recording tips

Here are 10 tips of how to get the best possible transcript of your work!

  1. Where possible, practice with your recorder or dictation machine / software before actually starting to record. Work out where best to place the recorder or separate microphones.
  2. Don’t speak to close to the microphone
  3. If speaking at a conference or large meeting, avoid having too many microphones (especially radio microphones) operating close together. The feedback can drown out or distort what is being said.
  4. If dictating, try not to dictate immediately after a heavy meal or if you are tired. Both cause your voice to go lower and your speech to become slower. This can add significantly to both dictation and transcription time.
  5. Speak distinctly at normal speed. Speaking too slowly can be worse for the transcriptionist than being a little too fast, and quite often it causes you to lose your train of thought.
  6. Speak one at a time and don’t speak over other participants.
  7. Where there is more than one speaker, get each speaker to introduce themselves by name, and speak a couple of sentences before the proper recording begins. This helps transcriptions identify speakers. It is also important to provide a list of speakers / participants.
  8. If speaking with the help the of a PowerPoint presentation or slides, a copy of the presentation will greatly assist the transcriptionist
  9. A list of acronyms – with their meanings, special terms (e.g. names of medication) and topic ‘jargon’ is also very helpful.
  10. Constructive feedback helps transcriptionists to improve their ability to assist you.

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