It is true that well-trained, highly experienced transcriptionists play a crucial role in improving the accuracy of transcripts. However, it does not mean that they do not make mistakes and you can always expect them to deliver accurate transcripts. For instance, while typing quickly to meet a deadline, they are likely to make several mistakes inadvertently such as misspelling words, choosing the wrong words, omitting dictated words, misinterpreting abbreviations or acronyms, grammatical errors, punctuation errors, and more. Regardless of the nature of your business, inaccuracy in your transcripts can have disastrous consequences. Can this be avoided? Yes, it can – by double checking or proofreading the documents before they are finalized. Here’s how good proofreaders ensure accurate transcripts:
- Repair the Transcripts – Proofreaders thoroughly read the transcripts and check for any grammatical or textual errors. They will then rectify the mistakes. Missed words or phrases are also detected and inserted in the appropriate places.
- Check for Informational Accuracy – Informal accuracy is very crucial for legal, financial, technical and academic documents. Proofreaders scrutinize the entire content, research all key terms and spellings, and find out if there is any illogical information in the transcript. In case of doubt, they will listen to audio to understand the content properly.
- Format Transcripts as per Client Specifications – The format for transcripts may vary according to clients. For example, a documentary interview transcript may sometimes need time coding while a seminar transcript may not. Placement of header and footer and underlining and bolding requirements may differ among clients. Proofreaders will see that the transcripts are formatted to meet the client’s specific needs.
- Ensure the Quality of Transcripts – Proofreaders will conduct in-depth quality checks to check whether the transcripts meet the standards specified by the client.
Proofreader software is available but it may not be able to recognize all types of errors, particularly in the case of inaccurate information. Manual proofreading is the key to transcript accuracy. Outsourcing documentation tasks to a professional transcription company is proving to a better option for the substantial benefits that it offers in terms of stringent quality control processes for accuracy, timeliness and affordability.
