Transcription as a service calls for accuracy, speed and skilled translators to work on the source content. Even a small error or inadequacies of any kind could play a decisive role for the customer, be it an individual or an organization.
Here are some prerequisites that must be taken into consideration before you go ahead with transcribing any content:
1. Certification
This is an integral part when you seek to receive any professional service. It holds an even important role if the transcript is to be used for legal, medical or business purpose. A certificate issued by a professionally certified company guarantees that the transcript provided has gone through processes to ensure it is of high quality. In fact, without certification, the document could fall back in its reliability and authenticity. A professional services company will always provide a certificate along with the given document.
2. Proofreading post-transcription
It is vital that the document be reviewed after transcription as this process will eliminate any scope for missing sentences, errors in grammar and punctuation, check for contextual correctness and consistency in writing style. The document is usually proofread by a person other than the one who translated it, which allows them to easily spot errors or inconsistencies of any kind.
3. Output file format
Transcription requirements can be of both simple and complex nature. Simple requirements could have content wherein there’s just one or two individuals speaking in a controlled environment, however, the difficulty level increases with the increase in number of people in any given audio file. The final file must have a clear, specific and understandable format which could help anyone reading the document to know the matter or navigate to any part without any problem. It usually contains the timestamp, name for each person, transcribed content; all these should ideally be in a tabular format.
4. Delivery timeline
Everyone wants to have their work done as soon as possible, but not always is it possible to adhere to such deadlines. Flexibility in timelines and the willingness to work around the required period of time could help fix this concern. If the document is required urgently, it will come with a price because the efforts too will be of that level. Generally, it takes 1 hour to transcribe approx. 15 minutes of audio. This of course depends on the difficulty level. Once transcribed, the content has to be proofread and formatted. If there are several files to be transcribed, the translation company shouldn’t have a problem in sharing files with you on rolling basis.
5. Transparency in pricing
Generally, the cost for transcription is calculated on the basis of per minute or per hour. Some companies may even charge on the basis of per sentence. One must accept the company quotation only if there is transparency in the way the content is being charged and if its value for money.
If you’ve got a positive response after asking these questions to the potential transcription vendors, you wouldn’t be in for a shock when your document comes back after being transcribed. It’s important to inquire about these queries so that you get what you pay for.