…
Phases Roman Numerals Phase I, Phase II, Phase III…
Figures
Currency amounts (always with .00) $1.00, £2.00
Figures
10 "bucks" (always with .00) $10.00
Figures
Currency 500 "grand" (always with .00) $500,000.00
Figures
4 "clams" (always with .00) $4.00
At the start of the sentence Word form Ten dollars was the asking price.
Figures
Currency amounts with cents (always with .00) $1.50; £58.05
1 through 9 Word form One out of five people like the item.
Ratings From a range of 1 to 10, how much
10 and above Figures do you like the product?
Series of numbers ranging from He’s got three daughters: two, five,
one to nine Word form and seven years old.
Sequence
She has four kids aged 4, 8, 18, and
Series of numbers Figures 25.
Seven PM Figures 7:00 PM
Five o'clock Figures 5:00
Time
Seven in the evening Combination 7:00 in the evening
Nine in the morning Combination 9:00 in the morning
Eight and a half feet Figures 8 ½ x 11 feet
Four feet by nine feet Figures 4 feet x 9 feet
Two point 5 meters Figures 2.5 meters
6 ½ inches of wire is needed for the
Others
Six and a half inches Figures installation
Twelve point five percent
12.5% annual increase
annual increase Figures
Twenty five dollars and fifty two $25.52 interest accumulated for one
cents Figures month
One million Figures 1 million
Large Ten point five billion Figures 10.5 billion
amounts Half a million dollars Word form half a million dollars
Quarter of a million Word form quarter of a million

Exceptions:

1. Currency:
 If the file calls for verbatim and the speaker uses any slang such as “bucks,”
“grand” or “clams”, keep as is.
2. Others:
 Numbers used as measurement, percentages with decimals, dollar amounts
with cents write in figures even if it is the start of the sentence.

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VI. AudioLinker

Please use the AudioLinker in all transcripts unless stated otherwise. All transcripts
should have links embedded so clients can easily listen to the part of recording
where you’ve put markers in the transcript. This means that every [Unintelligible],
[Guessed Word] or [Crosstalk] must be linked.

Use the program when you’re proofing/transcribing your file to embed the links in
the Word document. (Refer to the manual for further instructions)

VII: Additional Requirements/‘What Ifs’/Trouble Shooting

 Filler words that will not alter the context of the sentence (e.g. you know, uhm,
like, mmmm, uh-huh, etc.) are distracting and therefore MUST BE OMITTED unless
verbatim was requested.

 When in doubt, RESEARCH (i.e. proper nouns, such as, names of companies,
organizations, products, acronyms, and sometimes, even the participants’ full
names). If still unsure, try to spell it as best you can but put it in [brackets]
(AudioLink it!). Also be aware of proper names or names of
businesses/organizations that sound like actual words/phrases – for example,
“Travelers Insurance Group” instead of simply, “travelers” etc. To make these
instances more clearly identifiable, please use brackets. [Travelers Insurance
Group].

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  If a speaker has an accent, which makes it hard to decipher what is being said, listen
a few seconds ahead. More often than not, the word can be derived from context.

 False starts should be omitted. We are in part editors and we can alter the
transcript to make it an easy read for our clients as much as possible unless
verbatim was requested.

 Never start a sentence with “But” Or “And”. If you can take out the words
“But” and “And” in the beginning of the sentence without altering the
context, please feel free to do so unless verbatim was requested.

 NEVER leave a blank space in a transcription i.e. “______” where a word is

spoken on the recording. Please make best efforts to determine what the word is. If
you are still unable to determine the word, use an [Unintelligible] (AudioLink it!).

 Use your best judgment when transcribing the beginning and the end of the
recordings. If the recording is of an interview, conversation at the beginning and the
end of call that constitutes “personal chat” about something not relevant to the
interview may be omitted or use [Side Conversation]. If you are in doubt, do not
omit anything and direct inquires to transcriptionhelp@civi.com.

 Please include/transcribe vulgar language.

 Examples are: Shit, Fuck off, Damn, Hell, etc.

Helpful Reference:
 American English writing Style: The Elements of Style (1918) (aka Strunk & White),
by William Strunk, Jr., and E. B. White
LINKS:
http://www.bartleby.com/141/
http://www.crockford.com/wrrrld/style.html
http://faculty.uml.edu/rsiegel/Guide_to_Common_Writing_Errors.pdf

VIII: Before/when uploading a file …

1. Do a SPELL CHECK (F7 in Word)

 Be careful when using the ‘change all’ function of the spell check as it has a
tendency to create inconsistencies throughout the document when the wrong
word is selected and changed.

 Because a grammar check will alter the speaker’s actual words, a grammar
check is not necessary – ignore grammar suggestions made by Microsoft
Word unless they reflect formatting issues (like punctuation, etc.)

 DO NOT return a transcription unless you have edited/proofed it at

least once. By doing this, you can actually clear up several
“unintelligible.”

 Make sure everything is AudioLinked!!!

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 2. Saving the document:
 Make sure that the file extension is .doc (MS Word 2003), not .docx
(MS Word 2007).

 When saving the final copy, please title the document in the following manner
in order to more easily organize files for large projects: Your Name - Project
Name/Name of Recording - Description of document.doc.
o Please use your better judgment when titling files that are not
interviews.
o When uploading, please make sure that you click on the check box
for “Keep File Name”.

SAMPLE: Olive - Project # XXX - Bi-Weekly Conference.doc

3. Uploading the document in Transcription Manager:

 All final transcripts should be uploaded on the TM and emailed to:

transcriptionhelp@civi.com. (All editors receive the emails that you send to
transcriptionhelp so no need to send to each and every one)

 When submitting your document in the Transcription Manager, make

sure to fill in the important information in the upload page: number of
speakers, audio issues, long gaps, etc.

If you feel that you have not been provided enough information to satisfy any of the
guidelines set forth in this document, connect with Olive or Pauline by:
o Olive:
 Online from 6:00 AM - 3:00 PM (Manila Time)
 YM: transcriptionhelp@yahoo.com
 Skype: oliveabac
 Pidgin: olive@cimtrans.dynsdns.org
o Pauline
 Online from 2:00 PM - 11:00 PM (Manila Time)
 Skype: oczon-pauline
 Pidgin: pauline.oczon@cimtrans.dyndns.org
o E-mail: transcriptionhelp@civi.com
o Call Pauline or connect with the transcription editors at (02) 850-2825.

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IX: Quick Recap

o Font is Trebuchet MS, 10, Justified for the whole body document including
header/title and end note).

o Always include the Rate This Transcript link provided to you when you check out a
file (Include the words CTRL + Click). Each rating link is specific to one document so
re-using the links is not allowed.

o Do not send back a document that hasn’t been proofed at least once.

o Do not include filler words and edit out false starts (unless verbatim is requested).

o If you are using bulleted lists keep punctuation at the end consistent. If you use a
period in one place put a period at the end of all.

o Grammar of the speaker can be corrected as long as the main thought is kept.

o Use the TranscriptionWing Template provided to you when you check out a file
unless stated otherwise.

o Do a spell check.

o Check the format.

o Email all completed transcripts to transcriptionhelp@civi.com with a brief summary

of problems encountered with the file, if any.

o All documents must be delivered on time. You will be penalized for late files.

o Extensions will only be granted if you inform TranscriptionHelp beforehand

that you won’t be able to finish the file on time due to unforeseen
circumstances e.g. emergency, illness, and difficulty in transcribing a file
due to audio issues. Proper communication is vital so we can find resources if you
need help with a file.

o If you’ve been granted extension to transcribe your file, always send the editors a
partial transcript so they can start proofing your work.

o Research unsure terms especially medical terms and company names.

o Be sure to inform Olive/TranscriptionHelp if you would be unavailable 2 days before

the day you will be out.

o Ensure all necessary segments have been AudioLinked!

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X: Transcription Score

A: Scoring for files

MAX POINTS PER PROJECT: 11

Communication: 3
Following Directions: 3
Timeliness: 2
Overall Quality: 3

 Communication: Did the transcriber inform the editor if he/she had issues with
the audio, rating links, names of the respondents, or if the file was perfect, etc.?

 Following Directions: Did the transcriber follow the directions set forth by the
client and/or our transcription guidelines?

 Timeliness: Did the transcriber send the document ½ hour or more before the
deadline? Within 20 minutes of the deadline or past the deadline

 Overall Quality: Did the editor have to make a lot of changes?

0 = We had to practically redo the document.

1 = The transcriber made a lot of mistakes that could easily be fixed if he/she
listened to the recording again (proofread)
2 = Portions of the file had to be redone, but there were parts that were “okay”.
3 = The document is “okay” (few changes)
4 = “Near perfect” documents that require minor changes, if any.

Penalties would apply if:

 Overall quality is 0-1
 Did not put in the rating links
 Did not follow the special guidelines, if any (often sent via email) like time
stamps, format, respondent’s names, etc.
 There are ‘unexpanded’ abbreviations such as “gonna”, “wanna”, “gotta”, etc.
unless you’ve been instructed to transcribe verbatim.
 If there are “You Knows” and “Like’s” that are irrelevant to the transcript and
therefore should be omitted as per the guidelines
 Late transcripts
 If you didn’t update Olive, Pauline, or one of the editors on the status of the
document if you ran into trouble
 If clients have negative feedback regarding quality

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XI: Work Breakdown Sheet

Reminders:

 Must be emailed to olive@civi.com and cc: transcriptionhelp@civi.com on or before

the 25th of every month before midnight Philippine Time.

 Any sheet submitted after the 25th of the month WILL NOT BE PAID. This means
you CANNOT submit sheets of past work during the current month.

 There will be no option to include current month’s pay to the next.

 Salaries will be paid during the first week of the following month (no later than the
5th)

 Sheets should only contain current information. If you like keeping a record of your
projects for personal use, please do so on a separate sheet.

 We understand that you would like to keep a record of your salaries per month and
in line with that, we will be sending a receipt with your dollar amount and peso
amount based on the prevailing exchange rate, which will be provided to you as well.

XI: Bonus-Penalty Scheme

The goal of implementing this system is to retain and compensate well excellent transcribers
who submit “Client Ready” work. The new system will significantly increase pay to our
outstanding transcribers and will weed out those transcribers who are not providing
excellent results for our clients. Civicom is a different type of Transcription Company in that
we empower our transcribers to deliver the best document possible and cut out the need for
a multi-level editing team. As a result we want to compensate you well!

There are 2 elements that will determine and increase or decrease in your pay. You can
make $0.50/recorded minute if your composite score is high. On the flip side, we can also
opt to give as low as $0.12/recorded minute even if the rate quoted to you was $0.25 if we
had to go through and edit the document.

First Bonus/Penalty: Per Project Evaluation

You will be evaluated on a per project basis. Depending on the quality of your work, the
Transcription Manager has the ability to add or subtract $0.10 from your quoted rate.

If the document is “Client Ready” (deadline was met, transcriber communicated well with
the Transcription Manager and the document was a “no proof/edit needed” transcript and
included the correct colloquialisms), the Transcription Manager will give you an additional
$0.10 on top of the standard or quoted rate.

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 Sample: Client Ready Document
Quoted rate: $0.25
Bonus: $0.10
Total rate per minute for the document: $0.35

Conversely, if the criteria was unmet (missed deadline, did not communicated with the
Transcription Manager about problems encountered prior to the deadline or the quality was
so poor that he transcript had to be edited) the Transcription Manager will deduct $0.10
from your quoted rate.

Sample: Poor Document

Quoted rate: $0.25
Penalty: $0.10
Total rate per minute for the document: $0.15

Second Bonus/Penalty: Per Month Evaluation

The second bonus/penalty will be determined from your completed work during each
monthly period. The monthly score will determine the bonus or penalty that you will be
receiving on top of the work you have completed. Below are the elements of the 2nd bonus:

 Quality 30%
 Meeting deadlines 25%
 Availability 25%
 Communication 10%
 Time with Civicom 10%

Possible Rating:
Highest: 120 % (++ $$$)
Average: 100 % (no change)
Below Satisfactory: 80% and below (-- $$$)

For example, if you have been doing an outstanding job for a number of months, your
second payment bonus (or % achieved) could be as high as 120%. This means that we will
pay you 120% of the amount due. If you transcribed 24-hours at $0.35/recorded minute
you would be owed $504, however with the second bonus, we would take the $504 x 120%
and you would be paid $604.80!

Conversely, if you did a poor job, warranting a rate of $0.15/minute per project and did a
below-satisfactory job for the past couple of months, you may be dropped from the pool and
may only make 24-hours at $0.15/minute at $216 x 80% = $172.

As you can see this model was built to heavily reward the detailed and dedicated
transcribers and to weed out those transcribers who are not delivering satisfactory work.

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XIII. Sanctions__________________________________________

Here at TranscriptionWing, we strive to provide our clients with excellent quality transcripts
in efficient turnaround times. To ensure this, we are constantly monitoring the performance
of our transcribers in order to retain those who show professionalism with regards to their
deadlines and the quality of their work.

WARNINGS: All formal warnings will be done through emails and apply to all ranks
of transcribers.

1. REMINDERS will be sent to:

a. A transcriber who flakes once in one (1) billing period, meaning that the
transcriber fails to finish an assignment by the deadline without any
communication with the in-house team.
b. A transcriber who uploads a different transcript in the Transcription Manager
and does not send a backup copy of his/her file.
c. A transcriber who cannot be reached for a pending assignment and then
flakes at the last minute without any communication with the in-house team.

2. 1ST FORMAL WARNING will be given to a transcriber if:

a. The transcriber submits a file of below-average quality with an Easy to
Average audio and thus giving the editor a difficult time in proofing. This
excludes the first file or assignment of a newly-hired transcriber.
b. The transcriber fails to finish an assignment two (2) times in one (1) billing
period.
c. The transcriber uploaded a different transcript and did not send a backup
copy two (2) consecutive times in one (1) billing period.

3. FINAL WARNING will be issued to a transcriber if:

a. The transcriber submits a file of below-average quality with an Easy to
Average audio the second time after his/her Formal Warning.
b. The transcriber repeatedly fails to finish an assignment and/or fails to submit
a backup copy on a different billing period after his/her Formal Warning.

4. TERMINATION OF CONTRACT (See Independent Contractor Agreement for

details).

- End of Guidelines -

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